Meeting his burning gaze, Pei Ying understood perfectly. The man was in the mood—and not just that, he wanted to play some wicked little games.
Knowing that once he got carried away there would be no end to it, Pei Ying feigned ignorance. "They are quite beautiful. Mingji is getting married this autumn; is this part of his betrothal gifts?"
Modern weddings placed great emphasis on the traditional "three golds" or "five golds" jewelry sets, but in truth, marriages between wealthy families in ancient times also involved a considerable amount of gold ornaments.
Back when Huo Tingshan had presented her with his betrothal gifts, aside from the traditional three livestock sacrifices, jade disks, abalone, sea cucumbers, and an array of luxurious furs, the gold jewelry alone had filled several large chests.
However, thinking back on it now, the gold pieces from back then were quite different from the ones in front of her.
The betrothal gold had been thick and heavy, weighing her down when she wore it. In contrast, the items in this wooden box were far more delicate and intricate. There seemed to be many pieces, but they possessed a certain fragmented lightness.
"Mingji's betrothal gifts have already been prepared; there is no need to worry over him. Everything in this box belongs to you, Madam." Huo Tingshan could easily see through her act. He grasped her hand and slipped a slender ring engraved with a curling vine motif onto her finger. Giving her fingertips a meaningful squeeze, he said, "Last autumn, when we were fishing in our spare time, we made a wager on a certain matter. Do you still remember, Madam?"
Pei Ying was speechless.
She did remember, but she refused to admit it aloud. "Did such a thing happen?"
Huo Tingshan suddenly said, "Ah, my memory fails me. It was not a wager for one thing, but for two..."
"Just one!" Pei Ying hurriedly cut him off.
Judging by the current situation, one was already going to be too much to handle; she absolutely could not let him sneakily add another.
"It is good that you remember. I ask for little. I only hope that tonight, Madam will grant my wish and allow my gifts to be put to good use." Huo Tingshan picked up another piece of gold jewelry, looking as though he intended to dress her in them right this moment.
"Wait," Pei Ying hastily stopped him. Bracing herself, she said, "I need to go bathe first."
He readily agreed. "Make haste, Madam."
But making haste was out of the question. Pei Ying dawdled in the adjoining bathing room for the better part of an hour, only stopping when someone knocked on the door.
"Come out if the water has grown cold. Do not soak for too long, or you might catch a chill," he called from outside.
In truth, Pei Ying was already preparing to get out. There were no natural hot springs in the Prince of Jiang's Manor, and although Xuzhou was much warmer than Youzhou, the early spring air still carried a slight chill.
Pei Ying gave a hum of acknowledgment.
Creak. The door to the bathing room suddenly opened.
Having just slipped on her robe, Pei Ying turned around to see a tall, imposing figure standing in the doorway. The lighting there was rather dim. It washed over his sharply defined profile, casting slight shadows from his high-bridged nose and prominent brow bone. The darkness half-veiled his narrow eyes, making his gaze appear all the more profound and unfathomable.
Beneath those dark pools, a fierce, unquenchable fire seemed to be burning.
Pei Ying pretended not to notice. As she walked past Huo Tingshan, he reached out to pull her into his arms, but she swatted his hand away. "Are you going to bathe in here? The water has gone a bit cold, and I have already used it."
"It matters not," he replied, entirely unbothered.
So, Pei Ying left him to it.
She passed through the small connecting door back into the main bedchamber. The moment she stepped inside, a comforting wave of warmth washed over her. Several charcoal braziers had clearly been set up in the corners of the room.
The chamber was brilliantly illuminated. Huo Tingshan had emptied out all of the luminous pearls, and as if that were not enough, every single lamp and candle in the room had been lit.
Pei Ying glanced around before her gaze finally landed on the wooden box. She had not taken a close look at it earlier. Now, taking advantage of Huo Tingshan's absence, she curiously opened the large box layer by layer.
