The night was like a giant, unfurled net shrouding the earth. Pitch-black clouds concealed the full moon completely, refusing to let even a sliver of moonlight slip through.
Tonight, there were neither stars nor a bright moon.
After nightfall, the fleet's pace slowed considerably. Gentle ripples spread across the water's surface. Occasionally, a fish would flick its tail, disrupting the waves, as if breaking some pre-existing order.
Meng Ling'er stood at the stern, staring blankly at the ever-expanding ripples in the ship's wake. An unknown amount of time passed before she suddenly heard footsteps.
At first, she thought it was a patrolling soldier, but the footsteps came straight toward her and finally stopped by her side.
"What a coincidence, Miss Meng." It was Shi Chenglei.
The young girl didn't react at first. It took a few breaths before she finally turned her head to look at him.
Based on past experiences, Shi Chenglei assumed she would walk away or simply ignore him. To his surprise, after glancing at him, she actually replied, "What a coincidence."
Shi Chenglei was instantly overjoyed and immediately tried to strike up a conversation. "For you to be out here at this hour, is something troubling you?"
After those words, the air grew quiet.
A heavy silence seemed to fall.
Just as Shi Chenglei thought she wouldn't answer, he heard her ask in a low voice, "Have you ever encountered things you just couldn't understand, or problems you couldn't solve?"
She needed someone to talk to, and since Shi Chenglei had only recently arrived and didn't know much about the situation, he wouldn't catch on to her underlying meaning.
He was a good candidate.
Shi Chenglei laughed. "Of course. There are plenty of things like that."
Meng Ling'er murmured, "Oh?"
Shaking his head thoughtfully, Shi Chenglei began to recall, "For example, I can't figure out why, when we were born to the same mother, my eldest and second brothers are naturally brilliant and can easily comprehend the ancient classics, while I was born hating books. My head hurts the moment I look at one."
"Or, for instance, I can't understand why the moon is round instead of square. Why must fish stay submerged in water at all times to survive, but rabbits don't have to?" Shi Chenglei's thoughts became increasingly wild and imaginative. "Or why I can't grow wings like a bird and soar through the sky."
His words rendered Meng Ling'er completely speechless. She had never considered things from his perspective before.
"As for unsolvable problems, there are many of those, too. For example, to this day, I still don't want to study. I'm simply not cut out for academics, nor do I want to learn about worldly affairs and social graces. Yet, my mother stubbornly believes that I just haven't grown up or awakened to my potential yet, and that I'll have boundless prospects in the future. We will never reach an agreement on this."
Shi Chenglei stole a glance at the person beside him and continued, "Also, there is a young lady I have feelings for. I wanted her to like me back, but it seems I haven't quite managed it."
He felt rather dejected, but at this point, he was just throwing caution to the wind. As long as he could keep the conversation going, he didn't care if it damaged his masculine pride.
"So, you see, there are too many incomprehensible and unsolvable things in this world," Shi Chenglei sighed. "If you agonize over every little thing and try to get to the bottom of it all, you'll end up dying of depression sooner or later. It's better to be a bit oblivious. In life, ignorance is a rare blessing."
Meng Ling'er softly muttered his last few words.
Ignorance is a rare blessing.
Actually, she had been trying hard to keep herself oblivious all this time.
The fragrant soap that had never existed before, the white sugar as sweet as honey, and the telescope that allowed one to see thousands of paces away...
Her mother said that some of these things came to her in dreams from immortals, while others she had read about in solitary copies of ancient texts.
She claimed the ancient texts were accidentally left behind by hermits centuries ago. At first, Meng Ling'er believed her. However, as she grew older day by day and learned to read and study with her tutors, she developed other thoughts.
Most renowned scholars who chose to live in seclusion did so because they had lost hope in the imperial court. Many of these people actually held the world in their hearts and deeply cared about the country and its people.
If they possessed such recipes that could benefit the common folk, they absolutely wouldn't hide them away. Furthermore, if those wondrous items had ever appeared in history, there would surely be traces of them.
But the historical records were completely clean of them now. Even the noble families, who held vast knowledge and historical heritage in their hands, were left in endless awe of her mother's creations.
It was highly likely that those wondrous items had never appeared in the past at all. As for dreams from immortals...
"Do you believe in ghosts and gods?" Meng Ling'er asked him.
Shi Chenglei answered crisply, "I do. Why wouldn't I?"
