Madame Fang was ultimately persuaded by Huo Ling.
She now understood why her husband had repeatedly yielded to Huo Ling's arguments.
This stepdaughter's eloquence was truly exceptional.
However, one matter still weighed heavily on Madame Fang's mind.
Glancing at her son, she clenched her teeth, suppressing her reluctance: "Before your father left, he told me to seek your counsel on important matters..."
"If this is for your father's career... then... the money in your hands should remain yours..."
Her words came out haltingly, her expression contorted as if she might retract them at any moment.
Yet, in the end, she managed to say it.
Huo Ling sighed inwardly.
This was precisely why she couldn’t bring herself to dislike Madame Fang.
Her birth mother had died in childbirth, and once the mourning period ended, her father, Huo Shiming, had married Madame Fang as his second wife on a colleague’s recommendation. They later had a son, Huo Ze.
With her own flesh and blood now in the picture, Madame Fang naturally paid less attention to Huo Ling—though she never mistreated her.
Huo Ling still had her maids, proper clothing, jewelry, and monthly allowance.
Gradually, Madame Fang also returned the belongings left by Huo Ling’s birth mother.
For a stepmother, this was already more than enough. Huo Ling couldn’t expect Madame Fang to treat her better than her own son, Huo Ze.
After all, even her own father, Huo Shiming, hadn’t managed to treat them equally.
After a moment’s consideration, Huo Ling spoke again: "The household funds may not be able to cover such a large sum all at once."
"How about this—I’ll provide the money for now. Once Father returns victorious and receives imperial rewards, the sum can be repaid to me."
Madame Fang exhaled in relief and quickly accepted the compromise Huo Ling offered.
Meanwhile, at the county office...
Magistrate Qiu was discussing disaster relief with his Advisor.
"In just two days, over six or seven hundred refugees have gathered outside the city gates. What are we to do?"
The county granary still had reserves, enough to sustain them for a short while. But if the number of refugees kept growing, the supplies would soon run out.
The Advisor cautioned: "Your Honor, it’s not just the refugees who’ve suffered this year—our own people in Yong'an County are also affected. Over eight hundred have come for porridge at the city gates these past two days."
The extra numbers were all locals.
The county couldn’t just aid refugees from other regions while neglecting its own people.
The imperial relief grain was coarse and harsh, scraping the throat when swallowed. Only those truly desperate would come for it.
So even when they knew some recipients weren’t refugees, the constables still handed out the gruel.
Magistrate Qiu paced anxiously. "We must seek help from the wealthy families in the county."
The Advisor nodded, though privately, he wasn’t optimistic.
The Magistrate had only taken office a year ago and had little rapport with the local gentry. If they begged for aid, they’d likely receive only token contributions—just enough to mock them.
And—
"Recently, grain prices in Yong'an County have soared repeatedly. Don’t forget, those grain shops are backed by the very families we’d be asking."
"Asking them to donate grain is like asking them to cut their own flesh."
Magistrate Qiu gritted his teeth, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.
"Prince Duan is the imperial envoy overseeing military affairs—a man of noble status with the authority to execute first and report later."
"This is his first decree since arriving in Yanxi."
"Anyone who drags their feet or fails in relief efforts won’t just lose their post—they might lose their heads. I have no intention of being the example Prince Duan makes."
The Advisor understood the Magistrate’s implication.
Desperate times called for desperate measures.
Just as he was about to speak further, the door was knocked.
A servant from the Magistrate’s household had come, saying his wife had urgent news—someone had come to donate grain and silver.
Magistrate Qiu’s eyes lit up.
He and the Advisor had planned to host a banquet for the county’s wealthy families tomorrow, yet before a single invitation could be written, someone had already stepped forward.
The Advisor’s face also brightened. "Which family has such swift reflexes? It seems Your Honor is about to reap a great reward today."
Magistrate Qiu didn’t grasp his meaning at first—until he heard the sum Madame Fang had pledged.
Indeed, a grand gesture! A grand reward!
Were it not for propriety, Magistrate Qiu would have shaken Madame Fang’s hand vigorously.
Ah, the Huo family’s generosity had truly extinguished his most pressing crisis!