She started with the bottom tier, which was divided evenly into two compartments. Opening the left one first, she found two gold bangles resting on a bed of red cloth. Pei Ying took them out for a closer look.
Both were open-cuff bangles, somewhat larger than ordinary wrist bracelets. They featured different engraved patterns; one was encrusted with a full circle of emeralds, while the other lacked gemstones but was adorned with a cluster of tiny gold bells dangling from its rim.
Pei Ying slipped the bangles onto her wrists but found them far too large, hanging loose and rattling emptily. She took them off and then slowly lowered her gaze to her feet.
Pei Ying was speechless.
Without a word, she placed the two open cuffs back and pulled open the right-hand compartment of the bottom tier.
Inside this section lay two strips of gold chainmail crafted to look like delicate lace. Each was about two inches wide and slightly longer than the length of a palm, with tiny, gemstone-encrusted clasps at both ends.
Not only was their design exquisite, but the craftsmanship was also absolutely peerless. There was no telling how much time the artisans had spent forging such intricate pieces.
She placed the gold lace chains back and opened the drawer on the tier above. It was also lined with red cloth, upon which lay a dazzling array of gold. At first glance, they looked like chains as well, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to be something else entirely.
However, before Pei Ying could take them out to examine them, a long arm snaked around her from behind. As he pulled her waist flush against him, she felt a heavy weight rest against her shoulder blade. His warm breath brushed against the side of her cheek.
"It seems Madam is quite fond of them," he chuckled softly.
Weighed down by him, Pei Ying nearly stumbled. "Get off me, you are heavy."
Hearing this, Huo Tingshan murmured his compliance, but he did not immediately straighten up. Instead, the hand encircling her waist slid lower, his arm sweeping beneath her thighs. Amidst her startled gasp, he lifted her up single-handedly, relying entirely on his sheer arm strength.
Pei Ying hastily wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself. She had barely called out his name when she saw him grab the wooden box with his free hand and carry her toward the bed.
He laid her on her back against the mattress. Turning her head slightly, she realized that luminous pearls had been suspended from all four bedposts. The soft, glowing light illuminated the canopy, making it as bright as day.
"Huo Tingshan..." Pei Ying pulled her robe tighter around herself. Even though she was wearing a silk undergarment beneath it, she still felt incredibly self-conscious.
It was simply too bright—so bright that nothing could be hidden, and so bright that the gold jewelry sparkled and gleamed dazzlingly in the light.
The man hummed in response, but at the exact same moment, a soft click sounded from his hands.
Belatedly, Pei Ying felt a strip of intricate, icy metal pressing against her ankle. She tried to look, but she was lying flat on her back with one leg bent and her ankle firmly gripped in Huo Tingshan's hand. With the brocade quilts piled around them like clouds, she could not see anything at first glance.
He took hold of her other ankle, and the same cool sensation wrapped around her skin. The clasp softly clicked shut. Pei Ying shifted her foot, and immediately, she heard the delicate tinkling of bells.
Jingle, jingle. The sound was crisp and sweet, but because the bells were crafted so small, the chime was incredibly soft—intimate enough that only the two of them could hear it.
Pei Ying shifted her legs once more, and this time, she got a clear look.
The open-cuff bangles and the gold lace she had seen in the wooden box earlier were now fastened around her ankles. The gold cuffs were the perfect size, and the lace chains, clearly measured for her, hugged her skin neither too tightly nor too loosely. They were a perfect fit.
"Huo Tingshan, we are returning to Jingzhou in a few days. We have to wake up early tomorrow to pack our bags," Pei Ying hinted.
He gave an affirmative hum. Just as Pei Ying thought he had actually listened to her, he followed it up with: "The maid in your room has served by your side for many years. I imagine she is quite capable. You can simply leave the task of supervising the servants' packing to her."
Pei Ying was left utterly speechless.
Then she felt as if she had become a Christmas tree left to be decorated by others. Huo Tingshan took out all the gold ornaments from the wooden box one by one and began to adorn her from bottom to top.