The young girl pursed her lips, then heard him say, "I've believed in them for a long time, probably starting when I was about five years old."
Some children formed memories late, but no matter how late, one would remember things at that age. So, she asked, "Was it because you went with your parents to worship your ancestors?"
Shi Chenglei smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. I actually used to despise ancestor worship. According to my mother, whenever they took me to the ancestral hall, I would start acting up after barely the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, clamoring to go out and play. I was disciplined by my father quite a lot back then. But later on, I came to feel that spirits and gods really do exist."
Meng Ling'er listened quietly.
"My grandfather loved cats. At the time, we had a cat at home that was even older than I was. I played with it every day, and if I didn't see it for even a single day, I would miss it terribly. But it was just too old. It died before it could keep me company through my fifth year. I was so heartbroken that I couldn't even eat." Shi Chenglei's lips curved into a smile at this point. "On the fourth day after that cat died, a servant came running in a hurry, holding a little white furball in his hands. He said he had found a very special kitten in the backyard. That kitten had a coat of pure white fur, but right in the middle of its right hind leg, there was a small black spot, exactly identical to the old cat that had been with me for five years."
Meng Ling'er froze.
"As the kitten grew day by day, it turned out to be just like the original cat, it had a rare dislike for fish, and its temperament was similar too. Whenever I reached my hand out, it would roll over on its belly and hug my hand with both of its paws. I thought to myself back then that it must have come back to me, just in a different form. Since then, I've believed in spirits and gods. In the unseen world, everything has its destined path." Speaking of the past, Shi Chenglei looked deeply nostalgic.
A sudden tremor ran through the young girl.
Coming back to her in a different form...
The reason she had been able to remain oblivious for so long was because her mother wasn't all that different from before. She still loved taking afternoon naps, still loved eating cooked fish but wouldn't touch raw fish slices, and she was just as gentle, loving, and considerate of her as always. The only reason she was able to study now was entirely due to her mother stepping in to negotiate and arrange it for her.
Although her mother no longer seemed skilled at needlework, she was still incredibly capable in her own areas of expertise. And there was another very important point: both the mother of the past and the mother of the present had her father wrapped completely around her little finger.
Among ordinary officials, who didn't have concubines in their inner courtyards? But in her household, there was only her mother. It was true in the past, and it remained true now.
A breeze swept by, brushing aside the dark clouds in the sky just enough to reveal a corner of the bright moon. Moonlight spilled over the river's surface, scattering fragments of shimmering light across the expanding ripples.
Looking out at the river shimmering with golden light, Meng Ling'er could faintly see her own reflection.
"Thank you."
Shi Chenglei was slightly startled, and his face instantly turned red. "N-no need, it was just a casual chat anyway. As long as you're in a good mood."
Although he didn't understand what was troubling her, he knew it must be something out of the ordinary, otherwise she wouldn't be here alone so late.
"I'll head back first. You should rest early too," Meng Ling'er said to Shi Chenglei.
Shi Chenglei was reluctant to part, but he also knew it was late. "Mm, rest early."
After Meng Ling'er finished speaking with him, she turned to walk back. However, upon turning, she saw a tall, muscular silhouette in the darkness not far away.
The dark clouds in the sky shifted, and half of the moonlight fell upon that person. She saw his pitch-black hair and a familiar half-profile.
Meng Ling'er's heart skipped a beat. After pausing her steps, she subconsciously hurried forward. "Lord Chen."
Shi Chenglei was astonished.
That man surnamed Chen was actually here? When did he arrive?
Along with his astonishment, a trace of secret delight swelled in Shi Chenglei's heart, a feeling he couldn't help but despise himself for. He stood at the stern, craning his neck to look, but perhaps sensing his gaze, the two moved to another spot.
From the stern to the bow, neither Chen Yuan nor Meng Ling'er said a word. However, upon reaching the bow—
"Does the young lady have something on her mind tonight that keeps her awake?"
"I ran into him by accident."
The two spoke at the same time, their voices overlapping like a duet.
They both froze for a moment, then laughed.
The atmosphere softened.
"Young lady, the words I said to you before were not just empty talk. To me, you are too young, and it is only right that you meet more young men. Aside from age, I am confident that I lose to that young Master Shi in no other aspect, so I am not very worried." Chen Yuan looked down at her, the bright moonlight settling into a pool of tenderness in his eyes. "You can be bolder, more uninhibited. I am currently just a suitor, so you need not pay too much mind to me."