He lavished praise until Madame Fang glowed with pride, then asked: "When might this aid be delivered?"
Madame Fang instinctively looked at Huo Ling beside her.
Magistrate Qiu’s interest piqued, and he too turned to Huo Ling.
Huo Ling bowed slightly. "Your Honor, the Huo family cannot provide the full amount immediately."
Magistrate Qiu remained smiling, sensing there was more to come.
Sure enough, Huo Ling continued: "With the bitter cold, many refugees have fallen ill with chills."
"The Huo family proposes setting up a medical tent beside the county’s soup kitchen, staffed by a physician from Hui Chun Hall, to treat ailments and prevent outbreaks."
"The physician’s fees and medicine costs will be deducted from the pledged sum until it’s exhausted."
"As for the grain, half will be delivered this afternoon, and the rest will be gathered as swiftly as possible. Does this suit Your Honor?"
Magistrate Qiu inwardly applauded—this was a masterful solution.
Whether the Huo family truly couldn’t provide everything at once or not, delivering all the aid in one go left no room for further recognition.
But a medical tent?
As long as it stood, the Huo family’s contribution would be remembered daily. No one could obscure their merit.
Magistrate Qiu cared little for such details. As long as the aid materialized, he’d have granted far more than a medical tent—even a county post would’ve been a trivial request.
So he agreed readily and personally escorted Huo Ling and Madame Fang to their carriage.
The Advisor hurried over, handing Magistrate Qiu a freshly written banquet invitation.
Understanding, the Magistrate bypassed Madame Fang and handed it directly to Huo Ling: "The county office will host the local gentry tomorrow. This is the Huo family’s invitation. Since you’re here, I won’t send another to your estate."
"The banquet may be crowded. If it’s inconvenient for you, Huo Ze may attend in your stead."
Huo Ling accepted the invitation. "Thank you, Magistrate Qiu. The Huo family will be there."
Once the carriage departed, Madame Fang slumped weakly. "You were far too bold."
Watching her stepdaughter bargain with the Magistrate had chilled her with fear.
Huo Ling patted her back soothingly. "Magistrate Qiu is magnanimous. He wouldn’t hold a minor disagreement against someone of my age."
Madame Fang thought it made sense.
If she saw the God of Wealth knocking on her door, she’d surely be even more generous than Magistrate Qiu.
As soon as the two returned home, Huo Ze came forward, asking how things had gone.
Huo Ling handed him the invitation and cut straight to the point: "If you have any questions, ask Mother. I need to go inventory the grain in the warehouse first."
After suspecting that the Qiangrong tribe might rebel, Huo Ling had taken many precautions.
One of the most crucial was stockpiling grain.
The Huo family owned vast farmlands in Yong'an County, yielding abundant harvests every year. Naturally, the family couldn’t consume all of it themselves, so most was sold off.
But before this year’s autumn harvest, Huo Ling had instructed the steward to store all the newly harvested grain in the warehouse.
Now, with war breaking out and harsh weather driving up rice prices, Huo Ling might not have been able to donate so much grain if she hadn’t prepared in advance.
The steward couldn’t help but feel relieved: "Thank goodness the young lady had the foresight."
Huo Ling entered the warehouse, opened the nearest sack of rice, and pinched a small handful to inspect. She then turned to the steward and said, "Set aside enough grain for our family’s needs for the next year."
"Divide the remaining grain into two portions—I’ll be using half of it first."
"All this rice is from this year’s harvest. Go exchange it with other wealthy families and merchants, trading the new rice for old. The older the rice, the cheaper the better—as long as it’s still edible."
At this, a faint smile flickered in Huo Ling’s eyes. "Once exchanged, load all the old rice onto carts and deliver them straight to the front gates of the magistrate’s office."
When it came to currying favor, one might as well go all out.
With the Huo family making such a grand donation, Magistrate Qiu’s banquet the next day would surely proceed even more smoothly.
The steward was momentarily stunned by Huo Ling’s orders.
He had known the family intended to donate grain, but not on such a scale…
Given current market prices, selling this batch of rice would have brought in a considerable profit.
And cultivating grain wasn’t without its costs.
The difference in silver between buying and selling was no small matter.
