The Youzhou Camp.
“...Let's arrange it like this for now.” Pei Ying sat in the seat of honor, making her decision after taking into account various suggestions.
Today marked the fifth day since Huo Tingshan died in battle. She had dispatched a messenger on a fast horse to Luoyang City on the second day, but a mere three days was nowhere near enough for a round trip.
Before Huo Mingji's arrival, Pei Ying continued to control the overall situation. With the current circumstances being unpredictable and war ready to break out at any moment, she dared not act rashly.
After regrouping with the Youzhou fleet, Pei Ying ordered the entire army to temporarily station alongside the fleet on the western bank of the great river, adopting a defensive posture. At the same time, she sent out multiple scouting parties: one heading east to investigate the movements of the Yuzhou army, and another heading downstream to monitor the allied forces of Yanzhou and Xuzhou.
Below her, Sha Ying, Chen Yuan, and the others cupped their hands and bowed respectfully. “Yes, Madam.”
Because Sha Ying, Chen Yuan, and Xiong Mao strictly obeyed Pei Ying's arrangements, the last traces of doubt within the army were completely silenced.
The supreme command was firmly grasped in Pei Ying's hands.
With today's matters concluded, the people in the camp normally would have taken their leave.
Chen Yuan lingered a step behind the others. Once they exited, he turned back to her: “Madam, I heard that the young lady has been feeling unwell recently, bedridden and unable to recover. Before the eldest young master arrives, everything in the army will proceed as usual. Please pass on my words to her: tell her to put her mind at ease and prioritize her health above all else.”
Pei Ying was slightly taken aback. Although he referred to the “young lady”, she felt that Chen Yuan might have figured out something. But that should be impossible. Her medical consultations with Feng Yuzhu were kept top secret, and she made sure to put on makeup every day before meeting with the generals and strategists.
The pearl powder and lip rouge she always carried with her finally found their use. She had checked her reflection in the bronze mirror and even had her daughter look at her; her current complexion appeared no different from usual.
Without revealing the slightest hint of suspicion, Pei Ying smiled and nodded. “Lord Chen is very thoughtful. I will pass the message to her.”
Chen Yuan cupped his hands and withdrew.
It wasn't until Chen Yuan left that Pei Ying's posture finally softened. She felt cold all over. The chill seemed to manifest into tiny, creeping bugs, drilling into the crevices of her skin and gnawing at her flesh and blood.
Pei Ying pulled her robes tighter around herself. She was already wearing many layers, yet perhaps due to her lingering fever, she still felt freezing.
She told herself to hold on for just two more days. Once Mingji arrived, she could finally let go. This place wasn't too far from Luoyang City. If he rode day and night, Mingji should already be on his way and would arrive by the day after tomorrow at the latest.
Someone lifted the tent flap and walked in.
“Mother.” Hearing from Shuisu that the meeting was dismissed, Meng Ling'er immediately hurried over.
Pei Ying asked in surprise, “Why is Nannan here? I'm fine here. Go back to your own tent before you expose our secret.”
“I asked Medical Officer Feng, and he said that a moderate amount of walking is good for recovery.” Meng Ling'er stepped forward, feeling Pei Ying's forehead, and said with worry, “Mother, your high fever still hasn't subsided. What should we do?”
She had taken her medicine, but its effects came and went in waves, failing to completely bring down the high fever.
Meng Ling'er was endlessly worried. If this continued for even a month, her mother's body would definitely give out. Yet she also knew that this was likely a sickness of the heart, which required a cure of the heart.
But Father was already...
Meng Ling'er blinked away the stinging tears in her eyes, trying her best to steady her voice. “Mother, I had the cooks prepare some meat porridge. You barely ate anything this morning, so please try to have a little now.”
Pei Ying didn't really have an appetite, but to keep her daughter from worrying, she smiled and nodded.
After finishing the porridge, Pei Ying drank another bowl of medicine half an hour later. As the sun set in the west, she returned to her inner tent to rest.
The luminous pearls were placed into black gauze bags, plunging the tent into darkness. Pei Ying curled up under the brocade quilt, sleeping on the outer edge of the bed where Huo Tingshan used to lie.
There was no one else in the tent but her. At this moment, she wasn't the Madam who needed to feign calmness in front of generals and strategists; with her daughter absent, she wasn't a mother either, freeing her from the need to pretend to be composed.
Pei Ying recalled the news she had received.
Upon learning that Yanzhou forces had found Huo Tingshan's corpse downstream, Sha Ying hadn't wasted a single moment before taking his men to negotiate, demanding the return of the body.
But the Yanzhou side refused, only allowing Sha Ying to view the corpse from a distance.