Meng Ling'er felt as if an invisible hand had gently brushed her earlobe, sending heat rushing straight to her face.
It was an autumn night, and the autumn breeze was clearly cool, yet she felt a flustered heat. At the same time, however, the last trace of confusion and helplessness in her chest was smoothed away by the gentle night wind.
The moonlight was bright now. Meng Ling'er turned her face away, but she couldn't help thinking that he must have seen her flushed face.
"Then why are you here?" the young girl started making small talk.
Chen Yuan said in a low voice, "Teenage youths sometimes have very few scruples and are prone to impulsiveness."
These past few days, he had seen Shi Chenglei's attentiveness towards her, and knew very well that this young Master Shi felt the same way about her as he did. The young are full of hot blood, and sometimes when that hot blood rushes to the head, they act without thinking, seeking only momentary pleasure.
He felt more at ease keeping an eye on things.
"I heard you haven't had dinner. How about I have the kitchen send some food over?" Chen Yuan didn't ask her what she and Shi Chenglei had talked about.
"Alright."
The morning sun rose in the east, and the eastern sky turned bright.
On their first night sailing yesterday, Pei Ying slept quite well, and woke up the next day full of energy. While having breakfast this morning, Pei Ying saw her daughter arrive as well.
After a night's rest, the young girl's condition seemed much better. Seeing the faint blush on her daughter's cheeks, Pei Ying knew she had slept well last night, but still asked, "Nannan, how are you feeling now?"
"I'm much better, thank you for worrying, Mother." Meng Ling'er pursed her lips into a smile. "Mother, I heard that you and Father caught a lot of fish yesterday."
Pei Ying said, "That's indeed true. We caught exactly twenty in total. The sea bass were the plumpest, enough for us to eat for a long time."
"Mother has always loved eating sea bass. I remember in the past, every autumn, sea bass was an essential dish at home. The sea bass in autumn are perfectly plump, you should eat more, Mother," the young girl said.
Pei Ying didn't think much of it and nodded in agreement.
Sitting beside them, Huo Tingshan raised his long eyebrows imperceptibly.
Traveling by boat was unlike other times; the range of movement was only so large. Unless they needed to resupply or encountered an emergency, they generally wouldn't stop the ship.
Therefore, after the meal, the idle couple went to the study and brought out the chess set to pass the time.
"Madam, how much do you think the little girl has noticed about the matter of your arrival here?" Huo Tingshan picked up a chess piece and slowly placed it down.
Pei Ying was slightly taken aback; she really hadn't thought about this question.
In her heart, no matter how old her daughter was, she was still a child. Children were ignorant and hadn't grown up yet, so naturally, they wouldn't think of all sorts of complicated twists and turns.
"She probably... hasn't noticed much..." Pei Ying said this without much confidence.
She belatedly fell into a fog of panic. The thick mist blocked her surroundings. She couldn't see anything around her, yet she inexplicably felt as if she were walking on a cliff, liable to fall into the bottomless abyss at any moment.
Seeing her face instantly pale, Huo Tingshan somewhat regretted bringing up this topic. "The little girl is acting as usual, so she probably hasn't noticed anything. You don't need to take it to heart too much, Madam."
"Huo Tingshan, do you even believe those words yourself?" Pei Ying lost the mood to play chess.
The man fell silent.
"See, you don't believe it yourself. Nannan is not a foolish person. I think she must have noticed, it's just a matter of how much," Pei Ying murmured.
Huo Tingshan pondered for a moment. "Madam, if the little girl hasn't brought it up, one of the reasons must be that she doesn't want to break the current situation. As a mother, not only are you far from incompetent, but I'm afraid you already surpass thousands of people in this world."
Pei Ying knitted her delicate brows and didn't speak, her face still pale.
"Furthermore, I investigated before, and there isn't much difference in habits between you and that Madam Pei," Huo Tingshan said.
Pei Ying froze. "You investigated? When did you investigate?"
Huo Tingshan coughed lightly. "Back when I had doubts in my heart."
It was precisely because he had investigated and found nothing unusual that he had ruled out the possibility of an imposter taking her place at the time.
Pei Ying pursed her lips and remained silent.
"Don't worry about it. Things will work themselves out when the time comes." Huo Tingshan picked up the teacup beside him and poured her some tea. "Have a sip of hot tea to calm down."
"You say that so lightly, how can I not worry? I only have this one daughter," Pei Ying muttered.
