Pei Ying lowered her gaze to the chessboard, where the outcome had already been decided, then shifted her eyes back to the man seated across from her. Huo Tingshan had been watching her the entire time, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips—one that carried a hint of mischief.
After a moment’s thought, Pei Ying softened her expression and spoke gently, "General, do you lack a set of undergarments?"
Huo Tingshan nodded. "Indeed I do. Would my lady be willing to sew me a set herself?"
"Perhaps we could do as we did last time—"
Before she could finish, Huo Tingshan interrupted, "Is my lady unwell?"
Pei Ying paused. "Yes, I’ve been indisposed lately."
She shouldn’t have refused what she’d already agreed to, but this prefectural residence was unlike their home in Yuanshan County—there was no bathing pool here.
Without a bathing pool, washing up afterward would be unbearably cold. The winter chill was harsh, and the thought of enduring such discomfort after exhaustion made her reluctant.
Huo Tingshan studied her. "Truly indisposed? But if I recall correctly, your cycle wasn’t due around this time."
Pei Ying’s heart sank. How did he remember such details? Still, she maintained her gentle tone. "Some women’s cycles are irregular. It isn’t always fixed to the same day each month."
Huo Tingshan nodded. "I see."
Just as she began to relax, he added, "Then I’ll verify tonight."
Pei Ying’s eyes widened in shock. "Have you lost your mind?"
Even in modern times, there were ignorant men who considered menstruation unclean, let alone in ancient times.
Not only men—many women here also believed menstrual blood was impure, even spreading absurd sayings like, "A wedding during menstruation brings ruin to the household."
"Indeed, when my lady deceives me, I tend to lose my senses," Huo Tingshan replied with a mocking smile.
Pei Ying fell silent, her gaze drifting away. She had no idea how he’d seen through her.
Tap, tap.
Huo Tingshan lightly knocked the wooden chess piece against the board. "Care to explain why my lady is reneging on her promise?"
Seeing no escape, Pei Ying finally confessed in a small voice.
After hearing her reasoning, a vein throbbed at Huo Tingshan’s temple.
Bathing again. She was obsessed with bathing. Was she some water sprite in her past life, so fixated on washing?
His fingers stilled on the chess piece.
Come to think of it, in this life, she was like water made flesh…
"Bathing is hardly a problem. The maids can prepare hot water," Huo Tingshan said, resetting the chess pieces.
Pei Ying’s eyes flickered. "Then I’ll tell Xin Jin to heat the water at haizheng (10 PM)."
"Haizheng?" Huo Tingshan stopped arranging the pieces and leveled a deeper look at her. "My lady seems to have a poor grasp of my endurance. No matter—you’ll understand later."
Pei Ying’s back stiffened. For a moment, she could hear her own heartbeat thundering like war drums.
Huo Tingshan continued, "Leave the bathing arrangements to me. I’ll ensure everything is taken care of."
Pei Ying avoided his gaze, her lips parting several times before she managed only a faint, breathless, "Mm."
"Earlier, my lady asked if I needed undergarments. I do, desperately. Might I trouble you?" Huo Tingshan circled back to the original topic.
Pei Ying stared at him in disbelief. "Huo Tingshan, are you trying to take everything from me?"
Huo Tingshan chuckled. "Though my lady knows few written characters, her phrasing is sharper than most scholars’—every word precise."
Pei Ying: "..."
She couldn’t stay in this study a moment longer.
When Huo Tingshan later invited her for another game, Pei Ying refused, clutching her warming pan as she retreated to her chambers.
Winter nights fell early. After dinner, the sky darkened as if draped in layers of black gauze, each fold swallowing the last remnants of daylight.
Pei Ying summoned Xin Jin. "Prepare a contraceptive brew tomorrow."
Xin Jin assented, then added, "Today, Shui Su mentioned that the young lady seems troubled."
Pei Ying frowned. "Did she say why?"
"The household’s attitude toward her has shifted slightly, and the young lady is confused by it," Xin Jin explained.
Pei Ying understood. This "shift" likely meant increased deference—just as Gongsun Liang had bowed to her after she left Huo Tingshan’s study, something he’d never done before.
Her thoughts turned to her daughter, and worry crept in. She’d promised the girl she wouldn’t remarry for three years, yet rumors had forced her into wedding Huo Tingshan next year.
