After dinner, Pei Ying went to the study alone.
The previous owner of the provincial governor’s study was Li Sizhou. Later, they had killed Li Xiaotian to seize Luoyang, and Li Xiaotian’s family had fled upon hearing the news, hurriedly packing gold, silver, and other valuables to sustain their future livelihoods.
Heavy books, however, were clearly not part of their escape plan, so the study remained quite well-preserved.
Books of this era were made of bamboo and wooden slips, as well as silk and paper. The former were heavy and cheap to produce, while the latter were light and expensive.
The study was vast, containing all these varieties of books.
Pei Ying slowly walked past the rows of bookshelves. She had been here many times before to find travelogues, but she had never searched through them as meticulously as she was doing now.
A good book required careful reading, so her pace was naturally slow. After browsing through five large bookshelves, half an hour had passed before she knew it.
Yet, she had found nothing.
Pei Ying looked at the remaining rows of bookshelves and fell into thought.
Anxiety had clouded her judgment. She suddenly realized she had fallen into a logical trap. Even if there were erotic illustrations in the study, they wouldn't be placed in such an obvious, easily accessible spot.
Perhaps they were in a corner...
Just as Pei Ying was about to search the corners, the sound of a door creaking open came from behind her.
Pei Ying turned at the sound. It was Huo Tingshan.
Do you need to use the study? As she spoke, Pei Ying closed the book she had opened and tucked it back onto the shelf.
I don't need the study. I’ve been looking for you for a long time, only to find my wife hiding here. Huo Tingshan strolled in, his gaze falling on the bookshelf in front of her. Why the sudden burst of academic diligence so late at night?
Pei Ying replied casually, It’s not academic diligence. I just came to the study to find something.
Looking for what? he asked naturally.
Pei Ying: ...
Seeing the strange expression on her face, Huo Tingshan immediately realized that whatever she was looking for was no ordinary item.
The study was an important place, containing many classified documents, and ordinary people were not allowed to approach it easily. No matter the reason, if anyone else—be it one of his generals or advisors—had appeared here at this hour, Huo Tingshan would certainly have scrutinized them, suspecting hidden motives.
But this was Pei Ying, not anyone else. He simply thought she was bored after dinner and wanted to find a travelogue to read.
However, that was before. Now, seeing the embarrassment flitting across Pei Ying’s face, he raised an eyebrow. It seems what my wife is looking for is quite... unique.
Sigh, you go back to the main courtyard first. I’ll head back once I’m done here. Pei Ying couldn't stand his teasing and walked over, trying to push him out of the study.
Huo Tingshan was a head taller than her and strongly built. When he stood his ground, Pei Ying truly couldn't budge him. Now, instead of retreating, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, his hand encircling her waist. Why has this little thief broken into the forbidden grounds of the study? This General advises you to confess quickly. Be honest and show leniency, or there will be great suffering waiting for you.
As he spoke, he gave her a little squeeze.
Pei Ying had a ticklish spot on her waist. Even if she didn't want to laugh, she couldn't control herself. Huo Tingshan, don't pinch...
Tell me, what are you trying to find in the study? he asked.
Pei Ying was bashful; how could she possibly say it?
As a result of her hesitation, that large hand on her waist moved again. Pei Ying's eyes crinkled as she tried to pry his hand away. Let go, I'll tell you.
Huo Tingshan stopped tickling her, but his hand didn't move. I'm all ears.
Pei Ying didn't say it directly. Instead, she pointed to the bookshelves she hadn't searched yet. Huo Tingshan, have you read all the books on those shelves?
I haven't, he said truthfully. We haven't been in Luoyang for long, and not all books are useful to me.
Huo Tingshan wouldn't waste time on things like travelogues or the autobiographies of so-called famous scholars from previous dynasties.
Is there anything else you want to ask? Ask it all at once, and then answer my question, the man said with a smile.
Pei Ying was choked up for a moment, but she actually did ask, Have you ever seen any... special books in the study?
Huo Tingshan asked back, How special?
Pei Ying looked away, avoiding his gaze. Regarding... the procreation aspect.
These words were chosen quite cleverly. Huo Tingshan pondered them for a moment, and then, connecting them to her awkward expression from earlier, he suddenly understood.
Once he realized, he couldn't help but chuckle. If my wife wants to explore that area, why come here to look for books? Wouldn't it be faster to find your husband and explore together to gain a comprehensive understanding?
His hand, which was wrapped around her waist, hooked onto the thin ribbon of her belt.
