Pei Ying's hand rested upon the white fox fur, her slender fingers sinking into the soft, pale pelt as if into a cloud of the fluffiest cotton.
"Huo Tingshan." She looked up at him.
The glow from the night pearl was soft, washing over his sharply defined features and softening a few degrees of their intimidating edge.
Huo Tingshan responded lazily, "If my lady wishes to thank me, you may spare your next words."
Perhaps having just returned from the campaign, not yet having had time to change, he did not sit on the soft bed but stood looking down at her from above. It was a vantage point of authority, yet Pei Ying realized she no longer felt overwhelmed by its sense of oppression. She wasn't sure when that had changed.
She first nodded, then shook her head. "I did not prepare a Mid-Autumn Festival gift for you."
Huo Tingshan made a sound of acknowledgment. "Let it pass this year. My lady can compensate me next year."
It was no great matter. Pei Ying nodded in agreement.
But she hadn't expected his next words. "I gifted my lady this white fox fur in my capacity as your husband. I shall look forward to my lady's return gift in your capacity as my wife."
The statement was somewhat puzzling. With her thoughts still two or three parts muddled, hearing him mention "in your capacity as my wife," Pei Ying assumed he wanted some token of intimacy, like a set of clothes she had sewn for him herself.
Pei Ying inclined her head. "Very well."
The corner of Huo Tingshan's mouth lifted. "My lady should rest first. I will return later."
With that, Huo Tingshan left the main tent. Beyond washing up, he still had many matters to attend to.
After he left, Pei Ying sat on the soft bed. Beside her hand lay the night pearl he had left. A faint trace of blood seemed to linger in the air.
Pei Ying gazed at the white fox fur for a moment, her fingers lightly stroking the snow-white hairs. After a pause, she folded the fur neatly and placed it back into her traveling bag.
By the time Huo Tingshan returned, over an hour had passed.
The moon hung high in the midnight sky, the darkness thick as ink. Lifting the tent flap, he saw a faint light still glowing inside.
The main tent was not like a spacious bedchamber. On campaign, conditions were not so comfortable. Thus, though the main tent was larger than the others, there was no need for non-essentials like a screen.
So, standing at the entrance, Huo Tingshan had a clear view inside.
The beautiful woman on the soft bed was not lying in her usual orderly sleeping posture. She lay on her side, seemingly toying with the night pearl in her hand, the quilt merely draped casually over her waist.
But after a moment of focus, Huo Tingshan realized she was actually asleep. Her lowered lashes veiled her autumn-pool eyes.
Huo Tingshan smiled soundlessly.
Her sleeping habits were becoming increasingly less proper.
As he walked in, Huo Tingshan began undoing the belt at his waist. By the time he reached the soft bed, it was loose. He removed his outer robe, tossing it casually onto a nearby low cabinet, then took off his trousers, clad only in an inner garment and shorts before climbing onto the bed.
As he settled, the beauty on the bed let out a soft murmur and slowly opened her eyes.
"It's nothing. Go back to sleep," Huo Tingshan said, taking the night pearl from her hand.
A small wooden box sat by the bedside. Huo Tingshan placed the night pearl inside, and as the lid closed, the faint light vanished.
No sooner had Huo Tingshan lain down than the person beside him called his name.
"Huo Tingshan..." Freshly awakened, her voice held a hint of drowsiness, sounding softer than usual.
Huo Tingshan pulled her close. "Why aren't you sleeping? Did you get your fill of sleep in the carriage during the day?"
As he drew her into his embrace, Pei Ying caught a faint scent of soap on him. He must have bathed in the river before returning, as the earlier smell of blood was gone.
Pei Ying clutched the front of his inner garment, leaned closer, and sniffed lightly.
Indeed, no blood.
"What is my lady doing?" Though in darkness, his perception seemed as sharp as in daylight.
Pei Ying started, instinctively wanting to pull back. But a large hand settled on the small of her back, cutting off her retreat, pressing her firmly against his solid chest.
"What were you doing just now?"
The hand on her back moved upward, smoothing over it, and on the last stroke, a fingertip hooked a strand of her ink-black hair, winding it around his finger.
The tip of Pei Ying's nose pressed against his collarbone. The scents of soap, grass, trees, and windblown sand interwove before her. "Nothing."
Her voice was muffled, not very convincing.
"Lying again," Huo Tingshan didn't believe her. "You were sniffing like a little pup just now."
Pei Ying was taken aback. "How did you hear that?"
Huo Tingshan laughed at her. "My lady was so close. I'm not deaf."
Pei Ying muttered something under her breath.
No sooner were the words out than the hand resting on her back slid down a little and gave her peach-like bottom a light pat.
"Huo Tingshan!" Pei Ying's ears burned crimson.
Huo Tingshan gathered her close again. "Only you would dare speak so recklessly before me."
Pei Ying protested, "I find you terribly hypocritical. You're allowed to insult me, but the reverse won't do."
