County Magistrate's Residence.
"General, I have already dispatched a messenger to Bingzhou to inform them that the bandit threat in Beichuan County has been eradicated. Haha, just thinking about how they meticulously planned everything only for someone else to reap the rewards—they must be seething with rage." Infantry Colonel Xiong Mao strode in, brimming with energy. The massive scar across his face became even more fearsome as he grinned.
However, those present were long accustomed to it. Gongsun Liang, seated to the lower right, fanned himself with a feathered fan and remarked, "This will surely leave them fuming for a long time."
Sha Ying, seated to the lower left, also wore a pleased expression. "The news of Governor Yuan Ding's critical illness won't stay hidden much longer. Once Yuan Ding dies, Xiao Cong in the south will surely make his move—but by then, it'll be too late."
With that, he cupped his hands toward the man seated at the head of the room. "General, the conquest of Jizhou is within reach!"
The imposing man at the head of the table had already removed his heavy armor, now dressed in a simple black robe. His sharp, angular features and piercing, narrow eyes exuded an air of authority. Even without his armor, his presence remained formidable.
Hearing that Jizhou was within his grasp, Huo Tingshan smiled slightly, the oppressive aura around him dissipating somewhat. "There's no rush for Jizhou. It will fall under Youzhou sooner or later. Xiong Mao, have the banquet arrangements been announced?"
The Youzhou army had eliminated the bandit threat in Beichuan County. Regardless of his personal motives, this was cause for celebration for the local officials and citizens. Any surviving officials were expected to make an appearance.
Xiong Mao's grin faded by eighty percent, replaced by a look of dismay. "General, I just made the rounds—almost all of Beichuan County's officials perished. Only three low-ranking constables remain."
"Were those three injured?" Gongsun Liang asked.
Xiong Mao shook his head. "Not a scratch on them."
Gongsun Liang chuckled. "Those three must be quite the slippery ones."
"Three is enough, as long as someone can represent Beichuan County," Huo Tingshan said indifferently.
......
By evening, the banquet commenced.
Given that Beichuan County had just suffered heavy losses, with officials and commoners alike among the dead, the banquet was a modest affair. The attendees were few—Huo Tingshan and his men, plus Hao Wu and the two other constables. The meal was simple, though fine wine was served.
Hao Wu began by weeping openly for the fallen magistrate and his deputies, then fervently expressed his admiration for Huo Tingshan. "...Had it not been for the General's divine intervention, the people of Beichuan would have surely perished under the bandits' blades. The General possesses the strength to uproot mountains and part seas, the wisdom to govern the world, and the valor to stand unmatched. His compassion knows no bounds. To encounter such a man is a blessing earned over ten lifetimes for humble officials like myself and the common folk."
Xiong Mao leaned toward his cousin Chen Shichang and whispered, "This constable has quite the silver tongue. Even if I memorized that entire speech, I doubt I could deliver it half as well."
Chen Shichang chuckled. "Every man has his strengths. You can lift a cauldron—let him weave pretty words."
At the head of the table, Huo Tingshan wore a faint smile, seemingly pleased by the flattery, though he demurred, "Constable Hao, you exaggerate. A man must fulfill his duties where he stands. The suffering people of Beichuan are subjects of Great Chu. Since I happened upon their plight, how could I stand idly by?"
Hao Wu launched into another round of praise, each compliment more elaborate than the last, painting Huo Tingshan as a peerless figure between heaven and earth.
One side was eager to flatter, the other willing to foster goodwill. Amidst the clinking of cups, the atmosphere grew lively.
After several rounds of wine, Hao Wu's eyes gleamed with calculation. Sensing the moment was right, he leaned forward with an ingratiating smile. "General, there is a mother and daughter of exceptional beauty who have heard of your military genius and wish to seek your guidance on the art of war."
The room erupted in drunken laughter, with Xiong Mao's booming voice leading the charge. "Constable Hao, you’ve got quite the imagination!"
