"Huo Tingshan, I told them that if they spared my life, I would ask you to let them go." Pei Ying knew all too well how decisive and ruthless this man could be. While her mind was still clear, she hurried to speak: "Can you promise not to kill them?"
Huo Tingshan had initially intended to tease her a little, but when he lowered his gaze and saw the flush covering her jade-like face, his eyes darkened abruptly.
He reached out to feel Pei Ying's forehead, then immediately picked her up, turned, and strode out.
Governor's Mansion.
Upon hearing that Pei Ying had returned, the military officers collectively breathed a sigh of relief. But before that relief could settle, they heard that Feng Yuzhu had been summoned to the main courtyard.
"Has Lady Pei been injured?"
"Not injured. I heard she's running a high fever."
"A high fever? That's trickier than a physical wound. What if..."
"Don't say it. There is no 'what if'."
...
Huo Tingshan carried her back to his own room. After placing her on the bed, he got up to fetch water. He soaked a silk cloth in cool water, then wrung it out.
As the coolness touched her forehead, Pei Ying's consciousness was pulled back from its haze. She opened her eyes to see Huo Tingshan sitting by the bed, using another silk cloth to gently wipe her cheeks and neck.
Perhaps noticing her open eyes, Huo Tingshan said, "Knowing you value cleanliness, I used a fresh cloth."
Pei Ying could barely make out his words at the moment; the fever had caused a slight ringing in her ears.
She felt as if she were tossed between a blazing furnace and a freezing ice cellar, caught in a torturous cycle of extremes. The aches and pains had turned into tiny worms, burrowing into the gaps between her bones and muscles, gnawing relentlessly at her nerves.
"Cold," Pei Ying murmured.
After draping the cloth over the pulse point on her neck, Huo Tingshan got up to fetch an extra quilt for her.
Just as the quilt was settled, Feng Yuzhu arrived with his medicine chest. He bowed with clasped hands. "My Lord."
Huo Tingshan: "No need for formalities. Come quickly and examine Lady Pei."
Feng Yuzhu observed her for a few moments, then took her pulse. "The pulse is floating and tight. Her hands and feet are cold, and she lacks fluids. We must keep her extremities warm and have someone prepare noodle broth to replenish her fluids, to prevent convulsions. I will first prescribe a dose of medicine. After she takes it, wait two hours, then she may drink some kudzu root soup, which aids in reducing fever."
Huo Tingshan: "Good. I trouble you to write the prescription, Counselor."
Feng Yuzhu wrote the prescription as he spoke: "After taking the medicine, Lady Pei should see her fever break around the beginning of the Shen hour [3-5 PM]. If the high fever persists, please summon me again, my Lord."
If the fever didn't break during the day, it would only worsen by night.
Huo Tingshan nodded.
Xin Jin was already waiting nearby and diligently noted down the instructions for the kudzu root soup.
Pei Ying's ears buzzed intermittently, and the soreness throughout her body was unbearable. In this ancient era without antibiotics or intravenous treatment, she knew a high fever could very well claim her life.
But if she hadn't taken the risk, she might have been taken away by them.
"Huo Tingshan," Pei Ying called out with effort.
She thought she had shouted, but her voice was actually very faint. Yet, Huo Tingshan heard it.
Huo Tingshan grasped her slender hand, which had slipped from under the quilt. "What does my lady wish to say?"
"If I die..."
"Pei Ying." Huo Tingshan cut her off, his voice low. "Do not speak such nonsense."
Pei Ying caught only fragments, knowing he was displeased with her words. But whether she could pull through was uncertain to her, and those words had to be said: "Although we are not to be married for a few more months... if I die, could you still treat Ling'er as your own daughter?"
Pei Ying spoke with great difficulty, her breath uneven by the end.
Huo Tingshan took the cup of warm water mixed by Xin Jin, helped Pei Ying sit up from the bed, and let her lean against the crook of his arm. "Drink some water. After you drink, I will give you my answer."
Pei Ying let out a heavy breath and drank from his hand.
After she finished the cup, Huo Tingshan said, word by word, "No. Only after you, my lady, marry me will that little girl become my daughter."
