Hearing Huo Tingshan say that she was bold, Pei Ying only then realized that the ancients seemed to care quite a lot about calling people by their names.
In ancient etiquette, only those in a superior position addressing an inferior, the respected addressing the humble, elders addressing juniors, or extremely familiar and intimate peers who had known each other for a long time were allowed to call someone by their given name. Otherwise, it would be considered impolite and disrespectful.
Pei Ying had remembered this, but she didn't want to follow his lead, nor did she want to apologize. She raised her eyes to meet his and deliberately said, "What's the point of having a name if you're not going to call it? Otherwise, why bother naming someone?"
If it had been before, Pei Ying wouldn't have argued with him. Mainly, she didn't dare to, for fear that this man might be displeased and behead her and her mother.
However, after roughly getting to know Huo Tingshan's personality and making a contract with him, Pei Ying gained confidence. Her previous small - scale tests gradually turned into large - scale ones.
For example, she would publicly tell him to go elsewhere to attend to his business, put down the carriage curtain when she didn't want to talk to him, and now deliberately argue with him.
She was constantly provoking him, gradually testing where his bottom line was.
Seeing that after she finished spouting her fallacies, she pursed her red lips, looking like "I think what I said is right", Huo Tingshan thought that her courage was really like that of a finless porpoise, sometimes big and sometimes small.
If you said she was bold, a few dead bodies could scare her so much that she couldn't recover for more than two hours.
But if you said she was timid, it didn't seem so. Others didn't dare to oppose him, but she dared. She lied to him, contradicted him, again and again. She was much braver than when they first met.
Seeing that he didn't say a word and just stared at her, Pei Ying felt a little nervous inside, but she still secretly tried to pull back the hand that he was holding.
"If madam thinks we're on such familiar terms, then you can call me by my name as you like." The delicate hand in his palm was quite restless, but the struggling force was completely negligible for Huo Tingshan, who could shoot an arrow through an enemy's chest and even nail a person to a wooden frame.
He still held her hand tightly.
Pei Ying frowned even more tightly.
This man was really...
Huo Tingshan continued to lead her forward, saying, "Previously, I accidentally soiled madam's dress. Now that I'm free, I'll take madam to choose some gifts as compensation."
He had long strides, and it was hard for Pei Ying to keep up. After walking a few steps, Pei Ying was already out of breath.
"Let go. I'll walk by myself." Seeing that she couldn't break free with one hand, Pei Ying stretched out her other hand to push his wrist and pry open his fingers, trying to free her right hand.
Huo Tingshan looked down. The two fair and delicate hands were fluttering around his palm like little white sparrows. Looking at her slightly parted red lips and her heavy breathing, the man raised his eyebrows and said, "Madam should exercise more on weekdays. Otherwise, just from the room to the front gate, you'll have to rest eight hundred times on the way out."
Pei Ying said angrily, "It's because you're walking too fast!"
In fact, Huo Tingshan didn't think he was walking fast. It was just his normal pace. But seeing that she looked unhappy and turned her head away from him after speaking.
Well, she was angry.
Huo Tingshan sighed slightly. "Okay, then I'll walk slower."
"It's not about how fast or slow you walk. I just want to walk by myself." Pei Ying tried to pull her hand back again, but still failed. "General, have you forgotten what I told you before?"
Huo Tingshan was silent for a moment and then said he hadn't.
Seeing this, Pei Ying glared at him. "Since you haven't forgotten, general, you should behave more properly. I'm not your woman, nor do I intend to become a concubine in your backyard. You should be more careful on weekdays to avoid misunderstandings."
After these words were spoken, Pei Ying felt that the big palm holding her suddenly tightened, pinching her hand bones painfully. But it was only for a moment. After that, he slowly let go of her hand.
"Since madam doesn't like being led, then walk by yourself." His voice was very deep and sounded calm, but there seemed to be suppressed emotions in it.
It was as if the vast Black Sea, once battered by raging waves, had returned to calm on the surface. But only on the surface. In the invisible depths of the sea, more powerful undercurrents were gathering.
They gathered silently but were becoming more and more turbulent.
