Meng Ling'er's courtyard was some distance from the main residence. After walking a few steps, Huo Tingshan noticed that Pei Ying's strides tonight were larger than any previous occasion.
Before, she had moved like a rabbit walking—now, the rabbit was almost hopping.
Huo Tingshan glanced sideways.
The courtyard was illuminated only by the soft glow of lanterns, faint and dim. Under the light, the beauty of the woman beside him seemed even more pronounced. The play of shadows on her lotus-like face resembled the delicate strokes of a master painter—sparse yet infinitely more captivating than any lavish colors.
"Watch your step."
Pei Ying was abruptly pulled aside by the arm.
The force was anything but gentle, and since her mind was still preoccupied, she stumbled straight into Huo Tingshan's chest.
The man raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, catching the lovely woman in his arms. He casually tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and asked, "What has you so distracted, my lady?"
Pei Ying belatedly regained her senses and quickly pushed against his chest, her fingers brushing the cold jade hook on his belt. "I was thinking about something. I’ll tell you later."
Her delicate brows were furrowed, a stark contrast to her usual composed demeanor. It was as if a rabbit had discovered multiple hiding spots exposed, its entire nest plundered, leaving it on high alert.
This rare display of unease intrigued Huo Tingshan. Considering she had just come from Meng Ling'er’s courtyard, he had already drawn his conclusions.
In this world, not all parents love their children. Some raise them out of obligation, others as insurance for their own old age. Those with weaker morals might even leave their offspring to fend for themselves.
Strangely enough, couples who are deeply in love often dote excessively on their children—perhaps out of affection by extension.
Affection by extension.
Huo Tingshan studied the frown that still hadn’t left Pei Ying’s face, and the phrase circled in his mind once more. His dark eyes cooled as he gazed ahead.
He had heard that she and her late husband were childhood sweethearts, neighbors who grew up together. She had married him the moment she came of age.
Childhood sweethearts, innocent and inseparable.
Huo Tingshan scoffed.
The man was long dead—his grave likely overgrown with weeds by now—yet she still clung to his memory.
His expression softened slightly as another thought crossed his mind.
The rest of the walk passed in silence. When they reached the main residence, Xin Jin swiftly lit the lamps and prepared the room before discreetly withdrawing, closing the door behind her.
Huo Tingshan took a seat, watching as Pei Ying fetched a teacup for him. He leaned back, sprawling across the soft divan she usually favored.
When Pei Ying turned around with the cup, she found him shamelessly occupying her spot.
As domineering as ever.
Their eyes met, and Huo Tingshan lazily quirked his lips. "Well, my lady? What did you wish to discuss?"
Pei Ying set the teacup on the small table. "General, how do you intend to deal with the powerful families in Yuanshan County?"
Huo Tingshan had never discussed politics with women before, but at some point, he had grown accustomed to speaking with her about such matters.
Now that she asked, he answered plainly. "We’ll cull a few of the fattest ones. The smaller fish can remain for now."
Powerful families were like weeds—cut one down, and another would sprout in its place. What he wanted was obedience, not annihilation. After all, Yuanshan County wasn’t the only place with such families. When he expanded his reach to other regions, he didn’t want rumors of his ruthlessness to unite them against him.
Pei Ying lowered her voice. "The Hua Family… they must all be among the fattest, then?"
She remembered Hua Jinzhong seated prominently at the banquet they had attended—a clear indicator of his family’s influence.
"Naturally," Huo Tingshan said, draining his cup in one gulp. "Half of those at that banquet will be culled."
Pei Ying curled her fingers slightly, carefully weighing her next words.
Before she could speak, he asked, "Did your daughter encounter someone from the Hua Family today?"
Pei Ying looked up in surprise. "How did you know?"
Huo Tingshan smirked at her widened eyes. At least she’s not frowning anymore. "It wasn’t hard to guess. You brought up the Hua Family yourself, and your daughter went out today."