Pei Ying recognized some of the pieces, such as the gold bracelet attached to a ring, and the armlet she had previously rejected under the excuse that someone else had worn it. She saw it again this time.
The gold armlet was still a multi-layered design, shaped like twisting vines and finished at both ends with the form of wrapping gold leaves.
The armlet slipped over her pale wrist, pushed all the way up by his rough fingers until it rested snugly on her upper arm. Her plump, beautiful skin was gathered by the armlet, with a hint of pinkish flesh spilling slightly over the edges.
There were also items Pei Ying did not recognize, but that did not matter at all. Even if she did not know them, someone naturally did.
With great interest, Huo Tingshan put them on her one by one. With every piece she wore, the small flames in the depths of his eyes grew a fraction higher.
The outer robe Pei Ying had draped over her shoulders fell completely open, and the thin straps of her undergarment gradually loosened.
Under the bright pearlescent glow, he leaned in close, their necks crossing, and wrapped the gold chain, which bore a round, bezel-set gemstone, around her slender neck.
Thus, the dazzling gold chains spread out like vines, first climbing over the snowy peaks. The jewels attached to the fine chains hid within her lush curves, completely concealed from view.
That touch of gold reflected a flowing brilliance, as if turning into a river branching out from the main stream, cascading down in a fan shape to rest against both sides of her waist.
A lingering fragrance filled the bed. The interplay of white and gold accented each other, gorgeous as a painting, forming a petite silhouette reflected in Huo Tingshan's eyes.
The man's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he voiced his genuine regret, "Madam, you look very much like a golden butterfly right now. It is a pity I do not know how to paint, otherwise I would certainly capture this exact scene."
"Don't even think about it. Even if you knew how to paint, I wouldn't let you," Pei Ying said, her entire body flushing a peachy pink as if she had been steamed.
Huo Tingshan chuckled. He pulled over a long gold-woven ribbon and, like a spider spinning its web, quietly threaded it through the hollow carved holes at the front of the bed.
The surroundings were extremely bright, illuminating every tiny detail. Unaccustomed to this, Pei Ying stealthily pulled her undergarment closer to cover herself. But when a thin ribbon wrapped around the back of her neck, she suddenly felt something was amiss.
It was too quiet.
This was unlike Huo Tingshan's usual style.
Pei Ying turned her eyes to look at him, just in time to see him turning his head as well. The man was holding two strands of the gold-woven ribbon, smiling like a wild fox ready to feast. "The web is woven. Now, Madam, please lean over."
...
In spring, all things came back to life. A faint floral scent attracted a white butterfly fluttering its wings. Just a moment before reaching the flower, the white butterfly was caught off guard and fell into a spider's web that had long been woven.
The butterfly's wings were entangled; no matter how hard it struggled, it was to no avail.
Her snow-white wrists were bound behind her back by the long gold-woven ribbons. Pei Ying leaned against the carved bedrails, facing the man's sturdy physique with his outer robe wide open.
Trapped in the corner, her entire luminous white body gleamed under the pearlescent light. Were it not for the warmth of her skin, one might truly suspect they were touching smooth silk or flawless white jade.
The kiss finally left her red lips, trailing down along the delicate gold chain resting on her neck.
The gemstone hidden within her lush curves was caught in his teeth and drawn out, warmed thoroughly, and then placed back where it belonged.
As the gemstone tugged at the delicate chain, Pei Ying continuously arched her waist to dodge. The golden bells at her waist swayed gently, ringing with a crisp jingle that echoed in the ears.
"Huo Tingshan, step back a little, it's pressing inside," Pei Ying said, her face flushed red to the tips of her ears.
The man raised an eyebrow. He looked down and immediately laughed. Hooking a finger around the fine chain, he gave it a wicked, gentle tug.
Pei Ying's pupils constricted sharply, and her whole body trembled. Seeing that he wanted to pull the chain again, she bit down on his firm shoulder blade and cursed him indistinctly, "Huo Tingshan, you big jerk..."