Sha Ying reported back that although he couldn't see the face, the corpse's build closely resembled Huo Tingshan's, and the armor it wore was undoubtedly his.
Pei Ying admitted that he was a formidable fighter on land, but water was an entirely different battlefield. He used to suffer from seasickness and had only recently learned how to swim. With so many ambushing soldiers in the water...
In the dark of the night, a single tear slipped from the corner of Pei Ying's eye, disappearing into the brocade pillow.
Her sleep quality had been terrible these past few days. Her mind was a chaotic mess, dwelling on one thing after another, making it difficult to find peace at night. Pei Ying didn't even know when she finally drifted off to sleep; she only knew that she was suddenly jolted awake in the middle of the night by a commotion outside.
Having just woken up, her mind was still groggy. She couldn't quite distinguish between dreams and reality, or even what day it was.
“The Great General has returned!”
The resounding shouts stacked up like ocean waves, rolling in from far to near. They drifted into the tent layer by layer, though the thick tent flap muffled them significantly.
Pei Ying froze.
He returned?
Could it be that Sha Ying led a night raid on the Yanzhou military camp and secretly brought Huo Tingshan's body back?
She had to go out and see.
Pei Ying pushed herself up from the bed. Her movements were slow and strenuous. She was still running a fever and severely lacked rest, leaving her bones and muscles aching terribly.
Pei Ying even had the illusion that with every movement, she could hear her muscles and joints clicking like the grinding gears of a machine.
She started up like an old, rusty contraption.
Just as she sat up, clutching the brocade quilt, she suddenly heard the distinct sound of the tent flap being lifted.
The beautiful woman subconsciously looked up, her pupils shrinking uncontrollably.
The tent flap was thrown open, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered figure standing at the entrance. The moonlight from outside slanted in, first illuminating the man's silhouette before casting a glow across the floor.
With his back to the light, Pei Ying couldn't make out his face, but the figure was one she was intimately familiar with.
Her eyes instantly welled with tears.
Huo Tingshan stood at the entrance, using the moonlight to clearly see the face of the person on the bed inside. She was wearing an apricot-colored inner garment, her soft, cloud-like hair draped over her shoulders. The bright moonlight washed over her fair face, making her watery eyes look excessively red.
Red and puffy, they looked just like a little rabbit's eyes.
Seeing her staring at him in a daze, completely speechless as if she hadn't fully woken up yet, the man curled his lips into a smirk. “We haven't seen each other for just a few days, and Madam already doesn't recognize me? One night as husband and wife brings a hundred nights of grace; I personally feel our bond is quite profound.”
With that said, he casually strolled inside and poured out a few luminous pearls.
The light instantly illuminated the interior of the tent. Pei Ying could finally see the intruder's face clearly—and she also saw the shadow cast at his feet.
She blinked slowly.
“Do you really not recognize me? Madam...”
Suddenly, a soft mass threw itself into his arms, causing Huo Tingshan's remaining words to catch in his throat. He could feel her hugging him tightly.
His mood instantly brightened significantly. The exhaustion of traveling through the night vanished into thin air, and his spirit surged with excitement once more. Huo Tingshan raised his arms to embrace her, his tone softening considerably as he asked, “Did I scare you?”
The woman in his arms raised her eyes, tears spilling from her already reddened gaze. The crystalline drops fell uncontrollably, like pearls from a broken string, landing on his outer robe and her lapels.
Huo Tingshan felt his heartbeat suddenly quicken. It beat faster than it ever had in his entire life, pounding so rapidly that it actually made his chest ache. Being slashed several times underwater earlier had not felt nearly as unbearable as this very moment.
Yet he knew that intertwined with the heartache was an uncontrollable surge of joy.
It was a feeling that strong wine could not capture, and the triumph of a victorious battle could not express. How could a simple 'joyous delight' possibly describe it?
"I said it before: until I hear my wife call me a 'good husband,' even with one foot in the gates of Hell, I would still turn back," Huo Tingshan chuckled in a low voice.
"What gates of Hell? Don't speak such nonsense," Pei Ying scolded him.
"Alright, whatever my wife says." Huo Tingshan agreed without hesitation.
He was about to say something else when he suddenly felt the arms holding him slowly loosen. Not only did her arms go limp, but her body also began to slide downward.
Startled, Huo Tingshan quickly scooped her back up, and it was only then that he touched Pei Ying's exposed skin.
It was burning hot, far beyond a normal temperature.
The man's heart skipped a beat. He quickly gathered her into his arms and crossed the room to the soft couch in a few strides. Seeing that only the outer edge of the bed bore traces of having been slept in, his gaze softened even more.
After gently laying her down, Huo Tingshan intended to call for Feng Yuzhu. But as he tried to rise, he found her hand still tightly clutching his robe.