The only thing that could unsettle her this much was that little girl.
Since he had already figured it out, the words came easier. Still, Pei Ying gave him a warning first. "General, what I’m about to tell you must remain between us. You cannot speak of it to anyone else."
Huo Tingshan chuckled. "Very well. As you wish—no third party will ever know."
Pei Ying relaxed slightly. When he gave his word seriously, she trusted him.
So she explained, "Nannan told me earlier that while out with Miss Qiu today, she happened to meet a pair of siblings from the Hua Family. The elder brother was…" She paused, searching for the right words. "Like jade among stones, a pine standing tall among emerald trees. At first glance, he seemed as unapproachable as snow on a mountain peak, yet he turned out to be warm and amiable. Their time together felt like a spring breeze. They even arranged to meet again on her next day off."
Her phrasing was delicate, but Huo Tingshan understood immediately. "Ah. So the young lady has developed a crush."
Pei Ying glared at him. Must he always be so blunt?
She was troubled—not just because her daughter had developed feelings at this age, but because the object of her affections was a Hua Family descendant.
Yet she couldn’t blame Nannan.
In their society, girls married soon after coming of age—some even had betrothals arranged earlier.
When the whole pot of rice is cooked, how can a single grain remain raw?
Such was the way of the world, and people’s minds were shaped accordingly.
As for the boy himself—how could Nannan be faulted? She didn’t know Huo Tingshan’s plans. She had simply met a friend of a friend while out shopping and taken a liking to a handsome young man.
But Pei Ying, who could see the larger picture, was filled with dread.
Still, for now, it was only dread. Even setting aside their ages, she knew this budding affection had little chance of a future.
Clink. The teacup returned to the table.
Huo Tingshan remarked dryly, "What an elegant use of the honey trap."
Pei Ying blinked. "H-honey trap?"
"After you accompanied me to that banquet, your daughter’s existence became common knowledge. They assume she’s my niece. The recent wheat policy has made some of these families nervous—they fear I’ll encroach further on their interests. So they’re trying every means to forge connections with the Governor’s residence. Gifts, banquets, beautiful women—all just different forms of bribery. What you call a ‘chance encounter,’ I suspect was carefully orchestrated." Huo Tingshan had spies among the powerful families. He knew exactly what misconceptions they harbored.
Pei Ying murmured, "But they’re so young…"
"I went to the battlefield as a scout at the age of twelve, infiltrated enemy lines, and set fire to over a hundred Xiongnu soldiers. Fifteen-year-old boys in the military were not uncommon—children from poor families mature early, rising before dawn to prepare for their livelihoods. As for children from wealthy families, especially those groomed as heirs, they began their education at three, composed poetry by seven, and some were already managing family affairs by ten. They bore the weight of their clan’s rise and fall, their every word and action serving the family’s interests." Huo Tingshan pulled Pei Ying onto the cushioned divan.
He raised his hand to stroke her stunned yet clear brows and eyes. "Marriage can sometimes be a bargaining chip. If a mere wedding contract can avert disaster and even elevate the family’s fortunes, why not take it? My lady, in these times, do not assume people’s hearts are too kind."
Lately, Huo Tingshan had noticed something about Pei Ying—an aura that seemed out of place in this era.
In some ways, she was astonishingly clever, earning even the admiration of Gongsun Liang, hailed as a prodigy. Many things she spoke of with calm familiarity, as if they were commonplace.
Yet in other ways, she was fragile.
Her courage was smaller than a rabbit’s, less than even a child’s. The sight of a few corpses could terrify her, even without bloody scenes.
And then there was her naivety. She often held ideas so innocent they surprised him. At first, he assumed she had been overly sheltered by her husband’s family, spoiled into impracticality.
But later, he realized it wasn’t that. Her innocence and excessive kindness clashed with this increasingly cruel world, as if she belonged to a peaceful golden age untouched by strife, bloodshed, or war.
She drifted through this era like a paper kite, tethered only by a single thread.