As soon as her hand was free, Pei Ying quickly pulled it back into her sleeve and secretly rubbed her wrist. She cursed the man beside her in her heart and didn't pay careful attention to the emotions in his words. She just thought he had compromised.
After not leading Pei Ying, Huo Tingshan still walked beside her, and his steps were much slower than before. Only then did he realize that she really walked slowly.
She took tiny steps.
He reckoned that even a soft - shelled turtle crawling on the ground would be faster than her.
It was a good thing she didn't have to go to war. Otherwise, when the general gave the order to charge, by the time everyone had charged and hung the enemy's heads on their waists, she probably wouldn't even have covered half the distance. She'd be a foot - soldier all her life.
Pei Ying didn't know that at this moment, she had been forced into the army in Huo Tingshan's mind and was destined to be a low - ranking soldier all her life.
The man beside her was not very pleasant, but the back garden was really beautiful. And the matter of the compensation he mentioned was not urgent. So Pei Ying continued to look around here and there, really in no hurry.
Her figure was tall among women, but she only reached Huo Tingshan's chin.
The man only needed to turn his head slightly to see the top of Pei Ying's head. Her hair was as beautiful as a misty cloud, and there were red - gold hairpins inlaid with white jade in her hair, looking extremely beautiful.
But this little head was turning slightly from side to side, as if admiring the rare flowers and plants in the back garden.
Didn't like bracelets but liked flowers and plants?
Huo Tingshan's eyes swept over the flower pots in the yard and frowned secretly. He really didn't find them attractive at all.
These flowers and plants even came in such delicate pots. They must have cost a fortune.
Spending a large sum of silver on flowers and plants that you couldn't eat, couldn't use, couldn't drop, and had to take good care of, only to look at them for a few times. The person who created this garden must have had their head caught in a door.
Finally walking out of the back garden, Huo Tingshan finally felt that Pei Ying's steps had become a bit faster, from the pace of a soft - shelled turtle to that of a white rabbit. He led her to the warehouse of the prefect's mansion.
The private treasury of the county magistrate in Beichuan County that Pei Ying saw last time seemed ordinary to her. Now in Changping County, she saw the warehouse of the prefect of Changping... No, it shouldn't be the prefect. It should be the warehouse of the Dream Fulfillment Master.
The Dream Fulfillment Master had occupied Changping County for a year and a half and had lived in this prefect's mansion for the same period. The warehouses were divided into four according to the four directions: east, west, south, and north, and each warehouse stored different things.
The east warehouse contained items related to personal adornment, such as various fabrics for making clothes, women's jewelry, men's finger rings and accessories, as well as gold and silver boxes for storing jewelry and bronze mirror stands for dressing up.
The west warehouse stored large and small furniture ornaments, such as vases, screens, and precious pots. They were inlaid with gold, jade, and agate, and crafted with techniques such as casting, engraving, and filigree. Each treasure was exquisitely carved and clearly refined.
The northern storage room was divided into two parts. One half collected rare ancient scrolls and paintings favored by literati, while the other half stored a wide variety of weapons.
Of course, given Dream Fulfillment Master's fondness for gold and silver, the weapons here were also extremely precious. They were either made of gold or inlaid with various precious gems, as if one couldn't adorn the sword bodies enough.
Huo Tingshan looked around. With his discerning eye, he couldn't even pick out a single weapon that suited him. However, even if they were not suitable for use, they were still very useful when it came to pawning them.
As for the last southern storage room, it was much more miscellaneous. It seemed that all the items that couldn't be classified elsewhere were placed here.
After visiting all four storage rooms, Pei Ying admitted that the items here were indeed of a much higher grade than those in Beichuan County.
However, it was still just so - so.
She had already seen the batch of items made of the best materials and crafted by the most top - notch artisans. Moreover, there were special exhibition lights in the museum. When those bright lights shone on the items, even something that was ten - percent beautiful could become twelve - percent beautiful.
But it had to be said that winning a battle was really profitable. No wonder some people used to support their military campaigns through looting in the past.