Pei Ying anxiously grabbed his sleeve, a thin layer of moisture welling in her eyes. "Huo Tingshan, please promise me, won't you?"
Huo Tingshan handed the teacup back to the waiting Xin Jin, then helped Pei Ying lie back down. "Take your medicine on time and rest well. You will recover soon. As for those female scouts who captured you, they are now imprisoned. Once you have recovered, you may release them if you wish, or have them executed if you do not."
Pei Ying's insides felt scorched by the heat. She slowly closed her eyes, the mist in them gathering into a single, crystal-clear teardrop at the corner of her eye as her eyelids shut.
The small teardrop rolled down, about to disappear into her hair, when it was wiped away by a rough finger.
"You will recover, my lady."
Feng Yuzhu had finished writing the prescription, and Xin Jin went to prepare the medicine.
Earlier, Feng Yuzhu had instructed to keep Pei Ying's hands and feet warm, so the recently stored bed warmers were brought out again.
Huo Tingshan sat by the bed, listening to Pei Ying's labored breathing, occasionally removing the cloths from her forehead and neck to soak them anew in cool water.
Not long after, the noodle broth was ready first.
Huo Tingshan lifted her from the bed and fed her a bowl of broth.
Another half-hour later, the medicine was also ready.
Huo Tingshan had the midday meal brought in first. "Eat something to line your stomach, then take the medicine and sleep."
The meal was rice porridge with shredded chicken. Having already drunk the broth, Pei Ying could only manage half a bowl of porridge before pushing it away.
Huo Tingshan didn't press her. He set the porridge aside and brought the medicine to her lips.
The medicine was intensely bitter. Pei Ying frowned after one sip and instinctively turned her head away.
Seeing this, Huo Tingshan took a sip from her spoon himself, his brow furrowing.
What on earth did Feng Yuzhu put in this? How could he make it taste so foul?
Huo Tingshan lowered his voice. "Drink it all properly, my lady, and I will consider whether to acknowledge a daughter ahead of time."
Pei Ying turned her head back, looked at him, then at the bowl of medicine, and slowly drank it all.
Huo Tingshan felt a fireball burning in his chest, aching his very heart, but now was not the time to scold her. He could only swallow his frustration.
After finishing the bowl, Pei Ying lay back on the bed and soon fell asleep.
Huo Tingshan placed the medicine bowl aside and, with a stern face, ordered the maidservants to prepare bath water.
It had been a long time since he last bathed. She was too dazed now to complain about him, but once she felt better and saw him like this, she would surely start fussing. He had been angered enough by her today; he had no desire for her to recover only for him to end up bedridden from rage.
After bathing, Huo Tingshan also got onto the bed, lying down beside Pei Ying.
The sunlight outside the window was just right, occasionally accompanied by the chirping of birds. Huo Tingshan closed his eyes and, breathing in the familiar, faint sweet fragrance, soon drifted into sleep.
Two hours later.
The man on the bed opened his eyes, the weariness in them completely gone.
Huo Tingshan sat up on the bed, walked to the window, and glanced at the sundial in the courtyard.
It was the Shen hour.
Huo Tingshan turned back to the bedside. The beautiful woman on the couch had her eyes closed, her breathing much calmer than before, but an unusual flush still colored her lotus-blossom face.
He reached out and touched Pei Ying's forehead. The feverish heat wasn't as scalding as before, but a fever still lingered. A shadow of gloom gathered in Huo Tingshan's eyes.
The man raised his voice and called to Xin Jin outside, "Go quickly and fetch Physician Feng."
"Yes, sir." Xin Jin's heart sank.
Summoning Physician Feng again in the late afternoon... could it be that the Madam's high fever still hadn't broken?
Xin Jin dared not delay and practically ran to fetch him.
Hearing the summons from the main residence, Feng Yuzhu's heart grew heavy. He picked up his medicine chest and left immediately.
"Wen Cheng, her high fever hasn't subsided. What medicine should she take now?" Huo Tingshan asked.
Feng Yuzhu sighed. "My Lord, the prescription I wrote earlier was already the best. If that hasn't reduced the fever, other medicines will be of little use. At this point, the only recourse is bloodletting."
