The mulberry paper letter stained with red cinnabar was all too familiar to her; it was such letters that had previously unsettled her mind and spirit.
And now, such a letter had appeared again.
Pei Ying could no longer sit still. She rose from her seat to fetch the letter, but just as she reached Guo Dajiang's side, another guard came to report.
"General, many red envelopes have been found in the courtyard." The reporting guard held several red letters in his hand, each identical to the previous ones.
"How can there be so many?" Pei Ying exclaimed in shock.
A long arm reached past her side and took the nearest mulberry paper letter from Guo Dajiang's hand.
Huo Tingshan took the letter and opened it. When his eyes fell upon the contents, his pupils contracted slightly.
Pei Ying was beside him. Seeing he had opened it, she leaned in, trying to see what was written, but unexpectedly, his long fingers swiftly folded the letter back up.
She had seen writing on it but hadn't made out the specifics.
Pei Ying asked suspiciously, "Huo Tingshan, what does the letter say?"
He weighed his words carefully. "The other side has planted spies here. Perhaps seeing that you have taken no action these past few days, they are sending a letter to urge you on."
Pei Ying reached out to take it. "Let me see."
Huo Tingshan did not give it to her.
The doubt in Pei Ying's eyes grew thicker. Just as she began to suspect the letter's content might not be as innocuous as he claimed, another guard arrived to report.
This one did not bring mulberry red paper but delivered a gold and jade hairpin shaped like a butterfly with twisted gold wire. The main body of the hairpin was gold, the butterfly carved from jade, exquisitely crafted. Yet now, the hairpin was stained with blood, and one of the jade butterfly wings was missing, revealing the jagged break where the jade had shattered.
It was her daughter's hairpin.
The day Nannan went out, she was wearing this very gold and jade hairpin.
Pei Ying's face instantly turned pale, as if an invisible giant hand had struck her temple with a heavy hammer, making her dizzy and disoriented.
The ground seemed to vanish beneath her feet; what she stood on was no longer solid earth but a thin, taut wire. A sudden gust of wind seemed to whip past, causing the wire to sway violently. She could no longer keep her balance, stumbling as if falling into an abyss.
Huo Tingshan swiftly caught and held her. "Madam, do not fall for the enemy's trick."
Pei Ying's chaotic thoughts slowly gathered. "The letter, let me see the letter!"
Yet he merely held her, saying nothing. In his narrow, long eyes, Pei Ying saw a flicker of complexity. Her heart sank continuously, plunging into an icy chasm. Finally, without waiting for him to hand it over, she reached for the mulberry paper letter herself.
The first time, Pei Ying couldn't take it; his hand held it firmly.
Pei Ying, both anxious and angry, felt a sheen of tears well up in her eyes. "Huo Tingshan, what is written on that letter? Is it..."
He ultimately released his grip, allowing her to take the mulberry paper letter from his hand.
Pei Ying opened it eagerly.
The letter read: Come to Chang'an at once. If you do not leave the city today, we will cut off one of your daughter's fingers.
A wave of dizziness washed over Pei Ying. The letter slipped from her weakened fingers and fluttered slowly to the ground.
Huo Tingshan's long brows furrowed. He carried her to the bed in the inner chamber. Looking down, he saw her face was already streaked with tears.
Some people weep with heart-wrenching sobs; others sob as if their necks are being choked, gasping for breath. Her crying was silent weeping—no noise, no fuss—just tears falling like strings of pearls, dampening both her robes and his.
Huo Tingshan felt as if a thin knife soaked in saltwater had pierced his heart. The initial sting was light, but the pain grew increasingly intense. He raised his hand to wipe her tears, his rough, long fingers brushing over the corners of her eyes and brows, quickly becoming damp with her tears.
It seemed sending men to Chang'an to burn down houses wasn't enough; that man surnamed Ji deserved to be sliced into a thousand pieces immediately.
