"Madam, it's unwise to retire immediately after supper. Stay and converse with me awhile."
Huo Tingshan grasped Pei Ying's wrist, guiding her back to her seat, and even after she settled, his grip remained firm. "That petty constable surnamed Hao offered you to me as tribute. I initially intended to take you as my own, for you greatly pleased me. Yet you proposed a bargain instead. Very well, I indulged your request. Since then, I’ve treated you with the courtesy of a guest, even dispatched Chen Yuan and others to assist you with the Meng family’s funeral arrangements. Have I not?"
Pei Ying attempted to pull free, unsurprised when she failed—his domineering nature was unchanged. At his words, "indulged your request," her lips pressed together.
Back then, she had begged him to spare her and her daughter, speaking in haste without specifying terms.
From the perspective of intimacy, he had indeed honored her plea. But if judged by whether he’d allowed them to return home, he had broken his word.
Still, she couldn’t deny his aid in the funeral matters. Softly, she conceded, "I acknowledge your hospitality, and I’m grateful for your men’s assistance with my late husband’s burial rites. But I cannot agree that you ‘indulged my request.’ You never permitted my daughter and me to go home."
Yet Huo Tingshan had anticipated her evasion. His fingers trailed slowly down her slender wrist, enveloping her stiff hand in his palm. "At the time, you never specified returning home. I assumed you merely wished to avoid intimacy, so I relented. To this day, I’ve kept my word. I’ve treated you with utmost consideration—from funeral arrangements to daily meals, all meticulously attended to. Yet you regard me as a beast, evading me at every turn. Worse, you and your daughter attempted to slip away like cicadas shedding their shells. Isn’t that so?"
Pei Ying’s mind spun. Though his "courtesy" was undeniable, the memory of that chamber incident compelled her to sever ties swiftly.
Before she could reply, Huo Tingshan stroked her palm. "Since you’ve shown no regard for honesty, then I—"
"No!" Pei Ying’s almond eyes widened in alarm. She knew what he meant to say and couldn’t let him continue.
Instead of anger, amusement curved his lips as he watched her.
Suppressing her racing heart, Pei Ying pleaded, "General, I do value honesty. My actions were improper, and I’ll apologize to Captain Chen tomorrow morning. In light of the terraced fields matter, could you let this go?"
Without warning, Huo Tingshan yanked her into his arms. As her soft form collided against him, one arm locked around her slender waist while his other hand slid up her spine, settling at the nape of her neck.
Gazing down at her trembling eyes, he stroked her delicate skin like soothing a skittish creature. "I’m deeply grateful for the terraced fields. Repayment will come in due time. But matters must be kept separate. If you claim to value honesty, I’ll grant you one more chance. However, given your prior deceit, you’ll need to offer collateral to regain my trust."
His touch sent shivers through her.
Though early autumn, his sheer black robe radiated heat like a furnace, his presence overwhelming as a gale, engulfing her in his scent and warmth.
Pei Ying met his gaze—dark as a fathomless sea—and her throat dried. "I... I can give you silver."
"Such trinkets would only briefly inconvenience you, hardly a lasting lesson." His eyes lowered, lingering on her naturally crimson lips.
Sensing his intent, she shook her head, a frail "no" escaping before his mouth claimed hers.
The furnace’s flames surged, a wildfire scorching through her under the storm’s fury, flooding her senses. Pei Ying whimpered, legs thrashing, her chaotic resistance futile against his iron grip.
His searing breath invaded her lungs, igniting fires that devoured the air, leaving her gasping. For a moment, she feared she’d be reduced to ashes, her remnants clenched tightly in his grasp.
Her struggles waned until exhaustion stilled her. Only then did Huo Tingshan relent, his eyes darker than before, currents of desire swirling beneath.
The beauty in his arms now bore a rosy flush, her jade-like skin glowing. Perhaps her late husband had never cherished her so—her slender neck arched delicately, her lush curves heaving with each breath as she trembled against him.