Huo Tingshan knew bloodletting could reduce fever, but he had also heard, "I recall this method seems to have drawbacks."
Feng Yuzhu replied truthfully, "Indeed. It depletes the body's vital energy at the acupuncture points and is not suitable for patients with weaker constitutions. After bloodletting, the patient will remain weak for a period and will require meticulous care."
Huo Tingshan turned to look at Pei Ying on the bed. She was sleeping very quietly, her cheeks rosy.
"Proceed with the bloodletting." He thought her constitution was rather robust.
Feng Yuzhu took out a needle case from his medicine chest, laid it flat, and selected a long needle. "My Lord, I must trouble you to..."
"You intend to insert it just like that?" Huo Tingshan frowned as he asked.
Feng Yuzhu was momentarily taken aback. "Is there something improper?"
Huo Tingshan said with dissatisfaction, "Shouldn't you sterilize that needle in hot water first?"
Feng Yuzhu had never heard of sterilizing needles before. However, as a physician, and with the suggestion coming from his supreme superior, Physician Feng humbly sought guidance.
Huo Tingshan explained, "Sterilizing the needle is to suppress pestilent qi on it."
Feng Yuzhu had never heard of such a thing, but since his Lord said so, there must be reason to it.
He called for a maid to boil water to sterilize the needle. When the needle was taken from the boiling water, it wasn't even wiped; the water on its surface evaporated quickly.
For fever reduction through bloodletting, the points were Shaoshang, Shangyang, and Dazhui. The first two were on the hands, the last on the back of the neck. The first two were supplementary, the last was primary.
The bloodletting began with the Dazhui point.
Huo Tingshan turned Pei Ying over, having her lie face down across his lap. Then he swept her waterfall of cloud-like black hair to the side, revealing the pale skin at the nape of her neck.
During this process, Huo Tingshan realized Pei Ying had woken up.
The beautiful woman lifted her thick lashes, her watery eyes, still somewhat dazed, looking over. Just as Huo Tingshan was about to explain the bloodletting, he saw her eyelids droop again. She mumbled "It's hot" and then obediently lay still across his lap.
Huo Tingshan's brow raised slightly. "Is the fever muddling her senses?"
She certainly wasn't this docile under normal circumstances.
Feng Yuzhu began the bloodletting. The needle pierced the back of her neck and was withdrawn. Soon, beads of crimson blood welled up on the snow-white skin.
Huo Tingshan watched that touch of red, finding it inexplicably jarring to his eyes.
During the Dazhui bloodletting, Pei Ying remained very quiet, as if asleep.
"My Lord, I now need Madam Pei's hand, palm down," Feng Yuzhu said, changing needles.
Huo Tingshan complied.
There were many nerves in the hand. When the needles pierced the Shaoshang and Shangyang points, Pei Ying drew a sharp, hissing breath and instinctively tried to pull her hand back.
Huo Tingshan's hand was already resting on her wrist. Sensing her movement, he immediately tightened his grip.
Seeing the blood beads form, Feng Yuzhu suddenly felt a heavy gaze settle upon him.
Feng Yuzhu said with some difficulty, "My Lord, bloodletting at the Shaoshang and Shangyang points is naturally somewhat painful."
Huo Tingshan replied, "Proceed as you must. I am not blaming you."
Feng Yuzhu: "..."
After the bloodletting was complete, Feng Yuzhu let out a breath, startled to find a fine layer of sweat had broken out on his body.
Huo Tingshan tucked Pei Ying back under the covers. "What precautions are needed after bloodletting?"
Feng Yuzhu: "The wound sites must not get wet. She should drink plenty of rice broth and nourishing soups. Change the cloth on her forehead frequently."
He paused, ultimately swallowing the words that followed.
Huo Tingshan asked calmly, "If the high fever still doesn't break after the bloodletting, what then?"
Feng Yuzhu bowed deeply. "Combined with the medicine I prescribed earlier, the fever will most likely break."
He hadn't answered directly. This roundabout way was itself an answer. If the high fever still didn't break, there would be no other recourse.