He chuckled softly, "The night is still young. I advise Madam to save some strength."
Amidst jade incense burners, cool mats, and mandarin duck brocades, fragrant sweat melted the powder on her cheeks and dampened the pillows. Tonight, he had caught a golden butterfly.
The next day.
Xin Jin estimated the time and entered the room as usual to serve her mistress upon waking, only to find Pei Ying missing.
The room was completely empty.
Having experienced the incidents at Yunxiu Pavilion and Meng Ling'er's disappearance before, Xin Jin immediately had a bad premonition, her face changing drastically in shock.
"Nothing should go wrong inside the manor," Xin Jin murmured. If something could happen even within the manor, then there was no safe place left.
Suddenly thinking of something, Xin Jin hurried forward. Sure enough, she saw that the bed inside was a complete mess. The blankets were piled into a heap at the foot of the bed, and the brocade quilt used for sleeping had uneven patches of dark and light colors, as if some sort of pigment had been carelessly spilled.
Having served her mistress for several years, Xin Jin was not ignorant of such matters. She instantly understood that an intense session of lovemaking must have taken place last night.
However, many details were different from before. The luminous pearl hung high within the bed curtains; unexpectedly, it had not been put away into its black gauze bag. As its glow fell gently, a touch of gold gleamed on the bed.
Xin Jin reached out and picked it up. It turned out to be a slender gold chain. The piece was not intact; it looked as though it had succumbed to some heavy burden or been snapped by brute force.
Xin Jin pondered for a moment, unable to figure out where the item had come from. From what she knew, apart from a yellow jade bangle and a crystal bracelet, her mistress would remove all other accessories before resting.
Unable to figure it out, she simply stopped thinking about it. Xin Jin turned and went to the side wing room. Unsurprisingly, she found her mistress sleeping soundly there.
Xin Jin let out a breath, the heavy stone in her heart finally dropping.
Pei Ying slept straight until noon. Upon waking, her bones felt as if they were melting. She raised a hand to tuck the hair at her temples behind her ear, but the gold bracelet on her wrist flashed in her eyes.
Memories of last night flooded back like a rising tide. Pei Ying draped the back of her hand over her eyes, shielding them. "Gamblers really do come to no good end."
"Madam?" Hearing her voice, Xin Jin hurriedly stepped forward.
Pei Ying pulled the quilt closer to cover the gleaming gold pieces on her body that had yet to be removed. "It's nothing. You don't need to serve me, I can get up on my own."
The days turned and the stars shifted; the few days spent preparing their luggage passed in the blink of an eye. When they first came to places like Xuzhou, Pei Ying had spent most of her time on a boat, and the same was true for their return journey.
Traveling west by boat and then switching to a horse-drawn carriage for the land route, after over a month of exhausting travel, Pei Ying finally saw the towering checkpoint in the distance.
The high mountains were majestic, the steep ridges winding like dragons. It held a bit of the extraordinary charm described as, "The road to Shu is hard, harder than scaling the blue sky."
Chenyuan Pass. They had returned.
Along the way, Pei Ying had also learned a lot of new information regarding Jingzhou.
For instance, the reason Ji Xianbai's imperial army was able to occupy Jingzhou so quickly was because a core advisor under Cong Liuqi, who had already been titled Chancellor, defected along with two military generals. This caught Cong Liuqi completely off guard. By coordinating with the imperial army from the inside, they managed to change Jingzhou's ruler in one fell swoop.
Another piece of news was that during the half a year she and Huo Tingshan were away from Chenyuan Pass, Huo Zhizhang had launched a total of six military campaigns.
Unfortunately, out of those six times, he only gained minor advantages twice, capturing a few insignificant small cities. After that, he never achieved a major breakthrough like Huo Tingshan's capture of Chenyuan Pass.
In terms of population, the region of Jingzhou could never compare to places like Yongzhou, Xuzhou, or Sizhou.