"Huo Tingshan, he says he'll cut Nannan's finger," Pei Ying said, her long, thick eyelashes blinking and shedding a few more clear tears. "I..."
"Pei Ying, do you trust me?" He grasped her hand, enveloping it completely in his palm.
Pei Ying's vision was already blurred, making his face somewhat indistinct, but she could feel the warmth and solid reliability of the large hand holding hers.
But...
The air seemed to freeze.
Huo Tingshan could see her inner conflict and hesitation. She was like a frightened rabbit, red-eyed and stunned by the external shocks, seemingly already considering whether to leave her safe haven.
She did not speak. Afterwards, he remained silent too, leaving only the sound of two breaths at different rhythms.
The man slowly lowered his eyes. Just then, he heard a very soft "Mm." The sound was so faint, like a feather gently drifting down, that even with Huo Tingshan's keen hearing, he wondered for a moment if he had misheard.
He abruptly looked up. The person before him gazed at him with tear-filled eyes. Huo Tingshan's Adam's apple bobbed. "Madam..."
"I trust you," Pei Ying said softly. "Huo Tingshan, I trust you."
Today was the ninth day since Nannan's disappearance. From Chenyuan Dao to Chang'an, riding hard with frequent changes of horses, it would take nearly half a month to arrive. If Nannan were already on the road, how could they threaten "if you do not leave the city today, we will cut off your daughter's finger"?
He had been right before. This was the enemy's trick; they must not fall for it. If she went to Chang'an, how would it be any different from drinking poison to quench thirst?
Their daughter had not yet returned, so perhaps it wasn't the right time for joy, but Huo Tingshan still curved the corners of his mouth. "It's enough that you trust me."
"General, an urgent matter requires your attention," someone called from outside.
Huo Tingshan's brow twitched. He rose from the bed. "I'll go see."
Just as he was about to leave, the hem of his robe was caught by Pei Ying.
She had just finished crying, her strength largely spent. Now she merely held a corner of his robe, her grip not strong—insignificant to him, easily broken with a slight tug.
Yet Huo Tingshan stopped. He turned back beside the soft couch. Sunlight from outside the window slanted in, falling upon his tall, imposing figure clad in dark robes, as if illuminating a beast with sharp fangs and claws.
Only now, the beast seemed restrained by a leash, unable to move an inch.
"Let him come in. I also want to hear what this urgent matter is," Pei Ying said, wiping her eyes.
Huo Tingshan could do nothing with her and ordered the man to enter.
After the two previous ominous reports, even though he knew this time he brought good news, under the gaze of those dark, sharp eyes, Guo Dajiang couldn't help but feel his scalp prickle. "General, the person who scattered the mulberry paper has been caught. He's likely a spy. With some interrogation, we should be able to extract much information."
The tense atmosphere eased.
Color finally returned to Pei Ying's pale face. "There's a lead? That's wonderful."
There indeed was a lead. After interrogation, this spy planted in Chenyuan Dao couldn't withstand the torture and revealed all the Yongzhou scouts in the city. Huo Tingshan took the opportunity to purge the city and also deduced one piece of information.
The second mulberry paper letter was likely a contingency plan.
Chang'an was very far from here. For a message to go back and forth, nine days would be cutting it close. For any important matter, there must always be primary and secondary plans—one always needs a backup, doesn't one?
The second wave of mulberry paper letters had been scattered everywhere, the method blatantly as if afraid no one would notice. Who, in this situation, was truly the only one feeling anxious? Was it really only his wife?
Huo Tingshan tapped his knuckles on the table. "Sha Ying, you take five hundred men south. Lan Zimu, you take five hundred west. Disperse troops along the way, bypass the cities, and focus the search on the outskirts."
The little girl might have already escaped.
If that were the case, most of the forces should be deployed in the countryside. After all, she didn't have a travel permit and was essentially a displaced person now, unable to stay at official lodgings within city walls.
The two men accepted their orders and quickly led their troops out.