That thread was her only child.
Huo Tingshan had never believed in spirits or gods, dismissing them as fabrications of the elite to manipulate the ignorant.
But the longer she stayed by his side, the more he wondered if there might be one exception in this world.
Pei Ying was jolted back to awareness when his rough fingers brushed her brows.
She instinctively recoiled, but his arm encircled her waist, leaving little room to retreat.
Huo Tingshan withdrew his hand. "Though I promised not to interfere in your daughter’s marriage, since you’ve brought it up, you must also find it troubling. What would you have me do?"
Pei Ying leaned against an armrest, trapped between it and his embrace. She meant to pull away quickly but paused when he asked for her thoughts.
After a long silence, she whispered, "General, what do you think should be done?"
In ancient times, Nannan was older than modern girls, so this was her first time facing such a dilemma.
After learning of her daughter’s budding affection, she had sought Huo Tingshan’s advice about the Hua Family, only to be told it was a honey trap.
Now, Pei Ying was at a loss.
Huo Tingshan arched a brow.
Good—she knew to ask for his opinion.
With calm assurance, he said, "What’s so difficult? Marriage is decided by parental authority and matchmakers. Just refuse your consent."
Pei Ying: "..."
She gave him a look of exasperation.
This man either said unpleasant things or spoke nonsense. What a waste of a mouth.
Huo Tingshan met her gaze, then suddenly chuckled.
Pei Ying realized he’d been teasing her and snapped, "Huo Tingshan!"
He smiled. "If you’d rather not play the villain, leave it to me."
Pei Ying eyed his brutal methods skeptically. "How do you plan to handle it? The approach mustn’t be too harsh, or it could harm her growth."
Huo Tingshan’s eye twitched.
The girl was already of marriageable age—what "growth" was left?
When he didn’t respond, Pei Ying repeated herself sternly, then frowned. "Huo Tingshan, are you even listening?"
He sighed in amusement. "My lady, you ask for much."
Xiao Family, study.
"Outrageous! This is utterly outrageous!" Xiao Xiong smashed a teacup to the ground.
The fine porcelain, which would take commoners years to afford, shattered instantly, shards scattering near the feet of a man standing nearby.
The room fell silent, no one daring to speak first.
Xiao Xiong’s face darkened. "A mere platoon leader, yet he acts as if he’s the governor himself!"
"Father, please calm down. That he accepted our gifts is still a good sign. Perhaps—"
"Calm down?" Xiao Xiong sneered. "How can I? This is all your son’s doing! If he hadn’t killed a man in a drunken brawl, would our family be at someone’s mercy like this?"
The speaker—Second Master Xiao—fell silent.
He had six daughters and one son, Xiao Shang, the third among the younger generation, known as Third Young Master Xiao.
Initially, Second Master Xiao hadn’t spoiled his only heir, but after his concubines bore no more sons, he’d indulged the boy excessively.
Xiao Xiong’s rage vanished as his expression turned icy. "Second Son, pray this matter ends with that platoon leader. If it doesn’t, be prepared to hand over Third Son."
A grandson? He had plenty. Sacrificing one meant nothing.
Second Master Xiao paled. "Father, you can’t!"
Xiao Xiong scoffed. "There’s no ‘can’t.’ He made his mistake; let him pay for it."
Second Master Xiao wanted to argue, but Eldest Master Xiao shot him a warning glance. Swallowing his words, he felt a fire burning in his chest, his lips nearly blistering with anxiety.
Eldest Master Xiao spoke up. "Father, we’ve sent gifts to Sha Ying five times. The man is like a bottomless pit—no matter how much we offer, he gives no answer, refuses to meet. Is he silently settling this, or..."
He left the last words—"mocking us"—unspoken.
But Xiao Xiong understood.
If this was the outcome, his heart clenched with dread.
A lowly platoon leader wouldn’t dare toy with them alone. Someone powerful backed him—and that someone could only be him.