Now all of Dream Fulfillment Master's treasures belonged to Huo Tingshan. Not to mention the four storage rooms and other treasures, just the items in this eastern storage room alone were worth a large sum of money.
While Pei Ying was strolling around the storage room, admiring the treasures, Huo Tingshan still spared a few glances to keep an eye on her.
The beautiful woman had a calm expression, with little fluctuation in her eyes. Occasionally, out of curiosity, she would pick up an item and weigh it in her hand, but after examining it, she would put it back.
She was merely curious and didn't show any real liking.
Huo Tingshan thought to himself that she was ignorant. She didn't take a fancy to all these gold and precious treasures in the room and only liked those useless flowers and plants.
After walking around for a while, Huo Tingshan led her back to the eastern storage room. Knowing that she couldn't make a choice, he simply told Xin Jin, who was following behind, to move some items back.
Huo Tingshan pointed casually, passing by one shelf after another. Xin Jin was shocked when he saw this.
So many?
Pei Ying also thought it was too much. One shelf was six layers high, and there were four vertical compartments inside. Just one shelf could hold a lot of things.
"General, it's too much. There's no need for this," Pei Ying quickly interrupted him, afraid that he would continue to give random instructions.
"Too much?" Huo Tingshan glanced at the shelves. "Just a few shelves."
There were four large storage rooms in total, and these were just a small part of one of the storage rooms. Moreover, these were all women's jewelry and clothes. Who else could he give them to if not her?
After saying that, Huo Tingshan took two steps to the side and walked up to a shelf displaying jewelry. He reached out and picked up a white jade bracelet.
"Since madam doesn't like bracelets, then let's change to a bracelet," Huo Tingshan said as he held Pei Ying's wrist and tried to slide the white jade bracelet onto her left hand.
Suddenly having a jade bracelet on her hand, Pei Ying was about to frown and say she didn't need it when Huo Tingshan slid the bracelet off again.
"This white one isn't nice. It doesn't match madam," Huo Tingshan casually threw the white jade bracelet back into the box.
Pei Ying: "..."
Huo Tingshan really thought the white jade bracelet wasn't nice. Her skin was fair, with a pinkish tint, more delicate and elegant than ordinary fair skin. The white jade bracelet looked good on its own, but on her hand, it seemed a bit dull.
Pei Ying couldn't figure out what was going on in Huo Tingshan's mind. Anyway, it was good that he stopped piling jewelry on her. Just as she thought this, she saw him rummage around and find a yellow jade bracelet.
The yellow jade bracelet had a pure and vivid color, as soft as fat, and its texture looked extremely delicate. It was a rare treasure.
This time, Huo Tingshan first placed the yellow jade bracelet on Pei Ying's wrist. After deciding that it was a good match, he then held her hand and tried to slide the round yellow jade bracelet onto her wrist.
"General, I'm not used to wearing jewelry," Pei Ying tried to pull her hand back.
For so many years, she had only worn a wedding ring as jewelry. After her husband passed away, she wore the wedding ring for another year and then put it away.
Huo Tingshan slid the bracelet onto her wrist. "Yellow jade can ward off evil spirits and protect the wearer. Madam, just wear it. Otherwise, you'll be scared out of your wits by the dead all day long."
"Where have I been scared out of my wits all day long?" Pei Ying frowned, thinking that he was exaggerating. She had only encountered an enemy attack once recently.
After the bracelet was on, Huo Tingshan reached out and turned it around. He found that the size of the yellow jade bracelet was just right. The bright yellow color was like a roasted chestnut, shining brightly on her fair wrist. It looked extremely beautiful.
Huo Tingshan nodded in satisfaction.
Yellow jade was rare, even hard to come by. He wondered where Dream Fulfillment Master had looted this treasure from.
Seeing that Pei Ying was also looking down at the bracelet, Huo Tingshan seemed to remember something. He took back the white jade bracelet that he had casually thrown back into the box and stuffed it into Pei Ying's hand. "Madam, take this white jade bracelet back for your maid, but don't give the yellow jade bracelet to her. You wear it yourself."
Pei Ying was speechless.