It's not for me, Pei Ying hurriedly stopped him. In the evening, I heard Mingji and Zhizhang talking about whether they were nervous about getting married, which made me think of Nannan's future marriage. You men have the chance to frequent pleasure houses, and in the army, there are grizzled veterans who chat with each other. You definitely touch upon those things and know a bit. However, young ladies are different. They usually stay at home, and their families certainly won't talk about it in front of them. They have no way of knowing.
Listening to her mutter such a long explanation, Huo Tingshan keenly sensed a hint of danger. Although he had never been to pleasure houses, this topic was still prone to backfiring.
After a moment of silence, the man decided to play along. My wife is indeed thoughtful. Why don't I help you look for it in the study? If we can find it, that's well and good. If it's not here, I'll send someone to the city's bookstores tomorrow to buy a batch.
Pei Ying replied, That would be excellent.
And so, the couple split up. One searched the left side and the other the right, both starting from the corners.
It must be said that Pei Ying's previous line of thought was correct. Eventually, she pulled out a box from the bottom layer of a bookshelf in the corner.
The box was wrapped in silk cloth. If placed out in the open, it would be quite eye-catching, but there were many such boxes in the study, making it look unremarkable among them.
However, once opened, everything changed.
Pei Ying looked at the silk paintings in her hand and flipped through a few pages. She was an adult and had been with three men before, so she wasn't exactly shy when looking at them alone.
It had to be said that the skill of some ancient artists was truly remarkable—the paintings were lifelike and very expressive.
But as she looked, Pei Ying suddenly felt something was off.
It was too quiet, which wasn't like Huo Tingshan at all.
Sensing something, she turned her head to look back. Sure enough, she saw that the man had stood behind her at some unknown point. His gaze traveled down from above her shoulder, landing precisely on the silk paintings in her hand.
Pei Ying: ...
Seeing that he had been discovered, Huo Tingshan simply began to critique. This artist is quite boring. It's just the same few positions over and over. No wonder the work was left to gather dust in a corner.
Pei Ying was at a loss for words. It's normal for bedroom paintings to be kept in a corner. And do you think everyone is like you...
The last few words were spoken softly, but Huo Tingshan was close enough to hear them clearly. He smiled and said, From my wife's feedback, I think you should actually quite like it.
Pei Ying turned back and ignored him, continuing to flip through the artwork, intending to finish the book that had started so conventionally to see if it remained the same from beginning to end.
While she was flipping through the paintings, Huo Tingshan wasn't idle either.
Inside the brocade box, there was more than just the book Pei Ying had taken. The man casually picked up another volume from the box and began to flip through it, his eyebrows arching with interest.
By the time Pei Ying had finished confirming that the silk paintings in her hand were suitable and was about to tuck them away, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. The man beside her was composedly tucking a scroll of his own into his sleeve, a look of apparent satisfaction on his face.
Pei Ying wondered what he was up to.
However, guided by a certain inexplicable premonition, she pretended not to notice his actions.
The sun rose and set, and a day passed in the blink of an eye. When the golden crow rose from the east once more, the day held extraordinary significance for many.
Now that Luoyang had changed masters, the wedding of the ruler's son made the city exceptionally lively. While it did not quite match the scale of when Huo Tengshan had married his wife—where red eggs were distributed to the commoners for several consecutive days—there were indeed several measures taken today to benefit the people.
Several distribution points were set up throughout the city to give out grain. Children wandering the streets and alleys could even receive some fried dough snacks from the guards if they said something auspicious and pleasing.
Yesterday, Lei Jingque had been escorted to Luoyang by the Yuzhou army. However, as it was late when she arrived, she first checked into the residence arranged by the Huo family, intending to be married into the Governor's Estate from there the following day.
Today’s auspicious hour was set for the end of the Wu hour. Compared to her own wedding day, when she had to rise in the middle of the night to change and apply makeup, Pei Ying did not wake up until the start of the Chen hour.
The start of the Chen hour was eight in the morning in modern terms.
She had slept her fill.
After waking up, she had breakfast, and only after finishing her meal did she begin to do her hair and makeup. By the time everything was ready on Pei Ying’s end, it was nearly the end of the Si hour.
This timing happened to coincide with the Governor's Estate's reception hour, as guests began to arrive.
As the masters of the estate, hosting the guests was naturally unavoidable. The guests included both men and women, with the female guests being noble ladies who accompanied their husbands to the banquet.
The seating was divided by gender. Pei Ying took Nannan to entertain the female guests, while Huo Tengshan led his younger son to attend to the men.
Since Huo Tengshan had taken Sizhou, he had not attended a single banquet in Luoyang. Invitations from various families had drifted in like snowflakes, but not a single one had been accepted by the master.
Initially, the local families thought he was simply being patient, guessing that Huo Youzhou wanted to wear them down and blunt the spirit of the local powerful gentry. As it turned out, he hadn't taken them seriously at all. After building his warships, he had headed straight for the east and seized the territory of Yanzhou.