When Huo Tingshan entered, he found Pei Ying seated on the divan, a book in hand—though her furrowed brow and distant gaze made it clear her mind was elsewhere.
Still brooding over the lack of a bathhouse?
Without a word, he scooped her up and carried her toward the bed. "Once we return to Youzhou, I’ll build you a hot spring at a natural source. Then you can bathe whenever you please—hell, you could even grow a mermaid’s tail and swim laps if you wanted."
Pei Ying snapped back to the present. Her fingers twitched toward his collar before she restrained them. "It’s not about the bath."
Huo Tingshan covered the distance in strides, depositing her on the bed.
She’d bathed earlier; her skin carried the lingering sweetness of perfumed soap beneath her usual delicate fragrance.
Her hair was half-unbound, a dark green ribbon woven through the silken tresses like seaweed in deep water. Huo Tingshan toyed with the ribbon’s end. "If not the bath, then what?"
Still seated, Pei Ying tilted her head up at him. "I told my daughter I wouldn’t remarry for three years."
Huo Tingshan paused mid-tug at her hair ribbon. "Heaven sends rain, widows remarry—since when does a child dictate her mother’s life?"
"That’s not the point. I made her a promise, and now I’m breaking it."
"Parents govern children, not the reverse. This upends the natural order. Pay her no mind," Huo Tingshan said, finally pulling the ribbon free, watching her hair cascade over her shoulders.
Her white fox-fur robe remained on the divan; now she wore only a thin underrobe whose apricot hue barely concealed the ripe curves beneath. The collar had loosened when he carried her, revealing a swath of creamy skin and the tiny crimson mole where the fabric dipped.
"Besides," Huo Tingshan’s eyes fixed on that mole, "my lady has spun enough falsehoods to fill a basket. Why fret over breaking one promise?"
Backlit by the lamplight, his expression was unreadable.
Pei Ying protested, "This is different."
“Madam treats me differently—this deserves punishment.”
Pei Ying heard his voice change, growing deeper and huskier, laced with a familiar greed.
The small patch of sky above them darkened,
YH
completely pressing down in a heavy weight.
No matter how many times it happened, Pei Ying always felt how unbearably heavy he was—not a single muscle or bone in his body wasted, solid and unyielding as he bore down, effortlessly trapping her in that confined space.
Earlier, Huo Tingshan had ordered his guards to build her a heated kang bed. Since then, Pei Ying had used it every night, warming the bed before sleeping.
What had once been a comfortable warmth now felt scalding.
The single heated surface seemed to multiply into two, leaving her like meat roasting in the middle.
The sweltering heat flushed Pei Ying’s cheeks crimson. Then, a rough touch slid along her waist, deliberate yet slow, like sandpaper grazing her skin—domineering yet teasing.
Wherever it passed, sparks seemed to ignite, or like a boulder plunging into a lake, sending tremors through her.
The collar of her cross-collar inner robe was tugged lower. He bent his head and finally reached that small red mole he had been longing for.
The beautiful woman instinctively shrank away, trying to evade his calloused hand.
But he had already anticipated her move. His right arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, his palm pressing against her back as he lifted her slightly, forcing her to arch forward in offering.
A scorching heat exploded in her chest, and Pei Ying’s earlobes flushed as red as blood.
Then, a murmur drifted down from above: “Madam’s flawless, fragrant skin is fortunate never to have been touched by that Emperor Zhengan from the previous dynasty.”
Pei Ying’s hands, which had been pressing against his chest to push him away, faltered at his words. “What?” she blurted out.
He didn’t seem to need her response, letting out a low chuckle. “Even if he had touched you, it wouldn’t matter. I’d just chop off his hands and gouge out his eyes.”
Pei Ying’s almond-shaped eyes widened.
What kind of deranged talk was this? Who spoke of dismembering people while in bed?
“Huo Tingshan, stop saying such things.” Pei Ying frowned.
Huo Tingshan lifted his head, watching as the small red mole darkened like cinnabar spreading, and smirked in satisfaction. “Fine, I won’t.”
If he couldn’t say it, then he’d do something else instead.
The hand on her back slid upward, settling at the nape of her neck, tilting her head back.
“Wait—”
Huo Tingshan wasn’t waiting.
Since winter began, he had been abstaining. If she hadn’t been right in front of him, it might have been bearable—but this fragrant little rabbit of his had been prancing around day after day, fanning the flames in his chest until they roared uncontrollably.