It would be in heaven's hands.
The room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop. After a long while, Feng Yuzhu, with his head still bowed, heard a low, slightly hoarse male voice. "I understand. Wen Cheng, you may return for now."
After Feng Yuzhu left, Huo Tingshan sat by the bed, occasionally reaching out to check Pei Ying's temperature.
Outside the window, the golden crow of the sun gradually slanted westward. At the beginning of the You hour, when Huo Tingshan reached out to check again, his brow lifted.
It seemed the fever had broken.
The calluses on his hands were thick, so Huo Tingshan called Xin Jin in from outside. "It looks like the fever has broken. Check again."
Xin Jin checked and was overjoyed. "Reporting to the General, the Madam's fever has indeed broken."
Huo Tingshan said, "Go tell the kitchen to prepare some rice porridge, with plenty of minced meat mixed in."
When Pei Ying was roused, a faint twilight still lingered in the sky outside.
"Madam, get up and eat. After the meal, take your medicine before resting again." Huo Tingshan fished her out from under the covers and placed her beside a small table.
Although she had slept for a long time, Pei Ying was still exhausted. Her bones and muscles felt as if they had been taken apart and reassembled. She also had no appetite and didn't want to eat anything at all.
Now, sitting by the small table, she slowly stirred the spoon in her porridge.
Huo Tingshan sat opposite her, with a meal also set before him. After eating a bit, he saw Pei Ying was still stirring. "The kitchen has already stirred the minced meat very evenly. There's no need for Madam to trouble herself."
"I don't have much appetite," Pei Ying said softly.
Huo Tingshan replied, "Eat smaller amounts more frequently. Half a bowl will do."
Pei Ying gave a soft "Mm," and then truly only slowly finished half a bowl. Looking at the remaining half, Huo Tingshan felt he had spoken too leniently earlier.
After the two had finished their evening meal, Xin Jin brought in the medicine.
As soon as the medicine entered the room, the bitter smell filled the air. Huo Tingshan had taken a sip of it before and knew it was truly foul.
He had thought she would dawdle again, or simply say it was too bitter and refuse to drink it. To his surprise, this time she was much more efficient than with her meal. She picked up the small bowl, wrinkled her fine brows, and slowly drank it all.
Huo Tingshan's brow had just begun to relax when he remembered the first time she drank medicine, when he had promised to consider acknowledging her daughter first. His long brows pressed down again.
That daughter again. Besides that little girl, her head was full of nothing but schemes. Couldn't it hold something else?
After finishing the medicine, Pei Ying placed the small bowl back on the table and was about to get up when she saw Huo Tingshan opposite her rise first, his face cold. He then walked over and picked her up.
"Huo Tingshan, I can walk by myself."
"What's the matter? Not happy about getting a ride?" The cool remark carried a low mood.
Pei Ying looked up at him, unsure why his face had suddenly turned.
Huo Tingshan took large strides, reaching the bedside in a few steps.
The quilt was still in the state it had been thrown open earlier. Now, it was just right. Huo Tingshan placed her back down directly and then pulled the brocade quilt over her.
As he was about to straighten up, he suddenly felt a slight tugging force.
It was very insignificant, like his belt being caught on a blade of grass. Huo Tingshan lowered his head.
It really was caught.
But it wasn't the belt; it was the pouch tied to it.
Several slender fingers had hooked onto a corner of this deep blue pouch. For her, she was using some strength; Huo Tingshan saw the faint blue veins rise on the back of her pale hand.
"Is there something, Madam?" Huo Tingshan curled the corner of his mouth.
Pei Ying said softly, "It's dirty."
"I bathed just this afternoon." A vein throbbed twice on Huo Tingshan's forehead.
Sure enough, as soon as she regained a bit of energy, she came to annoy him.
"Huo Tingshan, I mean your pouch is dirty." Pei Ying said quietly.
Huo Tingshan was taken aback, his gaze shifting to the pouch.
This pouch used deep blue silk as the base, with an eagle embroidered using grey fabric.
Deep blue and grey were both dirt-resistant colors, but they couldn't withstand the owner wearing it frequently and traveling to many places recently, gathering quite a bit of dust.
