After arriving in Luoyang, the blueprints Pei Ying had previously drawn were immediately distributed, and various departments located in different parts of the city began operating simultaneously.
Carpenters worked together to construct a giant waterwheel, while the blacksmith's forge was specially chosen for a location outside the city. This was both to distance it from the bustling markets and avoid prying eyes as much as possible, and because a winding river nearby was perfect for driving the waterwheel.
In a few days, the young lady from the Lei family would arrive. Pei Ying, about to enter a busy period of steelmaking, thought it over and finally called her daughter to her side.
Pei Ying said to her daughter, "Nannan, in a few days, a guest will arrive at our residence. This person is the legitimate daughter of Governor Lei of Yuzhou. She is coming to meet your elder brother. If your elder brother finds her agreeable, she will become your elder sister-in-law in the future. However, starting tomorrow, I must go to the outskirts for steelmaking, and my schedule will likely be very busy from now on. Nannan, you are the only young lady in the household. After Miss Lei arrives, you will be responsible for entertaining her most of the time. You need to be attentive."
Miss Lei had not yet crossed the threshold as a bride; she was coming on this trip as a guest. Although Pei Ying was the mistress of the household, she was of a senior generation to the guest and extremely busy lately. She would only be able to make an appearance for the first couple of receptions at most; it was impossible for her to handle every detail personally afterwards.
As for Huo Tingshan, there was even less need to mention him. That man would show his face at most once and would certainly leave everything to others afterwards.
Having Huo Mingji handle the entertaining...
That was somewhat inappropriate.
Meeting for a potential match was one thing, but after all, there were proprieties to observe between men and women. It wasn't quite suitable for him to personally host and entertain her.
Having her daughter act as the intermediary was just right. Both were young women of similar age who could chat easily, and their status was also comparable.
Upon hearing that the guest might become her elder sister-in-law, Meng Ling'er said solemnly, "Don't worry, Mother. I know what to do."
Pei Ying added, "If you are unsure about anything, you can ask me or your elder brother."
The young girl nodded.
In the blink of an eye, a day passed. On this day, Pei Ying rose early, had breakfast, and had a carriage prepared.
She was going to the blacksmith's forge in the suburbs.
They were newly arrived in Luoyang. When the local nobility heard that Huo Tingshan had returned, invitations swirled down upon the Governor's mansion like snowflakes.
There's a saying that goes: When inviting others to a banquet, it's not a skill to prepare abundant delicacies, nor is it a skill to host it in a magnificent, spacious estate or restaurant. The true skill lies in being able to invite the person you wish to invite.
Huo Tingshan did not accept a single one of those numerous, easily obtained invitations.
It was true that he had come to Luoyang, but his purpose was clear. This trip was not for dealing with local powerful families. Moreover, with his eldest son by his side now, Huo Tingshan was happy to leave matters to others.
He handed all other affairs over to Huo Mingji and went to the outskirts with Pei Ying.
The carriage wheels rumbled over the thick stone bricks, the carriage leaving the bustling, crowded market and then exiting the city.
The noise faded away, replaced once more by tranquility.
Soon, the carriage arrived at a compound surrounded by many soldiers. This place was originally the estate of a minor local magnate, nestled against mountains and beside water, with a serene environment. Later, it was requisitioned by Huo Tingshan.
Having work to do today, Pei Ying had specifically changed into a neat and spirited riding outfit for convenience.
Steelmaking was divided into several steps, starting with setting up the environment. Although bronze vessels had only been phased out on a large scale in this dynasty, and the era of ironware wasn't exceptionally long, clever ancient blacksmiths had already developed the blast furnace method, which could increase iron production and efficiency.
The blast furnace wasn't complicated. It was tall and slender like a vase with a rounded belly, with a row of holes at the bottom for air intake and exhaust. The connection from the bellows, linked to the waterwheel, was attached here.
The furnace was built with clay, making construction very convenient.
By the time Pei Ying arrived, all equipment was in place.
The waterwheel was also installed beside the river. The flowing stream drove the massive waterwheel into continuous rotation.
With the equipment ready, the next step was the raw materials. These weren't just iron ore, but also fuel, flux, and additives.
Large chunks of iron ore needed to be crushed to increase their surface area exposed to air.
High-quality charcoal was chosen as fuel. Good charcoal could reach a combustion temperature of 1200°C, raising the furnace temperature another notch.
The flux consisted of limestone and dolomite. The latter was now also called 'ling stone,' but that didn't matter. It didn't affect the fact that current blacksmiths had already identified them. They were thrown into the iron furnace to combine with impurities in the iron ore, forming slag and thereby purifying the molten iron.
Iron smelting was a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. While temperatures varied with the seasons elsewhere, this place was like a fiery cage.
Pei Ying was steamed until her cheeks flushed red and she broke into a sweat. Her riding outfit became wet, then dried, then wet again.
"Madam, have some water." Huo Tingshan handed over a waterskin.
