The Governor's Mansion, Study.
The entire main courtyard had been claimed by Huo Tingshan, and naturally, the study had also become his domain. Unlike the rear garden, which only had patrolling soldiers, the study was a heavily guarded area with sentries stationed at fixed posts, keeping watch at all times.
At this moment, the sentries stood alert and vigilant, their eyes sharp, while the study was brightly lit.
Huo Tingshan stood by the window, gazing in the direction of the quarters where the Yanzhou generals were lodged. "Any movements from Yanzhou?"
Sha Ying replied, "According to the kitchen staff delivering supplies, there was an argument among the Yanzhou troops, and it seems something was even thrown."
Sha Ying wasn’t surprised by this.
Tan Jin had been the highest-ranking commander leading the Yanzhou forces, and now that he was dead, the authority was bound to shift.
Anyone eager to seize power would inevitably fight for it.
Huo Tingshan said, "Leave Yanzhou for now. Make sure the city search is thorough—increase patrols at post stations and brothels. If you find any trace of Madam Pei, do not act rashly. Report back immediately."
Though Sha Ying didn’t fully understand the reasoning, he promptly acknowledged the order.
Huo Tingshan twisted the ring on his finger. "There may be unusual activity tonight. Instruct the patrols to stay vigilant."
Sha Ying was startled. "General, are you suggesting someone might take advantage of the chaos to make a move?"
"Quite possible," Huo Tingshan nodded.
Tan Jin’s death might have given some people new ideas—it was better to be cautious.
Sha Ying clasped his hands in salute. "Understood."
Huo Tingshan waved him off. "Go handle it. Send Xiong Mao in."
After Sha Ying left, Xiong Mao quickly strode in.
His expression was troubled, and before Huo Tingshan could even speak, Xiong Mao blurted out, "General, that Meng Ling’er is a strange one. She was quiet all day, but suddenly started making a fuss in the evening. If I didn’t agree to her demands, she just kept chattering nonstop—my head is pounding from the noise."
After finishing his complaint, Xiong Mao was surprised to see Huo Tingshan smiling.
The man’s lips curled up, and even his narrow eyes carried a hint of amusement—not his usual cold or mocking smile, but a genuinely relaxed one.
"General?" Xiong Mao wondered if his brain had been addled by the girl’s clamor. Why else would he see the general smiling?
Was a noisy little girl really something to be happy about?
"Did she insist on going out?" Huo Tingshan asked with a chuckle.
Xiong Mao’s pupils shrank in shock. "How did you know?"
Huo Tingshan clicked his tongue. "She’s already figured it out, and you still haven’t? Don’t just rely on brute force all the time—use your head a little. What if one day you’re leading troops alone, cut off from the main army? Then you’ll be both the commander and the strategist. That big head of yours isn’t just for show—unless you want someone to carry it around like a deadweight."
Xiong Mao was dumbfounded. What was he supposed to figure out? But regardless, Huo Tingshan’s words made him flush with shame.
His dark complexion usually hid his blushes, but now his entire face was practically steaming, making it obvious.
Huo Tingshan gave him a sidelong glance and, in a rare moment of mercy, explained, "She knows Madam Pei has already left the mansion."
Xiong Mao immediately said, "Ah! Then I’ll make sure Meng Ling’er doesn’t take a single step out of the Governor’s Mansion!"
Huo Tingshan closed his eyes briefly before replying, "No need."
Xiong Mao realized he’d answered wrong again and stammered, "General…?"
The task of guarding Meng Ling’er had been handed to him by Sha Ying, who had other duties to attend to. He’d thought watching a little girl would be simple—just like when he’d been sent to search the Meng residence for valuables. But now, the situation was giving him the same headache.
"Let her go wherever she wants. Whether she leaves the mansion or wanders the streets, don’t restrain her. Ignore whatever she does. Just make sure she doesn’t disappear." Huo Tingshan’s tone was indifferent.
Xiong Mao responded, "Yes, sir!"
Still puzzled, he couldn’t resist asking, "General… why is that?"
Huo Tingshan turned away, unwilling to look at him.
Xiong Mao was a fearless warrior on the battlefield, an invaluable blade—but that blade refused to think. Even the simplest twist of logic was too much for him.
"To lure the rabbit out of its hole, sometimes you need to give it space."
As long as Meng Ling’er was let loose as bait, Madam Pei—the white rabbit—would surely take the bait.
Xiong Mao finally understood.
Meng Ling’er woke up early that day and hurried through breakfast before heading out again.
She had expected another struggle with the big oaf, just like yesterday, and had even prepared to throw a tantrum if necessary. To her surprise, Xiong Mao was unexpectedly accommodating today.
"There may still be remnants of the Blue Scarves in the city. For safety, I and a few guards will accompany you," Xiong Mao said.