The dark color in his eyes dissipated, returning to his previous lazy demeanor. "It is a bit dirty. Is Madam going to help me wash it clean?"
"Mm, later." Pei Ying's fingers flipped the pouch to look at the back.
Huo Tingshan paused, then suddenly reached out and used two fingers to lift Pei Ying's chin, turning her head left and right, examining both sides of her cheeks.
"Huo Tingshan, what are you doing!" This carried a bit of anger.
The man leisurely withdrew his hand. "Nothing much. Just felt this little rabbit has finally warmed up a tiny bit. Truly not easy."
Pei Ying turned over, facing away from him.
"Madam, rest well. I'll come back later." Huo Tingshan got up with a smile.
Ever since learning from Chen Yuan in the morning that the Yunxiu Lou had shadows of the Ning family behind it, Huo Zhizhang had begun to feel restless.
Chen Yuan telling him this must have been on his father's orders.
If Aunt Pei hadn't been found...
Just thinking about this possibility made Huo Zhizhang's head ache terribly.
Time of torment passes especially slowly, each day feeling like a year. Finally, at noon, hearing that Pei Ying had been found, Huo Zhizhang breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had finally stepped back from the edge of a wind-whipped cliff. But not long after, he heard that Feng Yuzhu had been summoned to the main courtyard.
His heart was once again suspended high, the torment no less than being burned by fire.
For the rest of the day, Huo Zhizhang felt as if sitting on pins and needles.
He had a strange premonition that if Aunt Pei's condition stabilized somewhat, his father would definitely summon him.
The sun set in the west, and lanterns were lit one after another in the mansion compound.
After Huo Zhizhang finished his evening meal, just as he was thinking of practicing calligraphy to calm his mind, he suddenly heard the maids outside the courtyard greeting someone.
At that moment, he seemed to hear the grating sound of a guillotine blade sliding down. But strangely, Huo Zhizhang felt somewhat relieved instead.
"Father." Huo Zhizhang hurried out to greet him.
Huo Tingshan gave a hum, his gaze sweeping over his younger son, seeing the obvious anxiety in his eyes. He thought to himself that this boy's aptitude was indeed somewhat lacking compared to his elder brother.
Huo Tingshan entered the room and took a seat. Once he was seated, Huo Zhizhang did not dare to sit; the young man stood before him.
"Do you know why I've come to see you?" Huo Tingshan said indifferently.
His tone betrayed no emotion, yet it made the muscles along Huo Zhizhang's spine instinctively tighten. He swallowed. "I know."
"Since you know, then speak for yourself." Huo Tingshan's face was expressionless.
Suppressing the complex emotions in his chest, Huo Zhizhang said, "It's about the Ning family matter. The Yunxiu Lou has traces of the Ning family behind it. Although Chen Yuan said the investor is just a collateral branch of the Ning family, they are still Ning family members. Over the years, the Ning family has taken quite a few advantages by leveraging their marriage alliance with the Huo family and have become somewhat forgetful of their place."
Saying these words was painful for Huo Zhizhang, but he had to admit they were the truth.
After his mother passed away, his father had not remarried for over ten years. Regardless of his father's personal thoughts, in the eyes of others, his father was deeply devoted and unwavering in his affection for the Ning family lady. Consequently, the Ning family's status also rose along with the expansion of his father's power and authority.
Previously, it wasn't mentioned because it wasn't worth bothering with, as there were other important matters to attend to. A mere Ning family wasn't worth the effort, so they turned a blind eye.
"They have indeed become forgetful." Huo Tingshan chuckled. "So, what do you think should be done with such a forgetful maternal clan?"
Huo Zhizhang's eyes churned with bitterness.
His father used the term "maternal clan." It seemed he intended to hand this matter over for him to handle personally.
Huo Zhizhang took a deep breath. "Inform the head of the Ning family. Investigate that collateral branch. First, remove all people connected to it from the clan registry, then eradicate them completely."
Aunt Pei will marry his father. From the moment the marriage was settled, she was no longer just herself; she was the mistress of the Huo family, the wife of the Governor of You, Ji, and Bing provinces, representing his father's face.