The curve of Huo Tingshan's lips deepened. He lowered his head and kissed the back of Pei Ying's hand, then gently uncurled the fingers gripping his outer robe, murmuring, "My wife, I will be right back."
Feng Yuzhu was actually already on standby. However, since Huo Tingshan had rushed straight to the main tent upon returning to the camp, the physician could only wait outside for the time being.
True to his word, Huo Tingshan returned in a flash. When he came back, Feng Yuzhu followed closely behind, carrying a medicine box on his back.
In the brief moment he had been gone, he found the woman on the bed had curled up. As if afraid of the cold and lacking any sense of security, she had curled herself into a tight ball. Seeing this, Huo Tingshan hurriedly pulled out the brocade quilt Pei Ying was resting on and draped it over her. "Wencheng, quickly take a look at my wife."
Feng Yuzhu knew his temper and didn't dare delay, but he still said, "My Lord, I will examine Madam first. In the meantime, please make some preparations by removing your clothes and letting the guards clean your wounds with saline water."
"Alright," he agreed.
Huo Tingshan had his wounds treated at the entrance of the tent. With the tent flap rolled up, he had an unobstructed view of the inside. He watched as Feng Yuzhu first checked her pulse, then skillfully placed a brocade handkerchief beneath Pei Ying's wrist, and finally took out silver needles from his box.
It was clear he intended to perform bloodletting.
Huo Tingshan's expression darkened. Ignoring the guard who was still untying the bandages over his wounds, he strode forward, his upper body nearly bare. "Why must you let her blood?"
Bloodletting was not something to be done lightly; every time blood was drawn, it inevitably took a toll on the body.
Feng Yuzhu sighed helplessly. "My Lord, ever since the news of your death in battle arrived, Madam has been suffering from a high fever that refuses to break. I have tried countless methods to bring the fever down, but all have failed. I am truly at my wits' end. If we do not let her blood, this high fever will not subside by nightfall."
Huo Tingshan knitted his long brows in silence. After a moment, he finally said, "Then proceed with caution. Do not draw too much."
Feng Yuzhu replied, "...My Lord, a sickness of the heart requires medicine of the heart. Since you have returned, I am certain Madam's condition will improve very soon."
Only then did Huo Tingshan's brows relax.
After Feng Yuzhu swiftly finished the bloodletting for Pei Ying, he turned his attention to Huo Tingshan's wounds. It was only then that he had the presence of mind to carefully examine the injuries on his lord's body.
And upon seeing them, Feng Yuzhu was thoroughly shocked, unable to stop himself from crying out in deep distress, "My Lord, you have been far too reckless."
Huo Tingshan had already shed his outer robe, and the cloth strips previously used for bandages were gone, revealing the hideous wounds across his back. One deep gash slashed diagonally from his shoulder blade down to his mid-waist, while a second long wound cut downwards from the opposite side. The two strikes nearly carved a slanted cross into his spine, to say nothing of the dense cluster of smaller cuts around his waist that looked as though they had been hacked by a short blade.
He had been soaked in water and drenched in sweat, and it was impossible to tell how many days it had been since his clothes and bandages were last changed. Or perhaps they had been changed, but due to the lack of proper medical treatment, the edges of the wounds were severely curled outward, and a faint stench of rot had even begun to emanate from them.
"My Lord, I must first cut away the rotted flesh for you," Feng Yuzhu said solemnly.
"Just do it."
Pei Ying had a dream. She dreamed that Huo Tingshan had returned from the battlefield.
After the dream ended, she sank into a thick, plush cloud, enveloped so tightly that not a breath of air could seep through. The chill of the autumn night seemed completely sealed away, leaving only a cocoon of absolute, melting warmth.
When Pei Ying awoke the next day, she felt as though she had slept for a very, very long time. The tent flap near the window had been rolled up slightly, allowing the breeze and sunlight to slip inside. A slanted beam of light fell across the tent, clearly illuminating the tiny motes of dust dancing in the air.
Pei Ying watched the light for a moment before noticing the lingering scent of medicine in the air. She instinctively tried to sit up to find its source.
However, she failed to rise on her first attempt. A long arm wrapped securely around her waist held her in place. He had her locked in an embrace that was neither suffocatingly tight nor loosely relaxed, keeping her firmly embedded in his arms.
Startled, Pei Ying snapped her head to the side.
The man beside her still had his eyes closed as he circled her waist. His jaw rested in the crook of her neck, and his steady breaths gently brushed against her cheek, bringing a delayed, tickling sensation.
Her sudden movement caused Huo Tingshan to slowly open his eyes. He only offered a brief glance before closing them again, reaching out to feel Pei Ying's forehead. "The fever has finally broken," he murmured. "Rest a while longer, my wife."