Her fingers clutched his robe, a sight both tantalizing and heartrending.
Huo Tingshan brushed his thumb over her flushed eyelids, voice rough. "This lapse I’ll overlook. But next time, the consequences won’t be so light. You know well how long I’ve admired you. Should you grant me another chance, I’d seize it without hesitation."
...
Under the moonlight, Huo Tingshan left the rear chamber, striding toward the garden’s rockery. Beyond two layers of artificial stones, he pushed open a disguised door.
This hidden room had been discovered by Youzhou soldiers during the magistrate’s mansion’s inspection.
Originally the magistrate’s treasure vault, its shelves had groaned under silks and valuables—modest by Chang’an standards but a fortune for impoverished Beichuan County.
Now emptied, the chamber served darker purposes.
Lantern light spilled across the floor, illuminating a dark stain. Xiong Mao and Chen Yuan bowed as Huo Tingshan entered.
"General."
"General."
His gaze swept over the two bloodied prisoners hanging in chains, their torture leaving them barely alive. "They talked?"
These were the sole survivors of that afternoon’s ambush—fifteen assassins, only these two remained.
Xiong Mao replied, "They confessed. Sent by Bingzhou."
Huo Tingshan nodded, unsurprised.
Bingzhou’s attempt at false-flag tactics had been foiled when his scouts uncovered their plot. Youzhou’s preemptive seizure of Beichuan had naturally provoked their ire.
"Since they’ve talked, grant them a quick end. Pack their heads for delivery to Bingzhou tomorrow. Dismember the corpses and feed them to the dogs. Both of you, meet me in the study." With that, he turned on his heel.
Once Huo Tingshan departed, Xiong Mao muttered to Chen Yuan, "Did you notice? The general seemed in unusually high spirits tonight."
Chen Yuan drove his dagger into a prisoner’s heart, offering no reply.
Undeterred, Xiong Mao mused, "Truly, he seemed almost leisurely. Why else would he personally come here? Any guard could’ve relayed his orders."
Chen Yuan shot him a sidelong glance: "Focus on your duties and stop speculating about our lord's thoughts."
Xiong Mao curled his lip. "This isn't speculation. Chen Yuan, you're so dull—even Sha Ying is more fun to talk to than you."
Chen Yuan wiped his dagger clean, sheathed it with a sharp clang, and left the dark room without another word. The general had summoned them to the study for urgent business. The corpses here could wait.
By the time the two arrived, Gongsun Liang and the others were already present.
Xiong Mao and Chen Yuan clasped their hands in unison. "Apologies for our delay."
"No need for formalities. Come closer." Huo Tingshan beckoned them forward. The group was puzzled at first—until he pulled out a sheet of rattan paper from his robe.
The scene felt familiar. Even Gongsun Liang looked surprised, though his astonishment quickly gave way to anticipation.
The paper unfurled, but this time, instead of childlike drawings, it revealed a series of interconnected sketches—four small images, each resembling mountains, yet not quite.
Gongsun Liang stroked his goatee, studying the drawings in silence.
Xiong Mao squinted for a long moment before blurting, "General, what is this... pancake-like thing?"
Huo Tingshan replied, "These are terraced fields."
He then explained the concept in detail.
Gongsun Liang's hand, still resting on his goatee, accidentally plucked two hairs in his shock. But he barely noticed, his eyes gleaming as they fixed on the drawings.
The term "terraced fields" had only been vaguely mentioned before. Gongsun Liang had spent an entire day puzzling over which characters it referred to. Now, with the truth laid bare, his mind reeled.
The study fell silent. Huo Tingshan wasn’t surprised. The idea was so novel and ahead of its time that even he had been stunned when he first heard it.
Suddenly, Gongsun Liang rose and bowed deeply. "The world praises me as a brilliant strategist, a qilin among men. Yet now, I am ashamed. Compared to innovations like the stirrup and terraced fields, my past achievements are trivial. The true qilin is the one who devised these."