He had just said that the white jade bracelet wasn't nice, but then he asked her to take it back for Ling'er.
Now Pei Ying didn't hide her emotions in front of Huo Tingshan. In fact, it didn't make much difference. He could always easily tell what she was thinking from her clear eyes.
Huo Tingshan said slowly, "That white jade bracelet doesn't match madam, but it matches her just right."
Pei Ying couldn't stand hearing such words. She said angrily, "General!"
Huo Tingshan glanced at her and saw the little spark in her eyes. He finally didn't say the rest of the words.
He couldn't say it, or else she would get angry again.
Pei Ying had no interest in continuing to admire the items in the storage room. She immediately told Huo Tingshan that she wanted to go back.
Huo Tingshan looked around at the resplendent surroundings and raised his eyebrows. "Don't you like any of these gold and precious stones in the room?"
Didn't she like gold and silver? She only liked those flowers and plants?
Pei Ying shook her head. Halfway through, she suddenly hesitated. "I do want one thing. I wonder if the general would allow me to exchange it for those gold and precious stones."
"What do you want?" Huo Tingshan became interested.
Pei Ying said seriously, "I want an iron wok."
Huo Tingshan stopped stroking his beard, thinking he had misheard. "An iron wok?"
Pei Ying nodded. "Yes, an iron wok."
Currently, the production of iron was not high. Iron utensils were mostly used for weapons and farm tools. They could be considered luxury items. The cooking utensils in ordinary people's homes were generally pottery cauldrons, and people cooked food using methods such as steaming, boiling, stewing, and roasting.
It wasn't that the food cooked in these ways wasn't delicious. There were also some delicious steamed and boiled dishes. However, Pei Ying missed all kinds of stir - fried dishes.
If she didn't mention it, it would still take a thousand years for iron woks to become common household items.
"What do you need an iron wok for?" Huo Tingshan asked.
Pei Ying told the truth. "To stir - fry food."
"Stir - fry," Huo Tingshan repeated these two words and then asked, "Why do you need an iron wok to stir - fry food?"
Huo Tingshan, who held military power, knew very well how precious iron was.
Having soldiers in hand is not enough; one also needs weapons. Otherwise, when soldiers go to the battlefield without good weapons, they are just going to get themselves killed. There is already a shortage of materials for making weapons and farm tools, yet Lady Pei wants to use iron to make a pot.
Pei Ying: "Dishes cooked in an iron pot taste better."
An iron pot heats up evenly and conducts heat quickly. It saves firewood compared to a clay pot and the food cooked in it is also more delicious.
"How does Lady Pei know that dishes cooked in an iron pot taste better? Have you eaten such dishes before?" Huo Tingshan stared directly at her.
Pei Ying pursed her lips and finally said, "The close friend of my late husband..."
"Enough," Huo Tingshan interrupted her. "If Lady Pei doesn't want to say, then forget it. Stop making up non - existent friends here."
Pei Ying pursed her lips and smiled.
In the end, Pei Ying didn't get a definite answer about whether she could have that iron pot.
After returning from the warehouse, Pei Ying told Xin Jin to start packing things.
The Sizhou Army was badly defeated, and the Yanzhou Army had been completely wiped out early on. Now, within Jizhou, only the Youzhou Army remained as a powerful force. It was likely that all parts of the Youzhou Army would move into Yuanshan County soon.
She now had more and more luggage, so it was better to pack early to avoid a mess when things got busy.
Just after telling Xin Jin about packing, Pei Ying heard her daughter's clear voice from outside.
"Mother, I'm back!" Meng Ling'er was in a very good mood today. In fact, as long as she could go to school on a certain day, she would be happy the whole day.
Seeing the thin sweat on her forehead, Pei Ying took out a handkerchief and wiped it for her. "Slow down after school. Why are you running so fast? Be careful not to fall."
Meng Ling'er grinned. "I wanted to come back quickly to share with you, Mother. Today, Mr. Gongsun told me about the 'earth dragon turning over'."
Seeing the look on her face that seemed to be saying "Mother, come and ask me", Pei Ying smiled and asked, "Really? How about it?"