Though the words were about military strategy, every man present understood the implication—this constable was offering the General a pair of beauties. And what a clever excuse he had crafted!
Hao Wu laughed along, his plump cheeks bunching up like blooming flowers, and earnestly insisted that the mother and daughter revered Huo Tingshan as endlessly as the Yellow River’s waters.
In his heart, Hao Wu was certain that even if the Pei mother and daughter had been reluctant before, they would change their minds once the deed was done. The logic was simple—as the world descended into chaos, those with armies held power. Though Youzhou was poor, dismissed by many as a wasteland, its soldiers were renowned as a fierce, wolf-like force.
The man who commanded Youzhou’s cavalry was a warlord in his own right. Becoming such a man’s concubine would guarantee safety in turbulent times. Hao Wu couldn’t fathom a widowed woman like Pei Ying refusing.
"Nonsense."
The two words from the head of the table were neither loud nor harsh, but they sent Hao Wu’s heart racing. A cold sweat broke out on his back. He stole a glance upward and saw that Huo Tingshan’s expression hadn’t changed—he didn’t seem truly angry. Just as Hao Wu began to relax, another thought struck him: in these times, reputation was worth its weight in gold.
Scholars and men of talent seeking a lord would naturally favor one with a sterling name.
Taking a mother and daughter as concubines might earn a man some ribald remarks, but it wasn’t a true scandal. Still, why bother? It wasn’t as if he lacked for women...
Hao Wu sobered instantly. He scrambled to his feet and bowed deeply. "This lowly official spoke out of turn, projecting his own baser thoughts onto the General. The General is a man of unwavering integrity, far above the likes of me. Bai Di, quickly escort the young lady to the side chamber!"
The latter half was directed at the maidservant waiting by the door. The entire room, including Huo Tingshan, was taken aback.
Gongsun Liang stroked his goatee. "Why dismiss the daughter but keep the mother?"
Xiong Mao’s eyes bulged. "How could a fresh, slender maiden compare to a woman who’s already borne children?"
Sha Ying laughed. "Constable Hao, is it because the General is no longer a dashing youth that you think he doesn’t deserve the best?"
Hao Wu shook his head vehemently. "No, no! This humble official believes the lady in question is of unparalleled beauty, like the full moon in the night sky. Her daughter pales in comparison—not even half as captivating. Even Concubine Li, the emperor’s most favored consort, would be outshone in her presence."
The others exchanged glances, stunned that this petty constable would dare compare a local woman to Concubine Li.
Concubine Li was a legendary beauty, famed throughout the land. Emperor Zhao’s infatuation with her was the stuff of scandal—had all his follies been recorded, the scrolls would fill several rooms.
Naturally, Concubine Li was breathtaking. Legends claimed her beauty could topple cities, her every smile radiant as spring blossoms. Before entering the palace, her outings would draw crowds so thick the streets became impassable. Butterflies would follow her, lingering as if enchanted, leading some to whisper that she was no mortal woman but a spirit of peach blossoms incarnate.
Seeing the skepticism in their eyes, Hao Wu hurried to explain. "As the saying goes, good wine needs no bush—but if its fragrance never escapes the alley, how would outsiders know of its existence?"
"Nonsense!" Xiong Mao retorted. "If the wine is truly fine, how could its aroma not spread?"
Gongsun Liang fanned himself with his feathered fan and chuckled, "You fool, this isn’t real wine. Hao Wu was merely speaking metaphorically."
Reputation is a sharp weapon.
There are countless beautiful women in the world, but those who make it onto the beauty rankings are never the unknown village maidens or local belles who only gain fame in small towns.
Huo Tingshan had initially been disinterested. He was no stranger to beautiful women, nor was he a reckless youth anymore. Nothing mattered more to him now than the ambitions he harbored. But the young constable spoke with such conviction, insisting that this woman was even more stunning than Concubine Li, that his curiosity was undeniably piqued.