Lately, the wheat-planting policy had swept through Ji Prefecture like a storm. If the so-called "kinship dispute" was a setup, it meant the other side wasn’t satisfied with just the policy. More schemes would follow.
"Eldest Son, reinvestigate those commoners’ backgrounds. Be thorough and discreet," Xiao Xiong ordered.
Eldest Master Xiao nodded. "Father, should we continue sending gifts?"
Xiao Xiong pondered for a moment before saying, "Send gifts three more times. If he remains as indifferent as now, then let it be. If there's still no progress, help me contact those uncles from the Hua Family and Qi Family."
Eldest Master Xiao acknowledged the order.
To Xiao Xiong's great delight, after sending another round of gifts, Sha Ying finally responded.
The other party requested a meeting.
Overjoyed, Xiao Xiong immediately instructed his steady eldest son to accompany Third Young Master Xiao with lavish gifts to the meeting, intending to offer a formal apology.
The meeting was arranged in a private room of a teahouse and lasted for two full hours.
When the door finally opened, Sha Ying emerged first, wearing a satisfied smile, followed by an equally beaming Eldest Master Xiao. Trailing behind them was Third Young Master Xiao, bruised and battered, limping cautiously.
The two Xiao family members attended to Sha Ying's every need, even preparing a carriage for his departure, loaded with the extravagant gifts they had brought.
That night, Xiao Xiong, his worries eased, slept soundly for the first time in a while.
As for whether his grandson, with his broken arm and ribs, would suffer sleepless pain—that was the last thing on Xiao Xiong's mind.
However, his peace was short-lived. The next morning, around nine o'clock, a servant rushed in with urgent news.
Seated in the main hall dining with his wives and children, Xiao Xiong's hand holding the jade chopsticks trembled slightly when he recognized the servant—one he had assigned to secretly monitor the Governor's mansion.
The servant dropped to his knees with a thud. "Master, disaster looms! Three commoners have knelt before the Governor's mansion, kowtowing and pleading for justice, accusing our Xiao Family of market monopolization and reckless disregard for human life."
Xiao Xiong's chopsticks slipped from his grasp. "Were they admitted into the mansion?"
"Not by the time I left, but the crowd gathering around them was growing larger," the servant replied, his voice fading to a whisper.
Silence fell over the hall.
Everyone knew too well—the Xiao Family's vast enterprises had their dark corners. If someone decided to dig deeper...
Xiao Xiong's temples throbbed violently, rage and anxiety surging through him. The sixty-year-old patriarch suddenly saw black spots before his eyes.
"Father!"
"Grandfather!"
The Xiao family members panicked, rushing to support him—some fanning him, others pouring tea—until the commotion settled.
Xiao Xiong didn't faint. After a moment, he regained his composure. "Keep watching. Report immediately if anything critical happens."
Pei Ying had been strolling leisurely in the rear garden when she found herself near the mansion's side gate.
Even the side entrance of the Governor's grand residence, with its green-glazed tiles and vermilion pillars, was impressively ornate, opening onto a bustling street.
This was the gate Pei Ying usually used when taking her carriage to the market, as it was the closest to the commercial district.
Just as she turned to leave, loud voices erupted outside the gate.
"Who goes there?" a guard barked sharply.
Several people knelt and kowtowed before pleading, "We beg the Great General to grant us justice."
Listening from behind the gate, Pei Ying quickly understood.
They were accusing the Xiao Family of deceit—forcing them to sell their land at unfairly low prices, reducing them to tenant farmers.
They claimed previous local officials had ignored their pleas, leaving them desperate. After hearing of the Heavenly Strategy Great General's reputation for benevolence in a teahouse gazette, they mustered the courage to seek his intervention.
One man added another grievance: years ago, his niece had been violated by Third Young Master Xiao. Unable to bear the shame, she drowned herself. When his brother confronted the Xiao Family, their hired thugs hacked him to death.