Pei Ying was instantly wide awake.
So it hadn't been a dream after all.
He had truly returned...
"Huo Tingshan, let go of me first. Let me see where you're hurt," Pei Ying said, patting the long arm fastened around her waist.
The man didn't move. "They're all healed. It's nothing serious."
"Huo Tingshan!" Her voice carried a distinct hint of anger now.
The man opened his eyes, a smile dancing in them. "To have my wife care for me so deeply makes your husband exceedingly happy."
Pei Ying saw that his upper body was bare, yet tightly swathed in so many layers of bandages that they practically formed a shirt of their own. Faint patches of blood seeped through some of the strips, the sight stinging her eyes. "If you were injured out there, why didn't you return to the main camp immediately?"
It was obvious that these injuries had been sustained on the day the ship sank. That was six days ago—he had actually delayed treatment for that long.
"I had matters to attend to. I came back as soon as I finished," Huo Tingshan replied. Lying on his side, he held one of Pei Ying's hands and gently squeezed her fingertips. "A few nights ago, I infiltrated the Yanzhou military camp and assassinated Governor Yuan of Yanzhou and the Young Prince of Jiang. With both enemy commanders dead, my wife, this war can finally come to an end."
Pei Ying stared at him unblinkingly, looking at the triumphant smile curving his lips, and then her eyes reddened.
Huo Tingshan's original intention had merely been to explain his whereabouts, share some good news to make Pei Ying happy, and perhaps casually show off his battle achievements. He hadn't expected his words to bring her to tears.
He had been lying on the couch, but he quickly sat up, intending to offer a few words of comfort. It was too late. Tears rapidly welled in the woman's red-rimmed eyes, and another drop rolled down from the corner of her eye.
A single teardrop fell onto the back of Huo Tingshan's hand. Even though it landed lightly, weighing scarcely more than a goose feather, it made him flinch and instinctively pull his hand back as if he had been pricked.
In a rare display of panic, as though facing a formidable enemy, he hurriedly pulled her into his arms. His rough fingers brushed over her eyelids. "Do not cry, Madam. The situation was dire, and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once such a chance slips away, it will never come again. I knew what I was doing, and I would not have let anything happen to me. I could never bear to make you a widow."
As soon as the words left his mouth, she glared at him.
Seeing that her tears had finally stopped, Huo Tingshan breathed a sigh of relief and felt a surge of immense joy. "You have feelings for me, Madam. Isn't that right?"
His gaze was burning, overwhelmingly intense, as if enveloping her in a raging fire.
Uncomfortable under his intense stare, Pei Ying looked away.
"I know you do."
"Yes."
The two voices sounded almost simultaneously. One was deep and resonant, spoken at a normal volume; the other was incredibly soft, like a passing breeze or snowflakes gently drifting down to the earth.
For a split second, Huo Tingshan thought he was hearing things.
He froze, ceasing all movement as if he had been paralyzed. Staring unblinkingly at the woman in his arms, the man's Adam's apple bobbed. "Madam..."
"General, the Eldest Young Master has arrived," a guard suddenly reported from outside the tent.
The veins on Huo Tingshan's forehead bulged slightly. Without a shred of guilt, he decided to enslave his eldest son, who had just arrived covered in the dust of a long journey. "His parents need to recover from their injuries, so it is inconvenient to see him right now. Tell him to handle the military affairs on my behalf for the time being."
With just one sentence, the guard was dismissed.
The guard acknowledged the order and quickly walked away.
The tent returned to its previous silence, yet it felt as though something new lingered in the air.
"Madam, what did you just say? Could you say it again?" His voice was incredibly soft, carrying a clear, coaxing tone.
The burning heat in his gaze had not diminished in the slightest. Under his intense scrutiny, Pei Ying lowered her eyes, only to raise them a moment later. "I said I like you."
The sheer brilliance of this moment could not be captured even by the poetic verse, "Lanterns like fiery trees, blazing with the radiance of a hundred branches." Huo Tingshan felt as though his entire world had suddenly lit up.
He began to kiss her smooth forehead, trailing his lips downwards until he pressed a firm, passionate kiss against her red lips. "I love you too, Madam."
After saying this, his large hand slipped around the back of her neck, pulling her in for a deep, thorough kiss.
A warm, romantic atmosphere filled the tent. Suddenly, Pei Ying forcefully pushed him away. Looking at the man whose eyes were as ravenous as a wolf's, she calmly got up from the couch.
He tried to pull her back halfway, but Pei Ying firmly swatted his hand away. "General, you are injured. You should focus on resting and recovering for the next few days. Do not do anything else."
Huo Tingshan: "..."
Great, she was still mad at him.