Huo Tingshan hurried to help him up. "Master Gongsun, there’s no need for such humility. Your talents are undeniable to me and the Youzhou army. Besides, as my wife mentioned, the terraced fields were revealed to her in a dream by an immortal—one beyond our mortal realm. Whether such dreams will come again is uncertain. We cannot credit a living person."
Gongsun Liang fell into thought.
Though Huo Tingshan himself didn’t believe in gods or spirits, he had to admit that such tales were convenient at times. He turned to Xiong Mao. "Xiong Mao, at dawn tomorrow, take these drawings back to Youzhou and deliver them to Ming Ji. Have him begin work on the terraced fields."
Xiong Mao was about to bow when Huo Tingshan suddenly changed his mind. "No, assign this to Chen Yuan instead. Chen Yuan, depart at mao hour. Return swiftly."
Chen Yuan accepted the order.
Xiong Mao, however, was baffled.
Why had the task been taken from him? Had the general grown dissatisfied, refusing to assign him duties now?
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Huo Tingshan spoke again. "Xiong Mao, comb through the Meng family’s library once more—every book, whether from the study or the lady’s chambers. Examine each carefully and report anything unusual."
Xiong Mao groaned inwardly.
So this was his punishment. But Chen Yuan was far more meticulous—why not have him search the books instead? Unless Chen Yuan had another mission?
Xiong Mao couldn’t make sense of it.
Once Huo Tingshan finished his orders, Gongsun Liang spoke up. "My lord, have you uncovered the source of Lady Pei’s strategies?"
Huo Tingshan admitted they hadn’t.
Xiong Mao hung his head in shame. His incompetence was to blame.
Gongsun Liang said gravely, "My lord, I find Lady Pei’s claim of divine dreams hard to believe entirely. Ordinary people recall dreams vaguely, if at all. Yet from the high-cantle saddle to the Youzhou strategy, and now these terraced fields—everything is startlingly precise."
Xiong Mao frowned. "Master Gongsun, we’ve already confirmed that Lady Pei’s late husband was an unremarkable county magistrate, hardly a genius. And Lady Pei herself was confined to the inner courtyard, never stepping beyond it. If not for an immortal’s guidance, how could she know of things like stirrups?"
"Everyone has secrets, large or small. I believe Lady Pei is no exception." Gongsun Liang, too, dismissed the supernatural. Then he recalled his lord’s interest in Lady Pei—that night when Huo Tingshan had rushed back with the stirrup designs, his robes barely concealing his excitement. Yet some truths had to be voiced.
Gongsun Liang bowed deeply again. "My lord, though I doubt these strategies came from a woman’s mind, until we find the true mastermind, I implore you to treat Lady Pei as the qilin she claims to be. Honor her as an esteemed guest—do not overstep."
Huo Tingshan’s face remained unreadable.
Chen Shichang, observing this, also stood and bowed. "My lord, consider the bigger picture."
Only then did the man at the head of the room respond. "Understood."
The next morning, Pei Ying had barely risen when her daughter’s voice, bright as a lark’s, called from outside. She hurried to open the door and caught the girl as she flung herself forward. "Did my darling sleep well last night?"
Meng Ling'er buried her face in Pei Ying’s chest, nuzzling the softness there. "No! Without you, it was awful."
Suddenly, she pulled back and scrutinized Pei Ying, circling her twice. Only after confirming her mother was unharmed did she cling to her again. "Mother, what happened yesterday? How did you run into those bandits? And did that brute—did he trouble you?"
The questions poured out like a waterfall. Pei Ying laughed, stroking her daughter’s hair. "Are you sure you’re not a lark, chirping away so early?"
Meng Ling'er huffed. "Mother, I’m serious!"
Yesterday, she had watched helplessly as that brute galloped off with her mother. By the time she trudged back to the magistrate’s residence, she was told bandits had attacked and her mother had fainted from shock after witnessing their crimes.
Frantic, Meng Ling'er had wanted to fly to her mother’s side—only to find her room empty. The maid Xin Jin explained that for better rest, Pei Ying had been moved to another wing. Visiting would have to wait until morning.
