Meng Ling'er had been supervising the training ground for a few days now. The first day had been fine, but over the subsequent days, she was annoyed to death.
The prefect's youngest son, Shi Chenglei, seemed to have a screw loose somewhere. He kept hovering around her, constantly spouting absolute nonsense.
Even when she hit him and scolded him, he still managed to laugh. Meng Ling'er had never encountered such a shameless and pestering person. He grew more brazen by the day, yet for some unknown reason, her eldest brother did not intervene. It was completely unlike that day when he had beaten the man until he curled up like a cooked shrimp.
It wasn't as if Meng Ling'er had never received a confession of love before. Back in Yuanshan Commandery of Jizhou, the young master of the Hua family would write poems, using metaphors to express his admiration for her.
And then there was...
A tall, slender figure flashed through her mind, and Meng Ling'er's thoughts couldn't help but drift away.
Didn't he say he would be back in a few days? Why hasn't he returned yet? Could it be that he encountered some trouble on his journey?
"Little Lady, look at this."
The light in front of her was suddenly blocked. Meng Ling'er snapped back to reality, only to see the very person she had beaten up half an hour ago standing right in front of her again.
Rolling around the training ground day after day, Shi Chenglei's once-white clothes had turned a dusty gray. He was naturally fair-skinned, and having inherited the short, round eyes of the prefect's wife, he looked as if he had a pair of puppy-dog eyes. When he smiled, he gave off an air of innocence.
The young girl glanced at the freshly woven grass cicada in his hand. The cicada was woven to be chubby and robust, looking somewhat cute. But since it was made by Shi Chenglei, Meng Ling'er looked at it with sheer disdain. "What do you want?"
Shi Chenglei had absolutely no self-awareness of her disdain. "Little Lady, don't you think this cicada looks like me?"
Meng Ling'er replied, "...It does. It's just as annoying as you."
The training ground was newly cleared, so there were still some wild flowers and weeds lingering in the corners. Shi Chenglei beamed joyfully, selectively hearing only the first half of her sentence. He placed the cicada next to a flower and said, "Now this is me by your side. You are as pretty as a flower, Little Lady."
It was autumn, a season when everything withered, and the flower next to the grass cicada was drooping and lifeless.
Meng Ling'er was speechless.
Without a word, the young girl picked up the cicada from the ground. Under Shi Chenglei's sparkling gaze, she threw it right into his face. "Since you have so much free time, go run another five laps."
Not far away.
A group of young masters had gathered together during their precious rest time. Craning their necks, they peered in Shi Chenglei's direction. Seeing him get hit in the face with the cicada, they laughed, both surprised and entirely unsurprised.
"Which time is this recently? Twenty-nine or thirty?"
"I think it's thirty. Either way, it's definitely not less. Tsk, tsk, Chenglei still hasn't given up."
"Not only has he not given up, but he seems to grow braver with every setback. Come to think of it, we've known him for several years, and this is the first time I've ever seen him so persistent about anything."
"How could it be the same? Chenglei himself said that at first glance, it was like catching a glimpse of a goddess descending to the mortal realm. He was absolutely mesmerized and deeply shaken. He thinks about her during the day and dreams about her at night. I share a room with him, and just last night, I heard him talking in his sleep."
"What was he saying in his sleep?"
"It sounded like he was dreaming about marrying Little Lady Meng. Chenglei even told Huo Youzhou that he would take good care of his daughter and asked him not to worry. He also mumbled something about being immature in the past and stealing his painted boat, begging him to be the bigger person and forgive his offenses."
"Hahahahaha, that is absolutely ridiculous!"
"Oh, how the tables have turned! In the past, it was always the young ladies chasing after him. When have we ever witnessed such a spectacle?"
"How can you even compare them? Those dancing girls have unknown fathers, but as for her father, even your dad would have to greet him with a smile and a bow, showering him with a basketful of praises."
"Hilarious. You say that as if your dad wouldn't do the exact same thing. But don't let Chenglei hear you talking like that. He's completely infatuated right now and won't tolerate any idle gossip."
However, after a bout of laughter and teasing, they all gradually fell into silence.
Within their group, Shi Chenglei's father held the highest official rank. Therefore, they usually centered themselves around Shi Chenglei, and this dynamic remained even after they were detained in the State Pastor's estate.
At first, they had secretly plotted their revenge. Although the grueling training eventually drained their spirits and completely crushed any desire for retaliation, they still shared mutual words of solidarity and shared hatred whenever they gathered.
Yet, ever since Shi Chenglei began acting as if he were under a bewitching spell, their little clique seemed to have lost its ringleader.