Pei Ying took it listlessly. Having spent a whole day here, she was wilted by the high heat, like a peony flower deprived of too much water.
Steelmaking was never an overnight achievement. With the first day's work completed, the two headed back home.
Huo Mingji and Meng Ling'er waited for their parents to dine, but they never came. Their mother, exhausted from overwork, didn't even want to eat, only wishing to return to her room and soak in water.
With their mother absent and their father also nowhere to be seen, the siblings could only dine by themselves.
The next two days continued in the same manner.
On the third day, after having breakfast together, the siblings once again saw their parents off at the door.
In the eyes of the guards at the gate, today was an ordinary day. Barring any surprises, it would be like yesterday: powerful families from various households would come to deliver invitations, they would send one batch away after another, and by evening, the General and the Madam would return home together.
However, today was ultimately different from yesterday...
Luoyang was located in the Central Plains and had served as the capital for several dynasties, so its level of prosperity need not be elaborated.
Numerous carriages passed through Luoyang's four city gates daily. There were merchants traveling north and south to conduct business, and also nobles who, on a sudden whim, would venture outside the city for leisure with their retinues.
Commoners and the nobility were distinctly separated by class; the former naturally yielded to the latter.
A carriage procession escorted by several hundred soldiers appeared at Luoyang's West Gate. The moment this contingent appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of the city guard soldiers.
The powerful families of Luoyang all maintained private troops, but they would never flaunt them openly on normal days.
Looking again at this carriage procession, not a single horse pulling the carriages was inferior; each was a fine steed with powerful hooves.
Elite soldiers, fine horses, luxurious carriages—even the wind-blocking curtains were made of silk.
Which family had such a grand procession?
A guard soldier stepped forward to question them. Upon inquiry, he found that this party came from Yuzhou. Not only did they carry tokens from Governor Lei of Yuzhou, but they also bore a letter personally written by their own Huo Youzhou.
The letter bore an official seal; it could not be forged.
The city guard soldiers dared not ask more and directly let them pass.
The carriage train entered the city in a grand procession. Just then, a gust of wind blew, lifting a corner of the curtain on the lead carriage. The guard soldier caught a fleeting glimpse of a beautiful face.
The guard was momentarily stunned. After the carriage procession had completely entered the city, he turned to his companion and said, "I just saw a young lady seated inside the carriage. Judging by her bearing and attire, she seems quite extraordinary. They also had Governor Lei of Yuzhou's token. Could it be that this young lady is a close relative of Governor Lei?"
"Speaking of which, the eldest young master arrived in Luoyang a few days ago."
The two guards exchanged a look, both seeing a certain speculation in the other's eyes.
Alliances through marriage between powerful families have existed since ancient times. Could it be...?
Inside the Yuzhou carriage.
"Young mistress, Luoyang is truly prosperous, bustling with traffic and lively crowds. This servant almost thought we had returned to Yingchuan Commandery," Maidong remarked, listening to the sounds from outside.
Seeing her young mistress's low spirits, showing no particular emotion even as they were about to arrive at the Governor's mansion, maintaining the same indifferent attitude as before, Maidong couldn't help but feel anxious. "Young mistress, you must rally your spirits. You are Governor Lei's own legitimate daughter. On this journey, you are the main character. You must not let others steal your spotlight."
Lei Jingque glanced up calmly. "There is no spotlight to speak of. The purpose of this trip is a marriage alliance. Both she and I are daughters of the Lei family. Whichever one succeeds, Father will be pleased."
Maidong was left speechless, but her inner anxiety did not lessen in the slightest.
Ten years ago, after the Governor's wife passed away from illness, the young mistress's temperament changed drastically. How lively she used to be! Now, it seemed as if she cared about nothing. Even when others took her belongings or spoke disrespectfully to her, she often let it go without a fuss.
Maidong couldn't understand why. One year after his first wife's death, Governor Lei remarried. His second wife bore him two children, both sons. Counting the young mistress and the eldest young master, Governor Lei's legitimate line consisted of three sons and one daughter.
Perhaps because she was the only girl among the legitimate children, the second wife didn't treat the young mistress poorly. However, the Lei family was vast and complex, far from a small clan.
Governor Lei had two younger brothers from the same mother, both serving as his right-hand men. Because of this, the children of these two uncles did not show excessive deference to Governor Lei's own children.
The young mistress's birth mother was gone. Her stepmother only performed superficial duties and wasn't genuinely fond of her, so naturally, she wouldn't go to great lengths to defend her when she was wronged.
The members of the collateral branches were all shrewd. Third Miss Lei Wusi from the second uncle's household was about the same age as the young mistress but clashed with her on everything.
From the embroidery instructress teaching needlework down to a novel little trinket, she had to compete with the young mistress for it all.
As Lei Jingque's personal maid who had grown up with her, Maidong was utterly perplexed by this. Before the first wife's death, Third Miss from the second uncle's household had been the young mistress's closest playmate—their relationship was so good they could have been sisters from the same mother. How could it be that just a year after the lady passed, Third Miss turned against the young mistress?