So after the banquet ended, Huo Tingshan made his way to the rear courtyard.
......
When Pei Ying awoke, her head was heavy, her memories shrouded in a haze that made it impossible to recall what had happened earlier. She had no idea what day or time it was.
The canopy above her was adorned with intricate patterns, far more exquisite than those in the Meng residence. As Pei Ying stared at it, the confusion in her eyes gradually cleared—only for her expression to twist in horror. She struggled to sit up on the bed and suddenly realized her clothes had been changed.
No longer dressed in her plain green cross-collared, narrow-sleeved gown, she now wore a flimsy red round-necked ruqun. The garment was far from modest, its thin fabric barely concealing the undergarments beneath.
It was those constables’ doing!
She distinctly remembered driving them away before she and the other two women returned to their rooms for lunch. After the meal, she had intended to take a nap with her daughter. Ling'er had initially resisted sleep but had inexplicably grown drowsy—and then Pei Ying herself had felt her eyelids grow unbearably heavy.
Just before slipping into unconsciousness, she thought she heard Shui Su scream outside. At the time, she couldn’t open her eyes, as if trapped in a dream—or perhaps not. She had dismissed it as a hallucination.
Pei Ying frantically scanned her surroundings. She was in an inner chamber, exquisitely furnished and deathly silent, with no one else in sight.
Ling'er wasn’t here. Where was she?
The thought that her daughter might also be in danger sent Pei Ying’s heart plunging into a vat of boiling oil.
She hurriedly tried to rise, but as soon as her feet touched the ground, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the floor. In her panic and fury, she hadn’t noticed the strange sensations coursing through her body—but now she did.
Heat. A scorching, relentless heat radiating from within.
Having borne a child, she was no stranger to desire. It was natural for a person to have needs—but this overwhelming, unnatural craving left her feeling as though she had been thrown into an icy abyss.
They had drugged her. If this was happening to her, what about her daughter?
Ling'er was only fifteen!
In ancient times, a girl of fifteen was considered of marriageable age, ready to bear children. But in Pei Ying’s eyes, fifteen was still the age of a middle schooler—a time for studying, absolutely not for... that.
Pei Ying took a deep breath, gathering her strength to stand and search for her daughter, when suddenly—
Creak.
The door swung open.
Unlike the refined chambers of Chang’an, many private rooms in this northern town lacked such sophistication. The moment the door opened, the bed was visible from the entrance. The banquet had ended, and the setting sun cast its golden glow upon the towering figure in the doorway, stretching his shadow deep into the room.
Pei Ying could only perceive that the man was built like a fortress, his imposing frame making the doorway seem cramped. Backlit by the sun, his face was obscured, yet his presence alone was overwhelming. The weight of his gaze fell upon her, and despite it not being the dead of winter, she shivered uncontrollably.
Pei Ying stared at him in terror, the elongated shadow on the floor twisting into what looked like a clawed monster.
Before pushing the door open, Huo Tingshan had braced himself for disappointment. Hao Wu’s claims had sounded exaggerated—what kind of beauty could this small town possibly produce, one that would outshine Concubine Li? He hadn’t believed it.
But when the door opened, when he saw the woman by the bed, Huo Tingshan—a man well-acquainted with all manner of beauties—felt a dark fire ignite in his eyes.
In the dimly lit room, the woman by the bed was a vision of luminous fairness—not the pallor of illness, but the warm, creamy glow of polished jade. Her figure was slender yet voluptuous, like a ripe lychee hanging from a branch, its skin so delicate that the slightest pressure would release its intoxicating fragrance.
Her face was pale, her lips red, her cheeks and the corners of her eyes flushed with panic. She trembled like a flower caught in a storm, her dewy eyes wide with fear. The golden light of dusk bathed her delicate features, rendering her beauty breathtaking.
In that moment, words failed him. Huo Tingshan knew only one thing: he wanted this woman.
Bang.
The door slammed shut.