"When have I ever insulted my lady?" Huo Tingshan denied it.
Pei Ying had her reasoning. "You just said I was like a pup."
Huo Tingshan said leisurely, "My lady, that was merely an analogy, not an insult. But what you just said was different."
Pei Ying turned over, presenting her back to him.
"Angry?" Huo Tingshan nudged her, trying to turn her back. "I'm not even angry that you find fault with me daily, yet my lady is the first to take offense."
"I wasn't finding fault with you just now," Pei Ying defended herself.
"Oh?" Huo Tingshan asked casually. "Then what was it?"
"When you came in earlier, I smelled blood. I was thinking at the time..." Before she could finish, Huo Tingshan turned her around again to face him.
Inside the dark tent, Pei Ying couldn't see, yet she inexplicably felt a pair of wolf-like eyes gleaming with a faint green light fixed upon her.
A fine tremor traveled up her spine. Pei Ying stiffened slightly.
"Thinking what?" He held the person in his arms, his voice much softer now, carrying a hint of coaxing.
Pei Ying hadn't originally thought it was anything difficult to say. But now, held squarely against him, even coaxed in a low voice, she felt somewhat uneasy.
"My lady." He called to her, with a trace of barely perceptible urgency.
Pei Ying lowered her gaze and finally said, "On the battlefield, blades and arrows are blind. It's easy to get hurt by a moment's carelessness. I was thinking whether you were injured."
In the darkness, she heard the man's laughter—first a couple of low chuckles, then growing louder.
Pei Ying was annoyed by his laughter. "Huo Tingshan, what's so funny about that?"
"Nothing," he stopped laughing, though his voice still held thick amusement. "My lady worrying about me brings me great joy."
Pei Ying pressed her lips together, not understanding why he was so pleased. They were husband and wife now; naturally, she wanted him to return whole and unharmed.
"It seems you weren't hurt," she muttered.
A large, calloused hand moved from behind her to the front, finally coming to rest under her chin. Pei Ying was puzzled at first, until that hand lifted her chin.
A scorching kiss descended.
The golden sun rose, marking the start of a new day. Pei Ying had just stepped out of the main tent when Xin Jin approached her.
"Madam, a group of merchants has arrived at the military camp," Xin Jin said.
Pei Ying was puzzled. "Merchants? What brings them here?"
Generally, military camps were restricted areas where outsiders were not permitted. The fact that they had gained entry suggested they were no ordinary merchants.
Xin Jin replied, "They say they've come to express gratitude for last night's lifesaving grace. They've even brought several carts of gifts."
Pei Ying understood.
No wonder they were allowed in. Military supplies that delivered themselves were not to be refused.
"Madam..." Xin Jin hesitated, seeming to hold something back.
Pei Ying turned to look at her. It was rare to see Xin Jin with such an expression, so she asked, "What is it? Is it your time of the month? If so, you may return and rest today. There's no need to attend to me."
Xin Jin shook her head and said it wasn't that, then whispered, "The leader of the merchants has a daughter who says she wishes to repay the great kindness by offering herself in marriage."
Pei Ying was taken aback. "Offer herself in marriage to repay a kindness? To whom?"
Xin Jin lowered her gaze, not daring to meet Pei Ying's eyes.
"Where is Huo Tingshan?" Pei Ying asked.
Xin Jin answered, "The General is in the secondary command tent."
Pei Ying headed in that direction. After leaving the living quarters, she saw several unfamiliar carriages, which she assumed were the gifts Xin Jin had mentioned.
The curtain of the secondary command tent was rolled up. Before even entering, Pei Ying heard a familiar voice from inside:
"Merchant Mei's sincere patriotic heart is truly moving. I gratefully accept those several carts of gifts and thank you, on behalf of the Youzhou soldiers, for your generous contribution. However, regarding your daughter's matter, you have the wrong man. It was not my arrow that was loosed."
Inside the tent, Mei's Daughter looked at the man not far away with disbelief. "How could that be..."
"It was already dark. Military officers generally have similar builds, and many were holding bows. You must have mistaken me for someone else," Huo Tingshan said, turning to look at Chen Yuan. "Chen Yuan, I believe you were also holding a bow at the time."
Chen Yuan immediately responded, "General, you misremember. It was Xiong Mao."
Xiong Mao, standing nearby, was baffled. "I didn't... It wasn't me..."
For once, his usually slow-witted mind made a rare clever connection. He looked at Qin Yang beside him. "Qin Yang, I remember it was you."
Qin Yang, who hadn't even been present the previous night: "..."
The gazes of everyone present shifted to Qin Yang. The scholarly officer's peach-blossom eyes curved slightly as he said with utmost seriousness, "Xiong Mao, you're mistaken. It was clearly Guo Dajiang. He was the one who shot that arrow."
Guo Dajiang was not present.
Merchant Mei, being a seasoned trader who was adept at dealing with people, coupled with this game of pass-the-buck, understood the implied rejection perfectly—even a fool would see it. He couldn't help but feel puzzled.