The so - called "earth dragon turning over" actually refers to an earthquake.
However, the ancients didn't know that earthquakes were caused by plate movements. Since they couldn't explain it, they had to attribute it to the supernatural.
Later, the legend went like this: It was said that there was a giant dragon underground called the earth dragon. Every time the earth dragon turned over, it would cause the earth to rumble, houses to collapse, and even mountains to crumble and the ground to crack.
Hearing Pei Ying's question, Meng Ling'er quickly said, "Mr. Gongsun said that the 'earth dragon turning over' is a natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with ghosts and gods. It's like how the sea can turn into a mulberry field over time, and there is a certain chance of a rainbow appearing after rain."
Pei Ying looked at her with a beaming smile. "Do you believe this explanation, dear?"
"I do!" Meng Ling'er answered without hesitation.
Now, she was an ardent admirer of Gongsun Liang... No, to be more accurate, anyone who taught her and made her feel that she had learned a great deal would be admired by Meng Ling'er.
Meng Ling'er added, "Mr. Gongsun also said that the 'earth dragon turning over' doesn't occur without warning. There is a high probability that the river water will change color and livestock will go crazy before an earthquake."
Pei Ying nodded with a smile.
The little girl poured out all that she had seen and heard in class today. Finally, with a serious look on her face, she said, "Previously, I heard that the Dream Fulfillment Master could command the earth dragon. Now it seems that he was just a bully using the power of others. It's a pity that some ignorant common people were deceived by him."
The smile in Pei Ying's eyes deepened. "You're absolutely right, dear."
This is why one should study. Studying can broaden one's horizons, increase knowledge, and help one stop believing blindly. One will gradually form one's own opinions about people and things.
After she finished speaking, Meng Ling'er noticed a brocade box on the table.
Driven by curiosity, she instinctively reached out her hand to see what was inside. But when her hand was halfway there, she suddenly remembered the ruby bracelet from before and froze awkwardly.
Seeing this, Pei Ying picked up the box and opened it. Inside was a white jade bracelet. "If you like it, dear, you can take it and play with it. If not, just leave it there."
Meng Ling'er looked at it for a few moments and thought the bracelet was quite nice. But...
"Mother, is this really for me? Don't tell me it's from that man again. If so, I dare not take it." Meng Ling'er whispered.
Pei Ying was helpless. "It's for you."
Meng Ling'er still had some doubts.
Helpless, Pei Ying got up and went to the dressing table. She took out the yellow jade round bracelet that she had already taken off.
Seeing the yellow jade bracelet, Meng Ling'er was now relieved. She happily picked up the white jade bracelet and played with it on her hand.
She remembered that her second aunt also had a white jade bracelet, which was passed down from their grandmother. Her second aunt used to show it off to her mother, subtly and overtly mocking that her mother was not favored by the grandmother and didn't even have a valuable heirloom.
Now it seemed that the bracelet her second aunt treasured so much was not as good in quality as the one she was holding now, let alone her mother's yellow jade bracelet.
Meng Ling'er thought of the past and felt a bit melancholy for no reason.
After starting to study, she always felt that there was a hazy veil between the past and the present. The life of staying in the Meng Mansion all day embroidering seemed so far away from her, even though it had only been about two months.
Meng Ling'er's melancholy came and went quickly. She then said to Pei Ying, "Oh, right. Tomorrow, it's Dr. Feng who will give me lessons. Before, he told me that there is a very famous medicinal herb field around Changping County and he will take me there some day. Mother, we won't leave Changping County too soon, right?"
The Dr. Feng that Meng Ling'er mentioned was Feng Yuzhu, a military doctor of the Youzhou Army. His medical skills were quite excellent.
Previously, Xin Jin was kicked by Tan Jin and suffered internal injuries. Even after she finished drinking the medicine from the old herbalist, she still felt a bit unwell. Finally, Pei Ying invited Dr. Feng to treat her, and he completely cured Xin Jin's internal injuries.
Pei Ying had just told Xin Jin to pack up their luggage. Now, hearing what her daughter said, she quickly asked, "Where exactly is this medicinal herb field? Will you go and come back on the same day?"