As the accusations poured out, the man's voice grew louder with desperate resolve, drawing a growing crowd of commoners.
Soon, the area was packed tightly with onlookers.
"Madam."
Pei Ying turned to find Huo Tingshan standing behind her.
"General, there are people outside requesting an audience with you," she said.
Huo Tingshan nodded but merely stepped beside her. "You heard everything they said?"
Pei Ying confirmed. Noticing his calm demeanor, she pressed, "Aren't you going out to meet them?"
The rhythmic thuds of kowtowing made her wince.
Huo Tingshan remained unhurried. "Not yet."
Pei Ying pressed her lips together.
Though silent, her displeasure was evident. Huo Tingshan read her instantly. "The timing isn't right."
"When will it be?" she asked.
"In a few days."
Pei Ying lowered her gaze, avoiding his eyes.
"You want me to go out there?" Huo Tingshan studied the crown of her head.
She muttered, "Does it matter what I want? You've already decided."
These past days had taught her how unyielding he could be—decisive in command, often ruthlessly so.
"Come with me," Huo Tingshan said.
Pei Ying hesitated. There was an unexpected hint of flexibility in his tone, so she followed.
They went to his study.
"Summon Wu Tonghai here," Huo Tingshan ordered the guard at the door, who promptly left to fetch him.
Turning to Pei Ying, he said, "Make yourself comfortable."
This wasn't her first time in his study. The last visit had been to discuss the success of her soap in Chang'an. Familiarity eased her nerves now.
Pointing to the rows of bookshelves, she asked, "May I browse over there?"
Huo Tingshan granted her freedom with a nod.
Soon, an obsequious voice echoed outside—so ingratiating that one could picture the speaker's exaggerated smile without seeing him.
"This humble official knew the magpies' morning song foretold good fortune! For the Great General to remember me amidst his busy schedule is an unparalleled honor."
Huo Tingshan gestured to a seat. "Attendant Wu, sit."
Wu Tonghai obeyed, launching into another round of flattery.
Pei Ying guessed he didn't realize she was present, assuming the room held only him and Huo Tingshan. His praise knew no bounds.
He extolled Huo Tingshan's military genius, recounting famous battles where his strategies led to glorious victories. Then he shifted to physical admiration—his imposing stature, his peerless majesty, elevating him to near-divine status.
Hidden behind the shelves, Pei Ying endured the lengthy sycophancy. At one point, she almost doubted whether this fawning depiction matched the man she knew.
Wu Tonghai smiled obsequiously, but inwardly, he was puzzled.
Last time, Huo Tingshan had cut him off after minimal praise. Why such patience today? Was he already in high spirits?
The thought reassured him slightly.
After finally finishing his flattery, he respectfully asked, "Might I inquire as to why the Grand General has summoned this humble official? If there is any way I can be of service, please do not hesitate to command me. I would gladly lay down my life for the Grand General."
Huo Tingshan's eyes curved with a faint smile. "No need for Attendant Wu to lay down his life. The task I have for you is but a trivial matter. A few commoners have arrived outside the manor, claiming to have suffered injustices at the hands of powerful bullies. I would like you to investigate their grievances and see that justice is served."
These words nearly sent Wu Tonghai tumbling from his cushioned seat. His face paled, and his usually nimble tongue grew stiff with shock. "G-Grand General…"
Huo Tingshan met his gaze with an amused glint. "Those who serve the people ought to champion their cause. Wouldn’t you agree, Attendant Wu?"
Wu Tonghai’s heart sank.
Well, all that flattery had been for nothing.
This mess handed to him was clearly a thorny path with no easy way out. Yet Huo Tingshan’s tone left no room for negotiation, so he had no choice but to accept the task with bitter resignation.
"Attendant Wu, you may go," Huo Tingshan dismissed him outright.
Wu Tonghai left the study.
Huo Tingshan turned his gaze toward the bookshelf, where through the gaps in the wooden frame, his eyes met a pair of shimmering, conflicted ones.