Preparing hot water at the hour of Hai?
She had been dreaming long before nightfall.
Pei Ying knew he had been holding back for a while now, and she had braced herself for a difficult night. But from the moment he gripped the back of her neck and nearly devoured her tongue, her heart clenched in spasms.
The storm was far from over. The air grew thinner, and Pei Ying let out a muffled whimper, twisting her head away.
Perhaps sensing her ragged breathing, he finally showed some mercy, easing his relentless assault.
Pei Ying turned her head, resting it on the embroidered quilt. The corners of her eyes were still tinged pink, her gaze dazed, as if she hadn’t yet recovered.
Suddenly, the beautiful woman on the quilt shuddered, her legs instinctively kicking against the bedding. The loose socks around her feet slipped, revealing a stretch of jade-white calf.
Whatever the man above her did next made that delicate leg twitch again, the sock rolling down completely, her bare foot pressing against his shin.
Huo Tingshan propped himself up and began unwrapping his “gift” with swift efficiency.
Soon, the apricot-colored undergarments fluttered down from the bed.
Huo Tingshan grasped her slender leg—smooth as polished jade, plump like ripe lychee flesh spilling between his fingers.
Pulling her closer, he plunged down without hesitation.
……
Xin Jin glanced at the sky outside. Seeing that it was about time, she rose to prepare water as Pei Ying had instructed.
Once the water was heated, Xin Jin hesitated with the bucket of cold water meant for tempering.
Madam had said to have the water ready by Hai hour, but judging from the last two times, things had gone on much longer. It was winter—if she prepared the water now, wouldn’t it just turn cold by the time it was needed?
After some deliberation, Xin Jin decided not to mix in the cold water yet. She’d let it cool naturally and adjust it later when Madam called for it.
Having made up her mind, Xin Jin retreated to the corridor, sitting on a small wooden stool to wait.
The night deepened, and all grew quiet—even the chirping birds seemed to have fallen asleep. Yet no summons came from the master bedroom.
Xin Jin turned to look in that direction. The lamp wick hadn’t been trimmed, and the light inside had long gone out. But Xin Jin knew Madam wasn’t asleep yet.
Because occasionally, she could hear faint, tearful murmurs from within.
Gazing at the bright moonlight, Xin Jin’s thoughts drifted.
As Pei Ying’s personal maid, she had noticed many small details lately—enough to guess that there might be joyous news next year.
There were only three doses of contraceptive medicine left. Once they were gone, would there be any need to buy more?
……
In the master bedroom, the untended lamp had extinguished, leaving darkness to flood the room. Only the half-open window allowed a sliver of silver moonlight to spill inside.
The gauzy bed curtains had long since been shaken loose, occasionally fluttering from either the wind—or the movements of those within.
“General… I want to get down…”
“Madam is truly unreasonable. You were the one who agreed to climb up earlier—how can you quit halfway?” His voice was lazy, amused.
Pei Ying’s eyes were damp, the corners flushed red, her lashes glistening with unshed tears.
She was exhausted, her back nearly too weak to stay upright—but leaning forward would only bring her closer to him.
“Why has Madam stopped?” Huo Tingshan reclined against the wall beside the bed, watching her with a smirk.
In the dimness, her luminous skin seemed to glow, her face flushed, forehead glistening with sweat, lips parted as she panted softly.
She really did look utterly spent.
The thin strap of her undergarment was all that remained, doing little to cover her—merely a token effort.
At first, she had tried to shield herself with her hands, but as time dragged on, she no longer had the strength. Now, what little energy she had left was spent just staying upright.
Now, she only regretted it.
Unable to endure the storm earlier, she had tried to negotiate—only to end up in this impossible situation.
Stuck halfway, unable to go up or down.
Truly, she was caught between a tiger and a precipice.
“Huo Tingshan… I’m tired.” Pei Ying’s voice was small, pleading. “Can we…?”
“I’m not tired. I’m not even exerting myself—what’s there to be tired about?” Huo Tingshan cut her off with a laugh.
Pei Ying pressed her hand against the couch, trying to use it as leverage to stealthily rise. However, the long arm encircling her waist detected her intention and deliberately pressed down, opposing her movement.
Pei Ying's pupils contracted. Her spine involuntarily softened, and her hands scrambled for support elsewhere.
Her left hand accidentally landed ahead, on a place where the muscle was warm and solidly powerful. But what truly made Pei Ying freeze was where the inside of her own wrist came to rest.