Late that night, Huo Tingshan was startled awake by a few murmurs.
"Don't cut my Nannan's hand…"
The man sighed inwardly. He was just about to smooth her hair to help her sleep more soundly when his hand touched skin burning with fever.
It was summer, and their bedchamber had ice basins, yet she felt like a furnace.
Huo Tingshan was instantly wide awake.
Moments later, the main courtyard was brightly lit, as bright as day.
Feng Yuzhu withdrew his hand from taking Pei Ying's pulse. "The mistress's pulse is wiry and choppy, with significant qi stagnation, caused by pent-up melancholy. Excessive heart-fire easily breeds pathogenic heat. I urge you, mistress, to try to maintain a cheerful mood and avoid agitation. I will prescribe two doses of medicine for you. Take the fever-reducing decoction first, and two hours later, take a calming decoction."
Xin Jin accepted the order and went to prepare the medicine.
Feng Yuzhu was an excellent physician, the head of medicine in the Youzhou army. Usually, if anyone had a headache or a chill, they would seek Feng Yuzhu for a dose of medicine, and recovery would be immediate.
But this time, despite repeated summons from the main courtyard and Feng Yuzhu making trip after trip with his medicine chest, and despite dose after dose being brewed, Pei Ying showed little improvement after drinking them. She would often have her fever subside for a while during the day after taking the medicine, only for it to flare up again at night.
She withered day by day, and the atmosphere in the main courtyard grew heavier with each passing day. The maidservants acted with ten times their usual caution, fearing to provoke the increasingly unpredictable and temperamental master of the house.
"Madam, have some candied fruit." Huo Tingshan poured a piece of candied fruit from a small clay jar and brought it to the lips of the woman on the bed.
Pei Ying had just finished her medicine, her mouth full of bitterness. She didn't want this cloyingly sweet intrusion and shook her head slightly. "No, thank you."
Huo Tingshan pressed the candied fruit against her lips. "I have good news. The little girl has been found."
Pei Ying sat up abruptly. "Found? Where is Nannan now? When can she return?"
"She is still some distance from the Chenyuan Pass. It will take a few more days for her to return. You are unwell, madam, and must recover quickly. Otherwise, the little girl will be heartbroken when she returns." He seemed fixated on that piece of candied fruit, persistently trying to feed it to her.
This time, Pei Ying opened her mouth and ate it. "A few more days? How many exactly?"
Huo Tingshan was silent for a moment. "At least ten days."
"Huo Tingshan, you're not lying to me, are you?" Pei Ying was suspicious.
There was something off about him. News of Nannan's return was so important; why did he wait until after she finished her medicine to tell her, instead of telling her as soon as he entered the room?
"When have I ever deceived you, madam?" His expression was normal.
Pei Ying thought for a moment. "That time when Emperor Zhao passed away."
Huo Tingshan gave a light cough. "Just that once."
Pei Ying believed him. The gloom that had been lingering between her brows finally dissipated considerably, and a sparkle returned to her eyes. "It's good that she's found, it's good that she's found…"
That night, Pei Ying slept more soundly than she had in the previous nights. After falling asleep, she was unaware that the man beside her, unusually, did not stay in the main courtyard after she drifted off.
Huo Tingshan went to his study.
Chen Wei, Chen Yang, and others were already waiting in the study. Seeing him arrive, they first paid their respects, then reported, "Great General, we just received a message from General Lan. There is no trace of the young lady in the west yet."
One after another, they made their reports. When the last one finished, it was another day with no harvest.
"Keep searching." Huo Tingshan, expressionless, pointed to two more men. "Chen Wei, Chen Yang, each of you brothers take a thousand men south."
After receiving their tasks, everyone left the study one by one.
Only Huo Tingshan remained. The tall, imposing man sat alone behind the desk, a lamp burning quietly beside him.
Perhaps the light was not bright enough, for a shadow still lingered in the depths of his eyes. At one moment, his spine bent slightly, and a few strands of silver gleamed faintly at his temples.