When the news reached Luoyang, the local elite were in an uproar.
His territory was still expanding; compared to before, he had reached even greater heights.
However, none of that had anything to do with them at the time, because Huo Youzhou himself was not in Luoyang, and they had no way to curry favor with him.
Until today, on the occasion of his eldest son's wedding, he had invited the elites of Luoyang to witness the ceremony.
Today was a day of great joy, and since the Luoyang elite had been longing for a chance to see Huo Tengshan, the scene was incredibly lively.
There were congratulations, flatteries, attempts at conversation, and expressions of loyalty.
A crowd surrounded Huo Tengshan and Huo Zhizhang, everyone talking at once. Huo Zhizhang had not had much experience with such social occasions and was nearly dazed by the crowd.
In contrast to his clearly uncomfortable younger son, Huo Tengshan maintained a smile from beginning to end. He conversed with one person, chatted with another, and occasionally clapped a guest on the shoulder with a loud laugh, looking so amiable that it was hard to believe he was the same man who hadn't accepted a single invitation before.
Time flowed slowly, and as the end of the Wu hour approached, Pei Ying suddenly heard the sound of gongs and drums.
Oh, the bridal procession is back, the noble lady beside her said with a light laugh behind her hand.
I’ve heard that the eldest young master Huo is quite handsome and the young lady Lei is charming and lovely. Their marriage is truly a match made in heaven.
Pei Ying took her leave of the noble ladies and returned to the main hall with her daughter. She entered from the eastern corridor, while Huo Tengshan came in from the west.
The husband and wife walked into the main hall together and took their seats at the head of the room.
It really is much more relaxing to watch someone else get married, Pei Ying whispered to herself.
She hadn't had to wake up early today, and now she could sit and wait. Compared to her own wedding, this was indeed much easier.
Hearing her murmur, Huo Tengshan said meaningfully, In the future, even if Madam wants to work hard, there won't be any work to do.
The sound of gongs and drums grew closer. At that moment, a man hurried in from the outer corridor and quickly walked to Huo Tengshan's side.
Pei Ying looked closely and saw it was Qin Yang.
Qin Yang was dressed very smartly today. He had a pair of peach-blossom eyes, and his features were unusually soft among the ranks of military generals, marking him as a scholar-general.
However, at this moment, Qin Yang’s expression was uncharacteristically solemn, as if he had encountered an extremely thorny problem. He whispered a few words into Huo Tengshan's ear. The latter’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, but smoothed out an instant later.
Huo Tengshan said, Pass word to the gentlemen not to drink too much. There are important matters to discuss tonight.
Hearing this, Qin Yang withdrew.
The new couple then entered from outside.
Huo Mingji and Lei Jingque were both dressed in red and black wedding robes.
The young man had his dark hair bound in a jade crown. He stood tall and straight, his lips slightly curved, looking a bit more approachable than usual. Beside him, the young lady wore a cross-collared robe with large sleeves and a red silk veil over her head, walking slowly beside him amidst a chorus of admiration.
Sitting at the head of the hall, Pei Ying looked at the couple below, feeling quite emotional.
Not long after she had married Huo Tengshan, Mingji had reached his twentieth year and held his capping ceremony. Two years had passed in the blink of an eye; it felt as if he had just come of age yesterday, and today he was getting married.
As the master of ceremonies called out each step, the couple began the wedding rituals.
Bowing to Heaven and Earth, bowing to the elders, and finally, the husband and wife bowing to each other.
Huo Mingji turned slightly and bowed deeply to the young lady before him.
The ceremony is complete!
After the ceremony, the newlyweds went to their room first, where there were other rituals to perform, while the banquet began for the guests.
Huo Mingji lowered his eyes and saw that the girl beside him seemed to be clenching her hands in nervousness. He reached out and wrapped her hand in his palm.
The girl stiffened for a moment but soon relaxed. He led her back to the room.
The long-prepared delicacies finally awaited the guests' enjoyment. Creatures from the sky, the land, and the water were all laid out on the tables.
The guests and the hosts at the head table began to eat together. Cups were exchanged and auspicious words flowed endlessly. The atmosphere at the banquet was harmonious and incredibly joyful.
The banquet lasted from the end of the Wu hour until sunset, covering both lunch and dinner. The guests were kept at the estate for nearly half a day.
The Luoyang elite were happy to see this. Usually, they couldn't even get a glimpse of Huo Tengshan, but today they not only saw him but were met as guests. More importantly, it was his eldest son's wedding; even if some business couldn't be settled, Huo Youzhou wouldn't lose his temper.