Meng Ling’er’s eyes darted around. "Fine. Accompany me if you must."
As long as she could leave, she didn’t care about the rest.
After agreeing, she added, "I haven’t had a proper look around Guangping Commandery since arriving. Today, I’d like to walk instead of taking a carriage."
Xiong Mao remembered Huo Tingshan’s instructions. "Very well."
Meng Ling’er, accompanied by Shui Su and followed by Xiong Mao and three other guards, left the Governor’s Mansion through a side gate.
Though she had insisted on walking, Xiong Mao still had a carriage trail behind them, just in case.
Meng Ling’er pouted at the sight.
She had planned to buy so many things that they’d be too burdened to stop her from slipping away. Why was the big oaf suddenly so sharp today?
The Governor’s Mansion was located in the heart of Guangping Commandery, surrounded by the residences of the local elite. However, after the Blue Scarves uprising, those nobles—closely tied to the former governor—had abandoned their homes and fled.
Now, these mansions housed troops from the three provinces.
After walking for a while, Meng Ling’er reached the bustling marketplace.
The streets were lively, lined with taverns, silk shops, pawnbrokers, escort agencies, and cosmetic stores—everything one could imagine.
Meng Ling’er strolled slowly down the center of the street, looking around curiously.
Spotting a clay figurine vendor, a glint flashed in her eyes. She approached and said, "Old man, I’d like a few figurines made."
The old man, delighted at the prospect of business, beamed. "Who would you like them to resemble, miss?"
"First, make one of me. Then her." She pointed at Shui Su, then at Xiong Mao and the others. "And finally, them."
Six figurines at once—a big order. The old man happily agreed.
Xiong Mao frowned, about to refuse, but remembering Huo Tingshan’s orders, he swallowed his words.
The old man was skilled. He quickly shaped a tiny clay figure that looked just like Meng Ling’er, then began crafting one in Shui Su’s likeness.
When the two clay figurines were ready, Meng Ling'er reached into her small pouch to hand over the payment, but a large palm beat her to it.
Both the old man and Meng Ling'er froze in surprise.
Xiong Mao said expressionlessly, "The master has instructed that all expenses incurred by the madam and you outside are to be covered by him."
Having served by Huo Tingshan's side for years, Xiong Mao knew well that his lord was not a generous man—or rather, unless the military granaries were overflowing, few commanders were ever lavish with their funds.
Raising horses, purchasing grain, repairing weapons, constructing official roads in Youzhou...
Expecting soldiers to fight without proper support was impossible. Thus, aside from these expenditures, Huo Tingshan had also set casualty compensations far higher than those of other provinces.
This was why Youzhou’s soldiers fought so fiercely on the battlefield, eventually earning a reputation as the most formidable "Tiger and Wolf Army" in the realm.
The soldiers charged into battle without hesitation, knowing that even if they fell, their families would be well taken care of for years to come.
If they died, their families prospered.
If they survived and earned merit, they prospered themselves.
The soldiers didn’t need to worry, but the crushing weight of these financial burdens fell squarely on their commander’s shoulders.
Xiong Mao had once seen Huo Tingshan wearing patched clothes, mending them himself before donning them again. He’d also witnessed the general personally scouring a bandit hideout with his men, even digging out a few half-buried coins from the dirt, wiping them clean, and pocketing them.
So when he learned that the general had opened his private coffers for Madam Pei and her daughter, even instructing him not to restrain their spending, Xiong Mao couldn’t help but suspect that Huo Tingshan had been possessed by some malevolent spirit.
Well, even after confirming that the general was still himself, the revelation was shocking enough.
"No need for you to pay. I have my own money," Meng Ling'er huffed.
But the scar on Xiong Mao’s face was so fearsome that the old clay figurine seller trembled and accepted his coins instead of Meng Ling'er’s.
Meng Ling'er twitched her lips. "You all wait here for your figurines. Shui Su and I will walk ahead."
Xiong Mao said nothing.
Assuming the big oaf had agreed, Meng Ling'er eagerly pulled Shui Su along, her steps light and cheerful. But after a few paces, she sensed something amiss and glanced back.
The hulking man was still following her!
Not just him—two other guards as well. The fourth remained behind, telling the old man they no longer wanted the remaining four figurines.
Meng Ling'er bristled. "Stop following me!"
Xiong Mao let her words go in one ear and out the other.
When he ignored her, she threatened, "If you keep tailing me, I’ll drag you to the silk shop and buy enough clothes to fill a whole carriage!"
Xiong Mao remained impassive.
Meng Ling'er stamped her foot and stormed into the silk shop with Shui Su, picking out everything in sight—ready-made garments, bolts of fabric, even multiple colors of the same design.
When the shopkeeper tallied the bill, Xiong Mao nearly thought he’d misheard. How could a young lady’s clothes cost so much more than a man’s?