To defeat a gang, you must first capture its leader. Now, their king had been utterly conquered, trailing behind her like a loyal puppy. It was a sight that left them both amused and incredibly helpless.
Over on the other side, Shi Chenglei, completely unfazed by taking a grass cicada to the face, said, "Don't be angry. I'll run those five laps later; I'll just owe them to you for now. Little Lady, what do you think of Luoyang?"
Without even waiting for Meng Ling'er to answer, Shi Chenglei continued with eyes full of anticipation, "Luoyang is a flourishing and prosperous city, a renowned land of excellent feng shui in the Central Plains, and a wonderful place to live. In the future, Little Lady..."
There would be no future. Veins throbbing on her forehead from sheer annoyance, Meng Ling'er unfastened the slender rattan cane from her waist and whipped the person beside her.
Shi Chenglei shrieked as the cane struck him, yet he continued to circle around Meng Ling'er, refusing to run far. "Little Lady, I've asked around and heard that you are not yet betrothed. What do you think of me?"
Meng Ling'er replied with a cold face, "I don't think much of you at all."
As if he hadn't heard her, Shi Chenglei pressed on, "I am the seventh child in my family. Aside from me, all my other siblings are already married. My father is the Prefect of Luoyang, and our family's ancestral roots are in Luoyang. We are certainly not lacking in wealth and possess quite a bit of property. If you marry me, I promise to make my father wholeheartedly serve the Great General. If the Great General commands him to go east, he will never dare go west..."
Without a moment's hesitation, Shi Chenglei completely sold out his own father.
In this day and age, marriages were dictated by the orders of one's parents. This was the very first time Meng Ling'er had encountered someone so brazenly promoting themselves.
Wholeheartedly serve the Great General?
Hah, as if they would dare disobey orders. Her father had a hundred different ways to deal with them.
"Get lost! Stop hovering around me." The young girl lashed out angrily with her cane.
When Chen Yuan arrived at the training ground, he saw someone dancing around that petite figure.
Upon closer inspection, the person wasn't dancing, but rather jumping around wildly to dodge the lashes of a rattan cane.
The young man appeared to be sixteen or seventeen years old. He wore a dusty white robe, its wide sleeves tied up with two crossed, woven cords, revealing a pair of fair arms.
The young man's eyes sparkled brightly like stars in the night sky. He was entirely focused on the person in front of him, his eyes filled with undisguised affection and fervor. Even as he was struck by the cane, the corners of his lips remained curled up in a wide smile.
Chen Yuan's gaze shifted slightly, catching sight of Huo Mingji in another corner of the training ground. Yet, the young man completely ignored the noisy boy pestering his sister, seemingly treating him as if he posed no threat whatsoever.
Chen Yuan lowered his eyes.
"Lord Chen?!"
Meng Ling'er initially thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she quickly realized she wasn't mistaken.
He had returned.
Shi Chenglei stood in front of Meng Ling'er; he was the one who most intuitively felt her change. Just a moment ago, she had a look of impatience on her face, exuding a cold aura, but now it was as if the ice and snow had melted, and the clouds had parted to reveal the sun.
Shi Chenglei was taken aback. He quickly turned his head to look and saw a tall, slender figure standing at the entrance of the training ground.
It was a grown man. His dark hair was tied high, and he wore a black and brown riding outfit. The leather belt suspending his sword clung tightly to his waist, outlining a vigorous and powerful curve.
At first glance of Chen Yuan, alarm bells couldn't help but ring in Shi Chenglei's heart. But before he could figure out who this person was, the man stepped forward, and the young lady in front of him also walked over.
"Envoy Chen, when did you return?" Meng Ling'er asked in surprise.
"Just arrived," Chen Yuan replied.
Just these two words made the corners of the young girl's lips curl up.
"I'll go greet the Eldest Young Master," Chen Yuan said in a low voice, and Meng Ling'er followed behind him as they walked over together.
Huo Mingji knew that Chen Yuan had later taken on another mission, so seeing him return now, he raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Eldest Young Master, the mission went smoothly." Chen Yuan came before him and gave a brief report first.
Huo Mingji nodded, then heard Chen Yuan's next sentence: "Does the Eldest Young Master know how long these young gentlemen will stay in the estate?"
Huo Mingji smiled and shook his head. "I don't know. Father has his own plans for this matter."
Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and asked pointedly, "Did the Great General specifically name the young lady to supervise here?"
Beside them, Meng Ling'er also looked at her eldest brother.
Huo Mingji turned the thumb ring on his hand. "That's not wrong. The teachers are all at Chenyuan Road right now, and my sister has had some free time lately, so Father asked her to supervise along with me."
"The young lady can no longer be considered free. I have finished all the tasks on hand now and can resume teaching her," Chen Yuan said calmly.