…
After learning her daughter had been found, Pei Ying's condition quickly improved. After another day of medicine, the high fever had completely subsided. Although still weak, she was much better compared to the previous days.
As Pei Ying's illness gradually receded, the atmosphere in the main courtyard finally began to thaw from deep winter into early spring.
To the maidservants, everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction. No one but Huo Tingshan knew of the undercurrents swirling beneath the ice.
Another three days passed in the blink of an eye. At noon, while Pei Ying and Huo Tingshan were having their midday meal, someone rushed in from outside.
"Great General, Mistress! The young lady has returned to the manor!" Guo Dajiang reported with a joyful expression. "She came back with Envoy Chen. I saw the young lady, and her complexion looked quite good."
A flicker of surprise passed through Huo Tingshan's eyes. He let out a quiet sigh before curving his lips into a smile. "It's good that she's back."
Pei Ying, completely immersed in the joy of her daughter returning a full six days early, didn't notice the strangeness in the man opposite her. She immediately stopped eating, pulling Huo Tingshan up to go out and welcome her.
Just as they stepped out of the main courtyard, Pei Ying saw a petite figure appear from around a corner ahead.
The young girl's clothes didn't fit very well, likely bought hastily rather than custom-made by tailors as they were at home. Yet, even so, they couldn't conceal the sharp edge she now carried.
Yes, besides noticing her daughter's attire, Pei Ying also sensed a marked change in her daughter's aura after this time away from home.
What was it like?
Perhaps like a blade that had been freshly honed.
Before, it was beautifully crafted, but the blade was unsharpened, the intricate carvings on the scabbard drawing attention. Now the edge was sharp, the blade reflecting a cold, keen light.
Forgetting all decorum, Pei Ying ran over and tightly embraced her daughter, tears of joy welling in her eyes. "It's so good you're back, Nannan. You've lost weight. You must have suffered a lot out there…"
"Mother, I'm sorry. I've made you and Father worry these past days," Meng Ling'er said apologetically, returning her mother's embrace.
Suddenly, the young girl felt a slight weight on her head. A broad, warm hand patted her gently. "To be captured and yet return so swiftly. Truly worthy of being Huo Tingshan's daughter."
Meng Ling'er buried her face in her mother's embrace. As she closed her eyes, a single tear escaped from the corner of her eye, silently soaking into Pei Ying's robe.
Chang'an.
Night had fallen. The night watchman had just finished his round. Instead of heading straight back to his quarters, he turned a corner and quietly made his way towards the district of the Chang'an nobility.
When the watchman reached the outer wall of a certain vast estate, several men were already gathered there. They were of varying heights and builds, some fat, some thin, looking like ordinary commoners rather than soldiers trained daily.
After they assembled, the fat man who had pushed the wooden-wheeled cart began lifting the oil jars from the cart one by one. Then, climbing a makeshift wooden ladder, he poured the jars of oil over the wall.
In the deep silence of the night, the sound of pouring oil was a noisy cascade. But because they had timed it to coincide with the estate's patrol schedule, no one noticed the anomaly at the wall.
A quarter of an hour later, several cartloads of oil had been emptied.
The stout man gave a slight nod to the night watchman and the dwarf, who then stepped back a distance. They then forcefully hurled leather pouches—filled with oil and with their openings loosely tied—over the outer wall.
"Who dares cause trouble out there?!" a sharp shout suddenly came from inside.
The men outside showed no panic. Swiftly, they each produced a handful of firestarters, pulled off the caps in unison, and blew on them.
Instantly, flaming torches appeared in their hands.
They flung the large bundle of ignited firestarters over the wall, then immediately fled. Inside, flames erupted at once, plunging the place into chaos.
"Fire! Someone, come quickly! Put out the fire!"
"Damnation! What despicable scoundrels dare to stir trouble at the Minister of War's residence?"