Noticing his dismay, Meng Ling'er lifted her chin smugly. "If you and your men stop following us, you won’t have to pay."
At that, Xiong Mao promptly handed over the money.
Meng Ling'er: "..."
Too absorbed in her battle of wills with Xiong Mao, Meng Ling'er failed to notice a plainly dressed girl watching her from a distance.
That girl was Xin Jin.
Xin Jin had left early that morning, wandering the city in hopes of gathering information—or, if luck favored her, catching sight of the young lady.
Since fashionable women flocked to silk shops, Xin Jin had stationed herself nearby.
To her delight, her gamble paid off.
Her sharp eyes didn’t miss Xiong Mao and the three Youzhou soldiers accompanying Meng Ling'er and Shui Su.
If she approached now, wouldn’t she be walking straight into a trap?
Just as Xin Jin fretted, her gaze landed on a group of children playing with crickets on the ground.
Her eyes lit up.
Inside the silk shop, Meng Ling'er wreaked havoc while the soldiers loaded the purchases onto a carriage. Seeing them effortlessly carry everything, only to return empty-handed moments later, she couldn’t help but sulk.
Next, she visited a bookstore and a cosmetics shop. Xiong Mao and his men didn’t hover too closely—they’d first inspect the premises, stationing themselves at the front if there was no back exit, or posting a guard at the rear if there was.
Meng Ling'er continued her shopping spree, the soldiers dutifully hauling her purchases behind her.
Yet despite her haul, she felt no satisfaction.
Just as she stepped out of the cosmetics shop, fuming, a group of children holding flatbread came barreling toward her. One, distracted and running backward, crashed right into her.
"Ah!"
The flatbread fell, shattering into pieces.
"Whose child is this?" Meng Ling'er staggered back but quickly steadied herself, bending down to help the fallen child up. "Are you hurt?"
Suddenly, she felt something small and cool pressed into her hand. Glancing down, she saw a sliver of astragalus root.
Meng Ling'er froze, puzzled at first—until the child whined, "Sister, it’s your fault my flatbread fell!"
Her eyes widened in realization. Suppressing her excitement, she cooed, "Oh, I’m so sorry! Let me buy you a new one, alright?"
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
The other children clamored.
"Fine, fine, everyone gets one," Meng Ling'er said sweetly.
Hah! Since someone was so eager to pay, let him foot the bill for this too.
After sending the children off with their treats, Meng Ling'er pretended to continue shopping, walking ahead with Shui Su. She didn’t see Xiong Mao exchange a glance with one of his men.
The general’s orders were clear: Anyone who made contact—whether elderly or child—was to be watched.
The soldier nodded and discreetly trailed the group of children.
When they reached an herb shop, Meng Ling'er announced, "The heat’s been unbearable lately—my throat’s parched. I’ll buy some herbs. Wait outside as usual."
Xiong Mao nodded, standing guard at the entrance.
Once inside, Meng Ling'er fought to keep her pounding heart in check as she scanned the shop. Her eyes soon landed on a familiar figure in the corner.
For a moment, she was thrilled—only to deflate when she realized it wasn’t her mother, just Xin Jin.
Shui Su also spotted Xin Jin and nearly gasped, biting her lip hard to stay silent.
Why was Xin Jin here?
Shui Su peeked outside, reassured to see Xiong Mao and the others still at their posts.
"Xin Jin, how is my mother?" Meng Ling'er bombarded Xin Jin with questions the moment she saw her: "Where is she now? Is she alright? What exactly happened between you and Mother back then? Why did she leave the manor..."
Xin Jin had to interrupt her: "Young Mistress, Madam has sprained her ankle and can't walk properly for now, but she's already been seen by an old physician. It's nothing serious."
Meng Ling'er's heart lurched between despair and relief, leaving her utterly unsettled. Finally, she let out a long exhale: "No, I must see her. Where is Mother now?"
Xin Jin lowered her voice and gave the location: "Young Mistress, you have guards trailing you. It's not advisable to go there."
Meng Ling'er frowned. "I'll find a way. But staying at the medical hall indefinitely isn't a solution either. Why not find an inn in the city?"
Xin Jin shook her head. "You may not know this, Young Mistress, but Guangping Commandery is under lockdown to capture the remaining Blue Scarf rebels. Soon, they'll likely start house-to-house searches."
Meng Ling'er was stunned.
She had only heard about the remnants of the Blue Scarf rebels in Guangping Commandery but knew nothing about the city being sealed.
The two couldn't speak further and parted after a brief exchange. After leaving the herbal shop, Meng Ling'er waited until mealtime and headed to a tavern.
The group of six took a private room. Midway through the meal, Meng Ling'er suddenly set down her chopsticks: "I need to relieve myself."
Xiong Mao instinctively paused his eating.
Meng Ling'er scowled at him. "What, are you coming with me? Am I a prisoner that you need to watch my every move?"