Pei Ying accompanied the guests. Some of the female guests were fond of wine, and the aroma of the fruit wine piqued her interest, leading her to drink quite a bit as well.
By the time the evening banquet concluded and the guests departed in high spirits, Pei Ying was also feeling a bit tipsy.
Huo Tengshan pulled the woman beside him into his arms and leaned close to her neck to catch a scent. A waft of wine hit his nose. I didn't know Madam had the potential to be a little drunkard.
Pei Ying pushed him. I'm not drunk.
I'll walk you back to the room, Huo Tengshan said, taking her hand instead.
Pei Ying wouldn't let him hold her hand and began to shoo him away. I can go back by myself. Didn't you say there were important matters to discuss tonight? Go and get busy.
Huo Tengshan laughed softly. It seems you really aren't drunk; you still remember what was said at noon.
“Of course,” Pei Ying said, turning to leave. However, she failed to notice the steps and accidentally stepped into thin air. Before she could fall, a long arm swept out and caught her.
“I had better see you back myself, lest by the time I finish my business, my lady still hasn't reached her room.” Huo Tingshan said he was seeing her back, but in truth, he hooked his arm under the crook of Pei Ying’s knees and lifted her directly into his arms.
Having secured her, the man strode toward the main courtyard.
Pei Ying blinked slowly. “Huo Tingshan, has something major happened?”
She could sense that he was in a hurry. If he weren't, why wouldn't he walk back to the room slowly with her?
“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later,” he said.
After returning her to the main courtyard and ordering Xin Jin to look after Pei Ying, Huo Tingshan redirected his path toward the study.
When he arrived, everyone who had followed him from Jingzhou to Luoyang was present, with the exception of Chen Yuan, Li Qiongqi, and those left to guard Chenyuan Road.
There had been two banquets today, and wine had flowed freely throughout. Huo Tingshan’s gaze swept over the room. The strategists were mostly composed, but the generals were flushed, reeking of alcohol, and some had glazed eyes, clearly far from sober.
Huo Tingshan had the windows opened before saying coolly, “Word has come from Chang’an. The young emperor passed away a year ago. The one who sat upon the throne until recently was a body double found by Ji Xianbai.”
Like a sudden thunderclap, the generals and strategists—whether drunk, half-drunk, or those who had only sipped a little—all shuddered.
Every single one of them was instantly sober, startled into alertness.
“My Lord? Is this news genuine?”
“Passed away a year ago? Ji Xianbai actually found a double—what audacity! Wait, General, why did you say ‘until recently’? Could it be that the double currently on the throne has already...”
“My Lord, what is the situation in Chang’an now?”
The study erupted into chaos as everyone spoke at once. In their agitation, some generals even scratched their heads and ears in frustration.
Huo Tingshan listened to them for a quarter of an hour before pressing his hand down to signal for silence. However, he did not immediately speak of Chang’an. Instead, he shifted the topic to the east. “Following Jingzhou, Governor Xue was the second to declare himself emperor. Do you all remember when he did so?”
Confused, the men nonetheless nodded. “We remember. It was last winter.”
Huo Tingshan turned his thumb ring. “After Governor Xue declared himself emperor, Yangzhou was left to Lei Chengshuang to handle. From last winter to this autumn, nearly a year has passed, yet Yangzhou has still not been taken.”
Yangzhou was different from Jingzhou. Its terrain was flat and it was by no means a place that was easy to defend and hard to attack.
That Lei Chengshuang had taken nearly a year without capturing the region had long struck Huo Tingshan as suspicious. However, at the time, he merely thought Lei Chengshuang was being devious, unwilling to resolve Governor Xue too quickly so as to avoid being drawn into the conflict between himself and the imperial army.
But that was not the case.
Huo Tingshan continued, “Yangzhou borders Jingzhou. Governor Xue has been secretly receiving military support from the imperial army. Ji Xianbai is the one standing behind him.”
The crowd was shocked, but upon careful reflection, it seemed only logical.
If not for the support of imperial troops, how could he have held out against the Yuzhou army until now? If not for someone’s backing, how would Governor Xue dare to jump out and declare himself in the current climate where two giants were already clashing?
“Ji Xianbai handled the matter of the emperor’s substitution with great secrecy. Our spies searched for a long time before finding even a hint of a trail. Confirming it took even more time. I intended to have the news sent back by fast horse, but it happened to coincide with Ji Xianbai making his move,” Huo Tingshan said.
Ke Zuo’s expression was grave. “My Lord, besides killing the double, what else did Ji Xianbai do?”
Huo Tingshan was expressionless. “He issued a manifesto to the realm, claiming that I secretly sent someone to poison the young emperor.”
A manifesto—that was a formal document used to denounce a rebel.