The opposing forces actually didn't have as many troops as Huo Zhizhang. Furthermore, after Youzhou developed hundred-refined steel, they held an even greater advantage in weaponry. However, Jingzhou had a strength that other provinces could hardly match.
Jingzhou boasted an excellent geographical advantage!
Sheltered by mountains and hills within, it was as impregnable as a fortress of iron.
If not for this, the imperial army back then wouldn't have had to resort to a drastic measure to pull the rug from under them, completely dismantling Cong Liuqi's faction just to secure this land.
Pei Ying didn't feel disappointed upon hearing the battle report. Victory and defeat were common in military affairs. Since the terrain was difficult to attack, it naturally took longer. If Zhizhang couldn't conquer it for the time being, they could simply leave it for Huo Tingshan to handle.
Not far away.
The soldiers guarding the city had already spotted the black military banner fluttering in the wind. Their spirits lifted instantly. "The grand army returns!"
As if a slumbering tiger had been awakened, the heavy gates of the pass creaked open. Having received the news early on and hearing of his parents' return, Huo Zhizhang hurried down from the city wall.
Hooves rumbled like thunder, and the army approached like dark clouds pressing down on the city.
From afar, Huo Tingshan spotted his youngest son standing at the very front. Having not seen him for half a year, the boy had grown a bit taller and seemed a little sturdier, though he hadn't tanned much. At this moment, he was gazing eagerly in their direction like a loyal puppy.
Tsk, look at him, so eager.
"Your son respectfully welcomes Father and Mother into the pass." Huo Zhizhang cupped his hands and bowed.
Huo Tingshan gave a casual acknowledgment and asked, "Has anything important happened in the past month?"
An extremely complicated expression appeared on Huo Zhizhang's face, and he hesitated for two or three breaths.
Seeing this, Huo Tingshan raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Nothing. Nothing important has happened," Huo Zhizhang hurriedly replied.
Huo Tingshan narrowed his eyes, but with the grand army waiting behind them to enter the pass, he said no more and took the lead to guide the troops inside.
The main courtyard of the Commander's Mansion at Chenyuan Pass was tended to every day, keeping it absolutely spotless.
Pei Ying and Huo Tingshan arrived at Chenyuan Pass at noon, right at mealtime. Huo Zhizhang ordered a banquet to be prepared to welcome his parents, as well as Chen Yuan and the other military generals, and wash away the dust of their journey.
Lunch was a grand feast. Fine wine and good meat were all served on the tables. The military generals drank to their hearts' content. Sha Ying, Qin Yang, and the others hadn't seen each other for a long time; now, they threw their arms around each other's shoulders and competed in drinking. For a time, the atmosphere was incredibly merry.
Dinner was a private family gathering. Except for Huo Mingji, who was far away in Luoyang, the whole family was present.
The four of them sat around the table. Huo Tingshan asked leisurely, "Huo Er, what were you hesitating about this morning?"
Meng Ling'er clearly saw that as her father's words fell, her second brother's hand, which was holding the jade chopsticks, trembled slightly.
"Father, I..." Huo Zhizhang hesitated.
Huo Tingshan strongly disliked this kind of behavior from him, and his tone cooled a bit. "Speak your mind if there's something to say. What's with all this stammering?"
Seeing the atmosphere at the table about to freeze over, Pei Ying smoothed things out, saying, "Zhizhang, you might as well speak plainly. Your father has been in a very good mood lately; he won't get angry."
Huo Tingshan looked at Pei Ying, only to feel her lightly step on his foot under the table.
Huo Tingshan: "...Yes, I am in a good mood. Speak."
Huo Zhizhang took a deep breath. "Father, I wish to marry a young lady."
Surprise flashed in Pei Ying's eyes.
Meng Ling'er also looked at Huo Zhizhang in astonishment. "Second Brother, do you have a sweetheart?"
Huo Zhizhang let out a distressed sigh. "I don't know either."
Pei Ying and Meng Ling'er: "?"
How could he not know such a thing?