Xiong Mao suddenly remembered something. "Don't be upset, Young Mistress Meng. Go ahead—I won't follow."
Meng Ling'er gave a light humph and stood to leave. As she stepped out of the room, she deliberately glanced back—no one was following her, just as promised.
She first went to the outhouse, and when she emerged, the hulking guards were nowhere in sight. They really hadn't tailed her.
Overjoyed, Meng Ling'er immediately left the tavern. After a few steps, she turned to look back.
The tavern bustled with people, but the Youzhou soldiers from earlier were gone.
Perfect.
Meng Ling'er walked ahead without worry.
But she didn’t notice the ragged man sitting by the mouth of an alley, a chipped earthen bowl placed before him.
After watching Meng Ling'er pass, the man leisurely rose and followed her.
Meng Ling'er found the medical hall Xin Jin had mentioned.
......
Pei Ying never expected to see Meng Ling'er in the medical hall. Staring at the excited young girl, she blinked slowly, as if unsure whether this was real: "Sweetheart?"
"It's me! Mother, I came to find you." Meng Ling'er threw herself into Pei Ying's arms.
Pei Ying embraced her daughter, gently stroking her cheeks. "Sweetheart, did you run into Xin Jin?"
Meng Ling'er nodded and quickly summarized the situation before asking, "Mother, Guangping Commandery is sealed, and they’ll soon search house by house. Have you thought of a way to handle this?"
Pei Ying sighed softly. "I was thinking of finding an inn—maybe negotiating for a short-term room, just for a few hours—then alternating between the medical hall and the inn."
This was the only solution Pei Ying could come up with.
She had no relatives or acquaintances in Guangping Commandery, nor could she impose on anyone’s home.
Meng Ling'er untied her small pouch and pressed it into Pei Ying's hands. "Mother, take this money for emergencies. I can’t stay long—I must go back now."
There was so much more she wanted to ask, but time was tight. At least she now knew where her mother was—she could return another day.
Meng Ling'er soon left.
Pei Ying leaned against the bed, lost in thought, still pondering how to handle the lockdown. Yet, the next morning, she woke to news that the rebels had been captured.
The lockdown was lifted. No more searches.
"Is this news reliable?" Pei Ying asked Xin Jin.
Xin Jin nodded emphatically. "Absolutely. Everyone’s talking about it. At first, I didn’t believe it either, so I went to the city gates myself—they’ve truly reopened."
Pei Ying listened in astonishment. She hadn’t expected ancient officials to be so efficient—quelling a rebellion overnight.
"Madam, now that the Blue Scarf rebels in the city have been dealt with, Young Mistress won’t need escorts when leaving the commandery residence anymore." Xin Jin was delighted by this.
Pei Ying murmured, "Yes..."
For some reason, Pei Ying felt a nagging unease. That unease deepened when she saw Meng Ling'er again at noon.
Meng Ling'er had returned to the medical hall.
This time, unlike yesterday, she carried a small bundle over her shoulder—as if she had packed her belongings, ready to flee at any moment.
"Mother, have you heard? The rebels in the city have been caught, the gates are open, and Guangping Commandery is back to normal." Meng Ling'er tossed the bundle aside and sat beside Pei Ying, clinging to her arm. "When are we leaving Guangping Commandery? Ah, I saw a security escort agency in the city yesterday. With the world in chaos, it’s unsafe for us to travel alone—let’s hire a team of escorts."
"Oh, and I’ll disguise myself as a boy, claim we’re heading to the capital to join relatives, and say we’ve already sent word to our kin there. That should intimidate the escorts enough to ensure they deliver us safely." Meng Ling'er rested her head on Pei Ying’s shoulder, already envisioning a bright future.
Pei Ying smiled faintly. "You clever little thing."
Meng Ling'er grinned smugly. "Of course—your daughter is the smartest. Hah, those Youzhou barbarians were completely fooled by me. Today, when Shui Su and I left the manor, they didn’t even stop us. They must’ve thought I behaved yesterday, so they just asked when I’d return and let me go."
Pei Ying’s brow twitched, her unease spreading uncontrollably.
The remnants of the Blue Scarf Army captured in a single night? The famed Youzhou Army, veterans of countless battles, so easily tricked by a young girl?
And when her daughter left the manor, she might’ve been hiding that bundle—could they really have missed it?
Or had they noticed and simply chosen not to act?
Why wouldn’t they act?
Pei Ying suddenly recalled that evening—the man holding her in his arms, his fingers twirling her hair, his whisper brushing her ear:
"If you break your word this time, I’ll let it pass. But if there’s a next time, the consequences won’t be so light. You must know, Madam, I’ve admired you for a long time. Should you grant me another chance, I would be overjoyed."
Pei Ying’s face paled. "Sweetheart, we’ve fallen into a trap!"