The Ning family's involvement in the kidnapping incident, to put it severely, was trampling his father's face underfoot.
Openly executing a few collateral branch members would not be excessive.
Huo Tingshan raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed this boy wasn't completely muddled. "Since you understand, this matter is handed over to you to handle."
Huo Zhizhang lowered his head in acknowledgment.
Huo Tingshan curled his fingers and knocked heavily on the table.
Huo Zhizhang's heart jolted, and he looked up.
"I heard from Chen Wei that it was your aunt who initially suggested going to that Yunxiu Lou." Huo Tingshan was not surprised to see his younger son's face change dramatically. "Huo Zhizhang, I ask you one last time. That day, the words you said to me, were they your own thoughts, or did your aunt tell you to say them?"
Huo Zhizhang's pupils contracted sharply.
Aunt suggested going to Yunxiu Lou?
But the Ning family's minor collateral branch is in Bing Province. Aunt later married into You Province. After her marriage, let alone contacting her natal family's collateral branches, she didn't even return to her maternal home often. It's unlikely there would be any connection...
But meeting those cold, still eyes, Huo Zhizhang suddenly realized.
His father's focus wasn't on the front part. He probably also knew there might not necessarily be a connection there. Therefore, the focus was on the latter part: whether he had deceived him out of his own selfish desires.
"Father, I... I'm sorry." Huo Zhizhang said remorsefully.
Huo Tingshan gave a light scoff. "She's already outlived three husbands. Do you, boy, find me in your way and want to send me off to meet King Yama sooner?"
"How could that be? That eminent monk back then said you have the fate of a thousand years of nobility, with dragon aura surrounding you. How could you fail to suppress her?" Huo Zhizhang immediately said.
Huo Tingshan snorted with laughter. "That old man just wanted to coax some coins out of me, that's why he said nice things to flatter me."
Huo Zhizhang frowned, unwilling to believe this reason.
Huo Tingshan's smile faded. "Listen well, some words I will only say to you once. Your mother is naive and guileless; she is no match for those young ladies who have specially studied the arts of the inner household. If she were placed among a crowd of women in the rear courtyard, lasting a year would count as her living a long life. So, from now on, don't push any women in front of me."
When Huo Tingshan returned, it was no surprise that the room was quiet.
His room did not contain many things: a few cabinets, two small side tables, and a bed platform.
The room was the same room, the furnishings were the same furnishings, but upon stepping inside, Huo Tingshan keenly detected a faint, sweet fragrance.
In that instant, strangely, it seemed as if everything had become different.
Since Pei Ying was resting, no lamps were lit in the room. After entering, Huo Tingshan did not touch the lamp either, heading straight inside.
He removed his outer robe, took off his boots, and got onto the bed.
Lying on the bed, Huo Tingshan looked at the dimly shrouded canopy above and listened to the soft sound of breathing beside his ear, finding it all quite novel.
For so many years, this was the first time he had lain so idly on a bed with a woman.
The feeling was unexpectedly pleasant.
Huo Tingshan reached out a hand to feel the temperature of the person beside him.
Good, the fever hadn't returned.
Feng Yuzhu had said earlier that she needed to keep her hands and feet warm... keep her hands and feet warm...
The man, who had already stretched his arm over, gathered the person beside him and pulled her into his embrace.
The fever-reducing medicine contained sedative herbs. Pei Ying had been asleep, and sleeping soundly at that, but this series of actions of his thoroughly disturbed her slumber.
Just awakened and still muddled, she felt a wall of warm flesh pressed against her body, caught a whiff of soap scent in her nose, along with a very distinctive aroma, like a blend of wind-blown sand and grass and trees.
Pei Ying somehow knew it was Huo Tingshan.
But having her good sleep inexplicably disturbed, Pei Ying kicked her feet in dissatisfaction, wanting to push away the leg that had moved close to hers. "Go away."
"Madam, be reasonable. This is my bed. What kind of logic is it for the guest to try to evict the host?" The man paused, then clicked his tongue lightly. "Fine, you're not a guest either."