Huo Tingshan said calmly, "The key to this matter lies with her, not you. After all, Madam has already made your attitude clear long ago. The rest is no longer something you can interfere with. It would be better to wait and see how things unfold."
Pei Ying sighed, "That's all I can do."
During the subsequent part of the voyage, Pei Ying began to secretly observe her daughter. However, from the beginning of the voyage until they arrived at the border between Sizhou and Yuzhou, she couldn't figure anything out from her observations.
Everything was as usual.
Pei Ying couldn't figure out for the moment whether her daughter had noticed or not.
However, she soon had no energy to dwell on it. Yuzhou's fleet was already waiting at the border, and the moment their Youzhou forces arrived, the two armies immediately merged.
Yuzhou's naval forces were world-renowned. In the past, Pei Ying had only heard of them, but today, she saw them with her own eyes.
Looking out, the broad river was covered with a dragon-like fleet of ships. There were massive multi-decked ships towering like mountains, as well as light boats as small and swift as shuttles. On the masts of the large ships, yellow banners fluttered in the wind. The character "Yu" on them seemed to bare fangs and brandish claws in the wind, like a roaring tiger.
Perhaps the news of Huo Tingshan bringing his wife on the military expedition had long spread. During this meeting of the two armies, Pei Ying not only saw Governor Lei of Yuzhou but also the wife of the Yuzhou governor.
Governor Lei of Yuzhou was in his forties, and his current wife was his second spouse. Originally, they were a pairing of an older husband and a much younger wife. Observing her appearance, Pei Ying guessed she was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old.
Noticing Pei Ying's gaze, Yan Lan smiled and nodded at her.
Since the two armies were meeting, a banquet was naturally held.
Glasses clinked during the banquet, the atmosphere incredibly lively. After a few rounds of drinks, even though their children had not yet married, the two men were already addressing each other as in-laws. If Pei Ying hadn't known the background, she would have thought Huo Tingshan and this Governor Lei of Yuzhou had known each other for years.
After the banquet, Huo Tingshan and Lei Chengshuang went to discuss matters.
As the saying goes, speed is paramount in war. Since they had decided to wage war against Yanzhou, dragging their feet would bring no benefit.
After they left, the stage belonged to Pei Ying and Yan Lan.
The term "wife diplomacy" is a modern concept, but it was also applicable to many situations in ancient times, such as right now.
Starting the conversation with the young couple about to be married, Pei Ying asked about Lei Jingque: "How has the Third Miss Lei been recently?"
"Very well, she is at home preparing for her wedding. When she returned from Luoyang last time, she told me that you and Huo Youzhou treated her with the utmost kindness. Any apprehension she had before going to Luoyang completely vanished," Yan Lan said with a smile.
Having eavesdropped from an adjacent private room before, Pei Ying knew in her heart that Lei Jingque and her stepmother likely did not confide in each other. She simply listened to the other woman's words without taking them to heart.
They continued to exchange pleasantries.
After a round of chatting, Yan Lan heard Pei Ying unexpectedly mention that her daughter was a bit seasick, so she suggested they disembark and take a walk. The nearby shore was now entirely occupied by the military camps of the two armies, so it was perfectly safe.
By the time they returned, the men had finished their discussions, and an evening banquet was once again held on the large ship. This banquet was much grander than the noon one, with female dancers singing and dancing on board.
The dancers wore light veils over their faces, their twisting waists as supple as water. They tapped their delicate feet lightly, swaying perfectly in time with the drumbeats.
After several rounds of drinks, the military officers were already slightly intoxicated. The generals from both sides even left their seats, patting each other's shoulders and challenging one another to drinking contests. Watching this harmonious scene, Pei Ying sharply caught the faint scent of the smoke of war.
When the evening banquet ended and they returned to their own ship, Pei Ying asked Huo Tingshan, "Huo Tingshan, when is the time set to start the war?"
"Tonight," the man replied.
Pei Ying was in disbelief: "Tonight?"
"This place is the border between Si and Yu Provinces, but a bit further northeast is the junction of three provinces." He had drunk quite a lot of wine tonight, including the fine brew of the Pei family, but Huo Tingshan remained very sober. "Tonight, a merchant caravan from Yuzhou will enter the tri-province junction for business, and then their ships will be burned by the Yanzhou army. Coincidentally, among the dead will be a distant relative of Governor Lei of Yuzhou."
Pei Ying understood.
They were going to start by planting evidence and shifting the blame onto the enemy.