If it was a day - trip, it wouldn't be a big problem.
Meng Ling'er hesitated a bit. "According to Dr. Feng, the medicinal herb field is about a three - day journey from Changping County. Since it's a rare opportunity to go there, we'll probably stay for one or two more days. In total, it will take about seven or eight days."
Pei Ying frowned slightly. "Seven or eight days..."
"What's wrong, Mother? Are we leaving Changping County in a couple of days?" Meng Ling'er instantly became nervous.
She didn't want to miss this rare opportunity for on - the - spot learning.
Pei Ying: "I'll go and ask tomorrow."
There was no one better to ask than Huo Tingshan, because he decided when the army would set off.
After breakfast, Pei Ying found Huo Tingshan and asked him about this matter. After she finished speaking, she saw the corner of his mouth curl up slightly, and he looked rather lazy.
She felt a pang of uneasiness in her heart.
Sure enough, the next moment, she heard him say, "Unfortunately, Lady Pei, we are setting off tomorrow."
Pei Ying looked into his eyes, suspecting that he did it on purpose.
Huo Tingshan couldn't help but smile. "The departure was originally scheduled for tomorrow. Even if you hadn't come to me this morning, madam, I would have informed you of this at noon. There are still some soldiers of the Jizhou Army and officials of the court in Yuanshan County. It's not appropriate to delay going there any longer."
Pei Ying lowered her eyes. "General, why don't you go to Yuanshan County first? I want to go to the medicinal herb fields with my daughter and then change the route to go directly to Yuanshan County."
Huo Tingshan said calmly, "Madam, there's no need for this. Your daughter is fifteen now, not a five - year - old child. She will have to leave you and live on her own one day. It's no harm for her to be independent earlier. Besides, it's not just Feng Yuzhu going with her on this trip. There are also other guards escorting her. Why do you need to worry?"
After multiple clean - ups around Changping County, both the Blue Turban Bandits and mountain bandits had been completely eliminated, and it was very safe.
Pei Ying admitted that what he said made some sense, but she couldn't help worrying. "But she has never been away from me for such a long time."
"Everything has a first time. That's settled then. You'll go to Yuanshan County with me tomorrow." Huo Tingshan made the final decision.
Pei Ying sighed and didn't say anything more.
Huo Tingshan's gaze slid down and landed on Pei Ying's empty fair wrist. His narrow eyes slightly narrowed.
After learning that she could go to the medicinal herb fields again, in contrast to Pei Ying's anxiety, Meng Ling'er, who was going on a long - distance trip by herself for the first time, was obviously more excited.
"Shui Su, pack this for me. Oh, and that one too."
Meng Ling'er circled around the room several times. After Shui Su packed the luggage, she happily threw herself into Pei Ying's arms and coquettishly said, "Mom, smile. I'm only going for seven or eight days. I'll be back soon. Then we'll meet in Yuanshan County."
Pei Ying pinched her little face. "You're more excited than a primary school student going on a spring outing."
"What are you talking about, Mom?" Meng Ling'er was confused.
The two teams set off together. Huo Tingshan and Pei Ying were with the large army, while Meng Ling'er and Feng Yuzhu were with a small group.
Pei Ying carefully observed. There were about fifty people going with Meng Ling'er, all of them were cavalry equipped with stirrups.
Pei Ying felt a little more at ease.
The army set off.
There was some distance between Yuanshan County and Changping County. Pei Ying took a carriage and it took three days to get there.
As the power core of Jizhou, Yuanshan County was far more prosperous than any other county in Jizhou.
There were numerous shops lining the streets. The streets were bustling with carriages and people. The crowd flowed continuously, and the shouts never stopped. The pedestrians had contented smiles on their faces, as if they were not affected by the sorrows of the war.
Pei Ying couldn't help but smile, and her mood improved a lot.
The gates of the Governor's Mansion were already wide open. Huang Muyong and Chen Guangling, who had received the news, had been waiting at the door early.
They saw that the Youzhou Army had arrived, but they didn't see Huo Tingshan. Instead, a carriage surrounded by cavalry was particularly eye - catching.