Meng Ling'er had protested fiercely, but to no avail. That brute had torn them apart for an entire night!
"All is well. The general and I cleared up the misunderstanding." Pei Ying lowered her eyes, masking her turmoil.
Her daughter was only fifteen—still a child who understood little and could do even less. Better to let her stay carefree than burden her with worries.
Meng Ling'er looked up, her large eyes filled with suspicion. "Really? But Mother, that man doesn’t seem like someone easy to talk to."
Pei Ying gently patted the little girl’s back, soothing her. "Appearances can be deceiving. He just looks a bit intimidating."
No sooner had she spoken than Pei Ying sensed someone watching her—a gaze so intense and familiar it sent a shiver down her spine.
She froze in place.
"Mother, can I sleep with you tonight?" Meng Ling'er, oblivious to Pei Ying’s unease, continued to nuzzle against her, pleading.
"Young Mistress Meng, has our household failed to make you feel welcome?" A deep, resonant voice sounded from behind them.
Meng Ling'er reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, swiftly pulling away from Pei Ying and stepping protectively in front of her. "Why are you standing outside my mother’s room?!"
Her tone started fierce but quickly deflated, her courage leaking away like air from a punctured bellows. Before today, whenever she had encountered this Governor of Youzhou, he had either been on horseback or at a distance—never this close. Now, she realized just how towering the man was, standing at least two heads taller than her, with hands that looked capable of subduing five of her in one go.
Meng Ling'er swallowed hard, her heart pounding, but she stubbornly remained rooted in front of Pei Ying.
"The room next door is mine," Huo Tingshan replied, his expression surprisingly amiable.
"You live next door?" Meng Ling'er gaped before turning back to Pei Ying, her worry plain as day. "Mother, you should come sleep in our old room tonight."
If he was next door and her mother was here, it was practically dangling meat in front of a wolf. Absolutely not!
Huo Tingshan drawled, "Only toddlers who can barely speak need to cling to their mothers day and night. Young Mistress Meng looks at least ten years older than a toddler—why are you still so attached? Could it be that all these years, you’ve only grown in age but not independence? Do you still need your mother to tend to your every need?"
Meng Ling'er flushed crimson. Whether it was her youthful lack of restraint or Huo Tingshan deliberately softening his intimidating aura, she couldn’t help snapping back, "Of course I can take care of myself! The only reason I’m staying with Mother now is because of what you—"
"Ling'er!" Pei Ying quickly pulled her back.
The fragile balance between her and Huo Tingshan had been shattered once before, painstakingly patched up to maintain this uneasy peace. Until she could devise a foolproof plan to leave, she had no intention of disrupting it again.
Meng Ling'er pressed her lips together, fuming.
Pei Ying stole a quick glance at Huo Tingshan, exasperated. As a renowned general and Governor of Youzhou, how could he stoop to bickering with a child? Wasn’t he embarrassed?
Huo Tingshan caught her fleeting look, his sharp eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh? Madam, what have I done to you?"
When he spoke to her, his tone shifted slightly—softer, more intimate, as if sharing a secret meant only for the two of them.
Pei Ying instinctively tucked her hands deeper into her sleeves. Unlike last night, her wrists were free now, no longer trapped in the rough grip of his calloused palm.
"The General has been most gracious," Pei Ying murmured, lowering her gaze. "My daughter and I must go apologize to Colonel Chen. Please excuse us."
"No need to seek him out. Chen Yuan left Beichuan County early this morning on official business," Huo Tingshan said.
"Oh..." Pei Ying paused, suddenly recalling the terraced field blueprints. He had claimed that delaying by one night wouldn’t matter—now that the night had passed, he must have sent someone to work on the project. "When will Colonel Chen return?"
Huo Tingshan smiled faintly. "He’ll return once his duties are complete."
Pei Ying’s delicate brows furrowed.
Truly, listening to him was like listening to nothing at all.