Meng Ling'er nodded from the side.
Huo Mingji and Chen Yuan looked at each other. Neither spoke, but the atmosphere slowly turned cold and stiff.
"You're teaching the young lady? What kind of class?"
The slightly deadlocked atmosphere was suddenly broken. The three of them looked over at the same time to see that Shi Chenglei had come closer.
Actually, Shi Chenglei was quite afraid of Huo Mingji. It was this man who had trained them in the beginning, and he was ruthless and heavy-handed. But upon hearing that the man wanted to transfer the young lady away, he ultimately overcame his fear and approached.
Now, under their collective gaze, he blinked his innocent puppy eyes. "I'm just asking..."
Surprisingly, Huo Mingji answered him. "The young lady is going to practice martial arts, and her instructor is none other than Envoy Chen here."
Shi Chenglei's eyes widened, and his brain spun faster than ever before. "Martial arts, huh? Why not just teach here? The space is large, and teaching can be the primary goal while supervising us can be the secondary. Killing two birds with one stone!"
Meng Ling'er frowned. "What does it have to do with you?"
Huo Mingji smiled. "In my opinion, it's not impossible. What does Envoy Chen think?"
Chen Yuan looked at Shi Chenglei and narrowed his eyes. "Fine."
After spending a day in the outskirts, Huo Tingshan came to find her when work was finished. After picking up Pei Ying, the couple headed home together.
"Once the hundred ships are built, will it be time to leave Luoyang?" Pei Ying leaned against Huo Tingshan's shoulder, utterly exhausted.
Huo Tingshan: "Yes, we'll leave as soon as the ships are ready. Given the current shipbuilding progress, we'll stay in Luoyang for half a month at most."
Pei Ying hesitated. "Half a month, huh? I wonder if half a month is enough to produce the glass. If not, Huo Tingshan, how about you go ahead first, and I'll..."
"No." He cut her off. "Madam will travel with me."
Pei Ying knitted her delicate brows. "Leaving before it's finished, isn't that giving up halfway? That's not good."
"Glass is a luxury item, not a wartime necessity. There's no harm in setting it aside for now." He reasoned soundly.
Pei Ying: "But my following you won't help matters. It's better if I stay in Luoyang."
"Who says it won't help? Madam helps me a lot." Huo Tingshan said in a deep voice, "No need to say more. It's decided."
Hearing his tone, Pei Ying knew that the man's inherent domineering nature was surfacing again.
It seemed there was nothing more to discuss for the time being.
Pei Ying brought up something else. "I've been busy lately, and I don't know how Nannan is doing. I'll ask her when we get back later."
She didn't know, but Huo Tingshan had specifically heard a report from his eldest son. "The Governor's youngest son seems to fancy the little girl. He's been parading around in front of her these past few days to make his presence known."
"Oh?" Pei Ying sat up straight. "What happened then?"
Huo Tingshan chuckled. "Then he got beaten up by the little girl."
Pei Ying: "..."
Her daughter had been practicing martial arts for over a year, so she had some idea of her strength. If she hit someone, she would probably beat them black and blue.
Pei Ying was both surprised and not surprised. "Looks like there's no chance for him. Chen Yuan should be back in a few days. By the way, when he returns, have Medical Officer Feng take a look at him."
"Look at what?" Huo Tingshan raised an eyebrow.
Pei Ying said matter-of-factly, "A physical examination. Even if we don't talk about Nannan's matter, think about it from another angle. The military officers under your command have fought on the battlefield for years, serving you loyally. As a general, you can't just reward them with official posts, gold, and silver. You also need to show some humanistic care. That way, your subordinates will be even more devoted to you."
Many large corporations not only offered high salaries but also numerous other benefits, with health check-ups being just the most basic one.
Huo Tingshan looked thoughtful. After a long while, the man chuckled softly. "Teacher Pei possesses profound knowledge. Your words have benefited me greatly."
Pei Ying cast a sidelong glance at him. "I could never teach a rebellious student like you."
After the two returned to the estate, they received some news.
Chen Yuan had returned.
"That old boy came back quite early." Huo Tingshan then asked, "Where did he go after unloading the goods?"
"The training ground," Guo Dajiang said.
Just as Guo Dajiang thought he was going to summon Chen Yuan, he only heard the man give a grunt of acknowledgment before heading to the main hall with the madam.
At dinner time, the family sat around the table once again.
Today, Pei Ying clearly felt that her daughter was much happier than in the previous days, so she asked her, "What happened today to make you so happy, Nannan?"
Huo Tingshan suddenly chimed in, "Could it be just because that old boy Chen Yuan is back?"
Pei Ying: "..."