Both Huang Muyong and Chen Guangling had doubts in their eyes.
They saw the carriage with the "You" character sign on it stop in front of the Governor's Mansion. The carriage door opened, and a tall figure stepped out.
It was Huo Tingshan.
Huang and Chen were shocked. Their first reaction was that Huo Tingshan was seriously injured. Otherwise, why would a well - known military general like him take a carriage?
However, when they looked closely, they saw that this man's face was normal and he was intact. It was obvious that he just wanted to take the carriage.
Huang and Chen wanted to peek into the carriage, but Huo Tingshan was so burly that he completely blocked the half - opened carriage door behind him. Moreover, he closed the door quickly, so they didn't see clearly. They only vaguely sensed that there was another person inside.
After Huo Tingshan got out, he waved to the guard driving the carriage, signaling him to drive the carriage into the mansion first. Then he stepped forward and exchanged a few words of greeting with Huang and Chen.
After a few polite words, Huang Muyong couldn't help asking, "Why did you come by carriage, General Huo of Youzhou?"
Huo Tingshan glanced at him. "General Huang, if you have time to concern about these things, you'd better start preparing for your return to the court. Don't keep His Majesty waiting too long."
Huang Muyong froze.
Now that the Blue Turban Bandits in Jizhou had been completely eliminated, he, a court general who came to exterminate the Blue Turbans, really should return to the court to report.
But it was one thing for him to leave, and another thing for Huo Tingshan to remind him.
Now it seemed like he was being driven away.
However, he dared not show his anger. Remembering the massacre he saw hiding in the woods that day, Huang Muyong could only force a stiff smile. "General Huo of Youzhou is right. In fact, I originally planned to return to the capital after seeing you. Now that I've seen you, I should start preparing."
Huo Tingshan just smiled without saying a word.
*
The Governor's Mansion in Yuanshan County was very large, several times bigger than the Magistrate's Mansion in Changping County. In terms of delicacy, it was even better.
Pei Ying felt complicated. It seemed that the former Governor of Jizhou knew how to enjoy life.
Before coming to Yuanshan County, she had heard that there were soldiers of the Jizhou Army in the Governor's Mansion. But after she came, she didn't see any of them. All the people around her were familiar faces from Youzhou.
Huo Tingshan seemed to be free. He would have meals with her every day and sometimes take a walk in the back garden with her.
They got along peacefully, and he didn't overstep the mark again.
During lunch today, Pei Ying was still having lunch with Huo Tingshan. Two tables were placed very close to each other, and the lunch was sumptuous.
Generally speaking, although they ate at separate tables, to show respect and hospitality, the dishes on both tables were the same.
If there had been someone else there, they would have noticed that the dishes on the two tables were slightly different. There was cured mutton on the right - hand table, while on the left - hand table, the position where the cured mutton should have been placed was replaced by a fish soup.
Pei Ying picked up the spoon and was about to scoop some soup when, for some reason, her heart suddenly panicked. A strong and indescribable sense of fear almost engulfed her.
Pei Ying's hand trembled involuntarily, and the jade spoon fell on the table with a clatter and broke into two pieces.
Pei Ying stared closely at the broken jade, and her heart felt even more depressed. She had actually felt this way last night, but it wasn't as intense as it was now.
"What are you thinking about, madam? You're even distracted during the meal." Huo Tingshan looked at Pei Ying and saw that her face was a little pale.
Just as he was about to say something else, a soldier rushed in from outside.
"Report -! There was an earthquake in Changping County. Several villages were severely attacked. Hundreds of houses were destroyed, and the estimated casualties of the common people are no less than a thousand."
Pei Ying's pupils shrank. She suddenly stood up, but felt dizzy and her vision went black. Just as she was about to fall, an iron - like arm encircled her waist and held her up firmly.
"When did the earthquake happen?" Huo Tingshan half - hugged Pei Ying from behind and asked.
The guard kept his head down all the time. "At midnight last night."
The last bit of color faded from Pei Ying's face.
Midnight was the dead of night, when the common people were all asleep.