She had touched her own abdomen.
The slight swell there now felt so unfamiliar it startled her.
Seeing her spine go soft and her finally collapse into his arms from exhaustion, Huo Tingshan chuckled lowly. "Since my lady is weary, let's revert to the previous position."
The world spun. Pei Ying's back was once again pressed against the brocade quilt.
That storm she had once tried to evade came sweeping over her again.
Pei Ying was buffeted by the wind and rain until even her legs and feet grew limp and weak. Goosebumps rose on her skin in waves, only to be smoothed away layer by layer. She could do nothing, only occasionally kick feebly at the quilt, her toes curling pitifully as she shivered.
The storm raged for a long, long time. Finally, Pei Ying closed her eyes, allowing herself to become a small boat with a severed anchor, adrift on a boundless sea.
Let him do as he pleased. All she wanted was to sleep.
At some point, a piece of news began circulating throughout Jianyun County:
The son of the Bingzhou Governor, in a fury over a beautiful woman, had killed Prince Huikang who sought to seize his favorite concubine.
At first, people merely listened to it as an amusing tale over tea, after all, how could a member of the imperial family be killed so easily? Furthermore, the Bingzhou Governor and his family resided in Xiaojiang County, which was some distance from Jianyun County.
But as time passed, more and more merchants traveling east from Xiaojiang County reported unusual happenings within.
Some said the county had been placed under strict martial law multiple times, with constant searches for villains day after day. The atmosphere in the city was tense, and leaving the city had become exceedingly difficult.
Others claimed to have seen luxurious carriages and fine horses stopping before the Governor's mansion, as if important guests had arrived. However, these guests seemed to have taken up long-term residence within the mansion after their arrival, appearing to enter but not leave—a most unusual situation.
Still others said they had encountered Prince Huikang's personal guards being pursued by a group of men in black—assassins sent by the Governor's mansion to silence witnesses...
Truth and falsehood intertwined, making the matter increasingly murky.
After some observation, many busybodies concluded, "The Bingzhou Governor is in trouble. Killing a member of the royal family is openly defying the court. Could this Shi of Bingzhou be planning rebellion?"
"Shh, keep your voice down. Such words must not be spoken."
"Why not? The rumors have been spreading for so long. If they were false, if this was slander by malicious parties, why hasn't Shi of Bingzhou come forward to say a word? And it's not just one person saying Xiaojiang County is under strict lockdown now; many are saying it."
"Shi of Bingzhou was considered a local hero. Who would have thought he'd raise such a useless son."
"A father is responsible for his son's lack of discipline. He should have taught him better in the future."
On the tenth day of the rumors about the prince's murder fermenting, another bombshell piece of news broke:
Shi Lianhu, Governor of Bingzhou, had passed away from illness in the Governor's mansion.
This hero, who had governed Bingzhou for over twenty years and was respectfully addressed as "Lord Shi" by outsiders, had ascended to the west, at the age of fifty-three.
With Shi Lianhu's death, Bingzhou descended into complete internal chaos.
Yanmen County, inside the County Governor's study.
Huo Tingshan finished reading the letter in his hand and smiled, his lips curling. "That old fox Shi Lianhu is finally dead."
All the strategists in the study were overjoyed upon hearing this.
"Congratulations, my lord."
"Congratulations, my lord."
...
Gongsun Liang suddenly spoke. "My lord, I have a plan that might allow Bingzhou to fall into your hands more swiftly."
Everyone knew that when Gongsun Liang spoke, his plans were always ingenious. They immediately pricked up their ears.
Huo Tingshan promptly said, "Please speak, Taihe."
Gongsun Liang stroked his goatee. "As I understand it, aside from Shi Lianhu's three sons, he had three main generals under his command: Lan Zimu, Gao Shikai, and Jiang Tianlong. Among these three, Lan Zimu is relatively more pragmatic. My lord could choose him as the entry point to successively recruit them."
Yes, Gongsun Liang's idea was recruitment.
Even if some of Bingzhou's generals, out of gratitude for Shi Lianhu's patronage, wished to continue serving the three Shi brothers, they would have to carefully reconsider once the label of 'traitor' was pinned on them.
The crime of treason, if handled carelessly, could lead to the punishment of one's entire clan.
If not serving the Shi family, what about declaring independence?