Meng Ling'er's cheeks quickly flushed red.
Pei Ying stepped on the foot of the person beside her under the table, signaling him to show some restraint. The young girl was thin-skinned; how could he bring it out into the open so directly?
When an elder asked a question, one had to answer. Meng Ling'er said in a small voice, "Not entirely. It's also because some annoying guys learned their lesson."
Whenever she thought of how the Governor's youngest son had been so thoroughly disciplined by Envoy Chen that he was crawling around squealing, and even ended up crying, she felt quite delighted.
Looking at her daughter's expression, Pei Ying completely realized that Huo Tingshan's previous idea wouldn't work, let alone now that Chen Yuan had returned.
She sighed in her heart. Oh well.
"Nannan, after you finish your evening meal, go find Chen Yuan and tell him to visit Doctor Feng for a physical checkup," Pei Ying said.
As soon as these words were spoken, not only did Meng Ling'er perk up, but Huo Mingji, who was beside them, also looked over.
Both of them knew that this was a subtle signal.
Mother had given her approval.
Pei Ying seemed oblivious to their gazes and continued, "I have discussed this with your father. Military generals suffer a great deal of physical strain on a daily basis. They cannot neglect their bodies just because they feel no pain or have no obvious injuries. Some hidden ailments only manifest after accumulating to a certain point. Every six months, the generals under his command must go to the medical officer for a pulse check and a physical examination."
Chen Yuan was ten years older than her daughter and had spent years rolling around on the battlefield. As a lone man in the past, he had probably neglected his health and might be harboring hidden injuries.
This matter could not be delayed; early treatment meant early recovery.
Although Pei Ying claimed to have "discussed this with your father," Huo Mingji knew very well that this must have been his mother's idea.
His father was not capable of such meticulous care, or rather, the vast majority of those in power in this world could hardly be so empathetic.
"Mother is truly benevolent," Huo Mingji praised with a sigh.
Pei Ying reminded them, "In about half a month, once the ships are built, we will have to leave Luoyang. Keep track of the time and pack your luggage accordingly."
Huo Tingshan said lightly, "Mingji is not going. He will remain in Luoyang for the time being to guard it."
Pei Ying was slightly taken aback.
Huo Mingji lowered his eyes for a moment before quickly raising them again. "Sizhou has just been acquired and indeed needs someone to guard it. I shall wait quietly in Luoyang for Father and Mother's triumphant return."
Pei Ying looked at Huo Tingshan. "After taking Yanzhou, we will come back to Luoyang, right?"
Huo Tingshan gave a sound of agreement. "Luoyang borders Yanzhou to the east and Yongzhou to the west. It is a connecting hub. Barring any accidents, we will return later."
Huo Mingji suddenly remembered something. "Father, Mother, the cotton we planted earlier should mostly be ripe by now. Once it is processed and packed, it will be dispatched to the frontlines by fast horses immediately."
The highly insulating cotton had always been a key focus for Huo Mingji. Autumn was the season of harvest, and he remembered his mother mentioning that cotton also matured in autumn, entering its boll-opening stage.
It was currently autumn, so the harvest must have already begun over in Youzhou. By the time it was gathered and transported south, it would be just in time for winter, which would also be the exact moment the war commenced.
Pei Ying had almost forgotten about the cotton. "Ah, that is wonderful. We might just make it in time."
After the meal.
Meng Ling'er did not return to her own courtyard, but instead headed toward Chen Yuan's. Chen Yuan's courtyard had no maidservants or guards stationed there; there was only a single young male servant.
When she arrived, Chen Yuan had also just finished his meal.
"Young Miss?" Seeing her, Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised.
As winter approached, the days grew shorter and the nights longer. The sun had already set, leaving only a thin, faint glow on the horizon. The flickering candlelight from inside the room cast out, stretching the shadow of Chen Yuan, who stood at the doorway, all the way to Meng Ling'er's feet.
Meng Ling'er said softly, "Mother asked me to tell you to go to Doctor Feng's place for a physical checkup."
Without asking why, Chen Yuan nodded. "Please wait a moment, Young Miss. I will go back inside to fetch something."
It did not take long for Chen Yuan to return. When he came back, he held a small, exquisite brocade box in his hand, a little smaller than his palm.
He offered the brocade box to the young girl and said gently, "I heard that when reuniting with an old friend after traveling far from home, one should bring a souvenir. This trip was rushed, and my schedule during the day was quite packed, so I only managed to bring back this item. I hope you will not find it inadequate."
Meng Ling'er accepted it but did not open it immediately. Instead, she raised her eyes to look at him. "An old friend? Since when did you start treating me as an old friend? Am I not your student?"