Was it a case of 'the tea cools once the person is gone,' everyone bullying her because she had no one who truly loved her, hence the sudden betrayal?
Maidong was deeply troubled.
But she was merely a servant, and her young mistress was content to muddle along, seemingly indifferent. No matter how much resentment she felt, she could only harbor her grievances in her heart.
The Governor's mansion was located in the aristocratic district of Luoyang, which was considerably quieter than the bustling markets.
Before long, the carriage stopped.
After another moment, Lei Jingque heard a guard outside say, "The Huo family has arrived. Please alight, young mistress."
Over there, standing with her elder brother at the entrance to welcome the guests, Meng Ling'er observed the carriage procession that nearly surrounded the entire Governor's mansion, secretly marveling in her heart.
It seemed this future sister-in-law had quite the entourage.
Not far away, the doors of two carriages opened simultaneously. Two young ladies, exquisitely dressed and radiant, descended from different carriages.
One was taller, wearing a pale apricot-colored round-collar ruqun dress, overlaid with a light purple gauze outer robe. Her hair was styled in a simple chignon, adorned with gold and jade hairpins on either side of her temples. She appeared elegant and serene, like a lotus quietly blooming in a pond.
The other young lady was more petite, dressed in a vibrant peach-red cross-collar long skirt. Her hair was styled in a feixianji, adorned with dangling gold hairpins and twisted gold wire floral ornaments. Around her neck was a red gold necklace inlaid with jade pendants, and on each wrist she wore a smooth, lustrous mutton-fat jade bracelet. If the former was a pure white lotus, then she was a peach blossom in full, delicate bloom.
Meng Ling'er was taken aback.
Judging by their attire, the two young ladies were equally matched. Looking at their carriages and the guards beside them, it was similarly impossible to distinguish any superiority.
Since receiving the task from her mother, she had made a special effort to understand the general situation to ensure the reception went smoothly.
That Lei family young lady was the second daughter in her immediate family and also ranked second among the female juniors of the main clan. She was currently sixteen and born to the first wife. Governor Lei's legitimate line had three sons and one daughter; she hadn't heard of him having two daughters!
Could they have sent a concubine-born daughter?
But this guess had just surfaced when she immediately dismissed it. It couldn't be a concubine-born daughter. This dynasty placed great emphasis on legitimate birth. Sending a concubine-born daughter would be no different from slapping their Youzhou in the face.
This was a marriage alliance, not a provocation of enmity.
A flicker of confusion also passed through Huo Mingji's eyes. He first glanced at Meng Ling'er, then gave a look to a servant beside him. The servant understood and quickly went to inquire with the other party's guards.
Although their specific identities were not yet clear, they were undoubtedly Lei family daughters. Huo Mingji led Meng Ling'er forward.
Huo Tingshan had long tasked his eldest son with handling affairs, and receiving guests was naturally within his purview.
As the hosts, the brother and sister first offered greetings. The two young ladies opposite returned the courtesy with a curtsy.
After the exchange of pleasantries, they were invited into the mansion.
During this process, the now-informed Meng Ling'er deliberately fell slightly behind. Unlike her elder brother, who had to remain at the forefront and under everyone's attention, she, as a young lady, could quietly slip away for a moment.
And that's what she did now. The servant from earlier returned and whispered a few sentences to the young girl.
Meng Ling'er understood.
So it was like that. The two just now were both legitimate daughters of the Lei family. The one in the pale apricot ruqun was Governor Lei's own legitimate daughter. The one in the red skirt was the legitimate daughter of Governor Lei's second brother.
After a moment's thought, Meng Ling'er grasped the other party's intention.
Her father now controlled You, Bing, Ji, and Si provinces, among others. One could say he held the entire northern region in his grasp, not to mention the Xiongnu threat to the rear had been pacified, eliminating the danger of being attacked from both sides.
Yuzhou was merely one province. In terms of power, two Governor Leis combined could not match her father.
In this marriage alliance, their Huo family held the stronger position. The other party was eager for the alliance and likely had neither the energy nor the desire to wait for them to meet and choose a suitable match individually. Therefore, they simply sent two over at once.
Having figured this out, Meng Ling'er caught up with the group.
The party proceeded to the main hall.
The hosts, Huo Mingji and Meng Ling'er, took the seats of honor. Lei Jingque and Lei Wusi sat together below.
Meng Ling'er spoke first: "Miss Lei the Second and Miss Lei the Third have come a long way; the journey must have been arduous. As honored guests, my mother specifically instructed me before she went out today that if the esteemed guests from the Lei family arrived, the kitchen should prepare some Yuzhou cuisine this evening. This might help alleviate any loss of appetite from the fatigue of travel."
Huo Mingji was aware of the Lei family's background. Now, hearing his sister refer to "Miss Lei the Second" and "Miss Lei the Third," he also understood.
Below, upon hearing this, Lei Jingque was momentarily taken aback. For once, she gathered her wandering thoughts and looked seriously at the two people seated above.