But declaring independence also lacked a righteous cause, and not every military commander had the ambition or capability to become a warlord.
If independence wasn't feasible, choosing a new lord to serve should be acceptable. And at this time, if Youzhou extended an olive branch, the likelihood of it being accepted would be much higher than before.
Huo Tingshan was greatly pleased. "An excellent plan, Taihe. This way, we can take Bingzhou by next spring at the latest."
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Liang's thoughts drifted inexplicably for a moment.
Taking Bingzhou in spring would leave a whole spring and half a summer to prepare for the grand wedding.
Gongsun Liang silently lowered the hand stroking his goatee, feeling he shouldn't think this way. His lord had always kept public and private matters strictly separate.
Chen Shichang, who excelled at writing, composed a recruitment letter. Huo Tingshan then sent Sha Ying to deliver it to Xiaojiang County.
Throughout the winter, the Youzhou army remained stationed in Yanmen County. Just as Huo Tingshan predicted, as soon as the first signs of spring touched the earth, a sealed letter arrived from Xiaojiang County.
In the letter, Lan Zimu, the first to accept the recruitment, stated that he had successfully persuaded his close associate Gao Shikai. Together, they had killed Jiang Tianlong, who was unwilling to accept the offer.
The letter also mentioned that the three Shi brothers, responsible for the murder of the royal family member, had all been captured and awaited punishment.
This letter actually conveyed another piece of information: Xiaojiang County was completely pacified. Huo Tingshan could enter this seat of power in Bingzhou at any time.
Upon receiving the sealed letter, Huo Tingshan did not hesitate. The next day, he led the Youzhou army towards Xiaojiang County.
The journey from Yanmen County to Xiaojiang County took six days of steady marching. Six days later, Pei Ying arrived in Xiaojiang County with the Youzhou army.
Unlike Yuanshan County in Jizhou, Changyun County to the west of Xiaojiang County was once a stop on the Silk Road. As time passed, not only Changyun County but also Xiaojiang County itself saw many traveling merchants from the Western Regions.
Pei Ying encountered a caravan of Western Region merchants as soon as she entered the city. They did not wear hair crowns but typically donned conical rolled hats, beneath which peeked yellowish curly hair.
Huo Tingshan rode his horse, Wu Ye, beside the carriage. Seeing Pei Ying had rolled up the curtain and was intently observing the street, he said, "Those are merchants from the Western Regions, come to Great Chu to trade." He thought Pei Ying had never seen Hu merchants with blue eyes.
Pei Ying nodded, showing little surprise on her face.
Huo Tingshan understood immediately that she was aware of—and had likely even seen before—these Hu people, whom many Great Chu commoners called ghosts or demons.
Their destination for this trip was the Governor's Mansion, so Huo Tingshan said, "There is urgent business today, so we must proceed directly to the Governor's Mansion. I will accompany you on an outing to the markets another day."
When Huo Tingshan's party was still a short distance from the Governor's Mansion, they saw the main gates wide open with a group of people standing outside. Two men with the build of military officers stood at the forefront.
A round-faced officer stepped forward with a beaming smile. He first paid his respects to Huo Tingshan, offered some flattering words, and then beckoned his companion, who had been standing beside him, to come forward.
This round-faced officer was Lan Zimu, and the man beside him was Gao Shikai.
Since this was an offer of amnesty and enlistment, Huo Tingshan naturally did not put on airs. After exchanging pleasantries with them, he led the two men into the mansion first.
Pei Ying's carriage drove directly into the main courtyard.
As it was their first day, a banquet was, as a matter of course, held that evening.
Pei Ying happened to have her monthly courses and was feeling somewhat unwell from the journey's fatigue. Therefore, when Huo Tingshan sent someone to invite her, she declined the banquet due to physical discomfort.
The banquet was a lavish spread, featuring delicacies from all directions and an abundance of fine wine.
Huo Tingshan sat at the head of the table, listening with a smile as Lan Zimu spoke of recent events.
After the official matters were concluded and several rounds of wine had been consumed, the now quite intoxicated Lan Zimu changed the subject. "Great General, within the Governor's Mansion, there is a peerless beauty named Lian Ji. This woman is as enchanting as a fox spirit transformed. She has begged me to introduce her, seeking your favor."
As these words fell, Lan Zimu failed to notice the momentary, collective pause among the military officers from Youzhou's side.
And in the next moment, a graceful figure in vermilion robes entered from outside.