Still, the steward quickly composed himself and praised, "Madame and the young lady are truly benevolent. The people will surely remember your kindness."
Huo Ling merely smiled, unmoved by the flattery.
Benevolent?
She never considered herself particularly kind.
Her donations of grain and silver weren’t driven by charity.
As long as she had food to eat and clothes to wear, extra silver was merely a means to an end.
Right now, grain was more useful than silver—better suited to achieving her goals.
So she felt no regret over the silver, nor the grain.
As dusk approached, a convoy of grain-laden carts stopped outside the magistrate’s office.
The procession had traveled from the east side of the city all the way to the west, witnessed by countless onlookers. By now, everyone knew—this mountain of grain was the Huo family’s donation for disaster relief!
According to the guards escorting the carts, the Huo family had donated their entire harvest for the year. What they saw now was only half—the rest would arrive later.
Good heavens, what extravagance!
Magistrate Qiu and his Advisor had been about to retire for the day when they heard the news. Despite the late hour, they rushed to the magistrate’s office at once.
At a glance, they took in the long line of carts and the guards standing watch.
The captain of the escort, Wu Feng, clasped his hands in salute, his right hand resting on his sword. In a clear voice, he announced to Magistrate Qiu, "Wu Feng, captain of the Huo family guards, acting on my master’s orders, delivers ten carts of grain to the magistrate’s office. Please have your men verify the amount and store it in the granary."
Magistrate Qiu’s face glowed with delight, though he fought to keep his lips from curling too obviously. Adopting a solemn expression, he addressed Wu Feng—and the crowd of curious onlookers behind him.
"Commander Huo defends our borders at the frontlines, risking life and limb. Meanwhile, the Huo family generously supports the government’s relief efforts from the rear. Such loyalty and righteousness from the entire household is truly admirable."
Following his young lady’s instructions, Wu Feng continued, "Magistrate Qiu honors us with your praise. My master says this grain is merely the Huo family fulfilling its duty as a prominent local household. The refugees gathered at the city gates are also citizens of Yanxi."
Magistrate Qiu’s mind stirred.
He was no fool. With Wu Feng setting the stage so perfectly, he naturally knew how to climb the steps and bring this performance to its conclusion.
"Yong'an County’s peace and stability, as well as this official’s modest achievements, owe much to the support of local gentry. Since the Huo family insists so graciously, I shall humbly accept these ten carts of grain."
Their little act concluded, the onlookers burst into applause.
Amid the praise for the Huo family, someone wondered aloud, "Huh, why is it only the Huo family donating? The Chen and Zhou families are just as wealthy—where’s their contribution?"
Under the deliberate guidance of Wu Feng and Magistrate Qiu, the murmurs of the crowd soon shifted in the direction they desired.
With the help of the magistrate’s clerks, Wu Feng and the Huo family guards transported the grain into the granary, finishing just before the night curfew.
As the granary doors were locked, Magistrate Qiu stood outside, sighing deeply.
His Advisor congratulated him: "After tonight’s spectacle, those other wealthy families won’t dare offer just a pittance tomorrow."
After all, Magistrate Qiu had publicly declared his reliance on local gentry.
Whether they’d helped before or not, now that the Huo family had donated so generously, the others would have to follow suit.
Magistrate Qiu nodded. "Indeed. This is a debt I won’t soon repay."
The Advisor teased, "A debt well worth it, I’d say."
Magistrate Qiu laughed heartily before suddenly growing pensive. "That young lady of the Huo family… she’s no ordinary person."
Years in politics had sharpened his eye. He could tell that today’s maneuvers were all Huo Ling’s doing.
Not everyone possessed such keen instincts, such boldness and decisiveness.
And certainly not everyone—a young woman with a stepmother in charge—could wield such autonomy in her actions.
The Advisor nodded in agreement, recalling the glimpse he’d caught of her when delivering the invitation.
Even at his age, he hadn’t been able to help staring for a moment—such was the natural reaction to beauty.
With such grace and presence, paired with a mind sharper than most…
The Advisor sucked in a quiet breath, but after a long pause, could only echo the magistrate’s words: "No ordinary person indeed."