His daughter had been renowned for her beauty since childhood. When she came of age, the number of suitors seeking her hand had nearly worn down their doorstep. Although his youngest daughter's marriage had been delayed for several years due to circumstances, her beauty remained undiminished. Moreover, she wasn't even asking to be the principal wife.
A voluntary offer to become a concubine, and still it was refused?
Merchant Mei felt conflicted. For a fleeting moment, a secret suspicion arose in his heart: could this Lord Huo of Youzhou have some unspeakable difficulty? But that likely wasn't the case, as he had heard Lord Huo had taken a wife not long ago.
Chen Yuan, standing near the tent entrance, suddenly announced, "Greetings to the Lady of the house."
This address made everyone in the tent look toward the entrance. There, a graceful figure stood just outside the tent, about to enter.
The warm morning light enveloped even her hair strands in a soft glow. The beautiful woman possessed an extreme, delicate loveliness, with features vibrant and lush. Her almond-shaped eyes, dark as lacquer, seemed to hold scattered starlight or the waters of an autumn lake; meeting her gaze felt like sinking into their depths.
Merchant Mei was astonished. In that instant, all his confusion dissipated.
So that was why.
Huo Tingshan spoke up then. "Xiong Mao, go invite Mr. Gongsun and the others. It's time to discuss our next strategy against the Xiongnu."
Xiong Mao responded, "Yes, sir."
Merchant Mei was no fool; this statement carried a clear note of dismissal. Not only was Lord Huo of Youzhou not someone he could pressure, but the man's clear lack of interest was reason enough.
A principal wife without favor might have a difficult life, but it was not unbearable. However, a concubine without favor was destined for a miserable end. He could not let his daughter step into such a pit of fire.
Thus, the merchant named Mei clasped his hands and bowed, taking his leave from Huo Tingshan.
Huo Tingshan was pleased with his understanding. "Qin Yang, please escort Merchant Mei and his party out."
After the group had left, only Huo Tingshan, Pei Ying, and Chen Yuan remained in the tent.
Pei Ying waited until the father and daughter had departed before speaking to Huo Tingshan. "You have matters to attend to. I won't disturb you any further."
"It's not urgent yet," Huo Tingshan said. "Have you eaten, Madam?"
Pei Ying indeed had not eaten. Huo Tingshan, observing her expression, knew she hadn't had breakfast. "There are some flatbreads here. If Madam doesn't mind, we can have someone bring a bowl of bean porridge. You can make do here."
Pei Ying hesitated slightly but ultimately shook her head. "Mr. Gongsun will be here soon. It wouldn't be proper for me to stay. Please proceed with your discussions. I shall return."
She ate slowly and wouldn't finish quickly. It would feel too disjointed to eat while they were seriously discussing military affairs beside her.
Huo Tingshan watched her retreating back, letting out only a soft click of his tongue, but said nothing more.
After Pei Ying's figure had vanished from sight, Huo Tingshan looked at Chen Yuan. "That merchant's daughter just now... she didn't catch your eye?"
It wasn't about taking a wife, just taking a concubine. Many men took concubines before marrying their principal wives; the two didn't conflict.
Chen Yuan replied calmly, "General, my Chen family has a rule: one cannot have other women before taking a principal wife."
Huo Tingshan truly hadn't known about this family rule. He rarely concerned himself with how many women his subordinates had. But he was aware of another matter concerning Chen Yuan. "Your parents' mourning period ended over a year ago. When do you plan to arrange a marriage?"
Chen Yuan said, "General, I wish to establish my career first."
"The saying goes, 'Establish a family, then a career.' First the family, then the career. If I recall correctly, you are twenty-six this year," Huo Tingshan said, stroking his thick beard. "Dragging your feet like this... could it be you have your eye on some young lady?"
The Chen family was subordinate to the Huo family. As Huo Tingshan's power grew, so did the Chen family's status. Moreover, Chen Yuan was highly capable. Precisely because he was from the Chen family, Huo Tingshan had deliberately held back his official promotions, which was why he was only a Colonel at twenty-six.
If he fancied a young lady from some family, he could simply propose. With his abilities, he was worthy of marrying even a daughter from a prominent family.
Chen Yuan lowered his gaze.
Huo Tingshan's hand paused slightly. His previous remark had been offhand, but now, observing Chen Yuan's expression, it seemed there might indeed be such a reason.
"Which family's daughter?" Huo Tingshan asked.
Chen Yuan lifted his eyes. "There is none."
The two words were delivered without a ripple, no different from his usual tone.
Huo Tingshan wasn't the type to pry relentlessly. If Chen Yuan wouldn't say, he wouldn't force him. "Very well. Handle it as you see fit. But you should act when you need to. At least secure the person by your side first. Otherwise, if she slips away, it will be too late."
A faint twitch passed through Chen Yuan's brow.
