In the main courtyard of the Huo residence, the birdcage hanging under the eaves clattered. The red-feathered bird had been tormented by the morning dew recently, and it hopped around in the cage all day, flapping its wings incessantly and shedding feathers now and then.
On the stone steps under the evening glow, Huo Xian was shaving a bamboo stick. He measured the length with his palm, found it satisfactory, and then used a planer to smooth it, blowing away a flurry of wood shavings.
He reached out his hand. “Nanyue, the carving knife.”
Nanyue handed over the knife, glancing at the pile of waste materials in the corner, sighing inwardly.
The once-glorious Jinyiwei, now fallen from grace—one backer imprisoned, another dead. With no support, they were pushed aside, and the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple took over all their cases. This time, the mission to capture the Zhao faction didn’t involve the Jinyiwei at all.
The minor officials who used to bow and scrape now walked with their heads held high, eyes gleaming with ridicule.
Nanyue, having never faced such humiliation, couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Damn bastards…”
Huo Xian glanced at him lazily.
Nanyue coughed, not daring to speak further. He squatted down, curiosity piqued. “Master, what are you making?”
Huo Xian didn’t respond, focusing on delicately carving the bamboo. Clearly not suited for such meticulous work, he accidentally scratched the smooth surface, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration.
Nanyue rubbed his nose and refrained from asking more.
As he continued shaving the bamboo, Huo Xian asked, “How are the arrangements?”
Nanyue’s expression grew serious. “The men from the Northern Zhenfu Division are all assembled. They set off a few days ago.”
He paused, then asked, “Is the master sending them to defend the city and repel the enemy?”
The Jinyiwei were soldiers, though often engaged in investigations and arrests, and branded as the eunuch faction’s hounds. People almost forgot they were elite soldiers selected through rigorous trials.
Under Huo Xian’s command, they were no less competent than the capital’s defense troops. Although there were some corrupt and lazy individuals within the Jinyiwei, they had been weeded out during the Ministry of Justice’s purge and were now imprisoned.
Those remaining were the capable ones.
Huo Xian stopped his work, saying, “If they want to survive in the capital, this is their only path.”
Nanyue pressed his lips together, pondering for a moment before nodding firmly. “Understood.”
Nanny Liu had already set the table in the dining hall. Hearing the noise, Huo Xian looked up at the vermillion gate. “Why haven’t they returned yet? Send someone to check.”
Nanyue acknowledged and instructed the hidden guards.
Nanny Liu approached, pulling Nanyue aside, whispering, “Have the master and mistress reconciled?”
“Uh.” Nanyue scratched his head, responding vaguely, “I guess so.”
As things had developed to this point, no one would still be fixated on the trivial matters in the Huo family’s inner courtyard, and there was no need to continue with this exhausting charade.
Nanny Liu’s face lit up with joy as she heavily patted Nanyue’s arm. “I told you, in a marriage, there are bound to be some ups and downs. They’re all minor issues.”
Minor issues? Who was it that had been frowning those past two days, worried that the master would act as he did in the past, fooling around in the concubine’s courtyard and disappearing for three to five months, deepening her frown lines?
Nanyue rubbed his arm and forced a fake smile.
Ji Yuluo stepped into the courtyard and saw the two whispering. She glanced around before finally looking at Huo Xian, who was sitting on the stone steps.
She walked over, eyeing the pile of wood shavings at his feet. Curiously, she asked, “What are you doing?”
Huo Xian stood up and dusted off his hands, then kicked the shavings away. “Nothing, just passing the time.”
He took the handkerchief handed to him by a maid, pausing in his movements as he caught a whiff of pine fragrance.
It was faint but very noticeable.
Mixed with the dispersing scent of tea, it was not her scent.
Huo Xian looked thoughtfully at Ji Yuluo, then tossed the handkerchief back to the maid. “Let’s eat.”
The two sat down, and the maids set the table with food.
In just a few months, the dishes on the table had all been adjusted to suit Ji Yuluo’s tastes, revealing Liu Nanny’s biased nature.
However, the hot weather had taken away Ji Yuluo’s appetite. She absentmindedly picked at her rice and said, “I might have to leave for a while.”
Huo Xian looked up at her, not appearing very surprised. He placed some food in her bowl and said, “I know.”
“How do you—” Ji Yuluo realized that now he and Xie Subai were in cahoots. That night, after their two-hour long conversation, Xie Subai must have shared the plan with him.
He had anticipated that she would have to go through with this.
—
After dinner, the sky had not yet fully darkened.
A cool evening breeze blew, scattering the scent of flowers and grass all over the ground. Somewhere under the eaves, a bell was hanging and began to chime.
With the lady and the master reconciled, the courtyard was once again thriving. As the sun gradually set, the maids moved small stools under the trees to weave cord, ignoring Chaolu who was chasing the red-feathered bird around the courtyard.
When she first arrived, others would often help block Chaolu’s path to prevent her from catching the bird. Now, they turned a blind eye, letting the bird’s feathers become duller each day.
Huo Xian leaned close to the window, repeatedly studying the map in the last remaining light.
The map in his hands was undoubtedly the most detailed version, covering all the cities within Dayong. Back when he was still on good terms with Wen Hui, he tricked the real map from him, had a draftsman make an exact copy, and then returned the original to Wen Hui.
Such a good item would eventually come in handy.
However, the text on the map was too small. When Ji Yuluo emerged from the bathroom, she saw Huo Xian leaning over the windowsill, almost burying his head in the map.
A faint scent of soap drifted over. Huo Xian noticed the smell but did not turn around.
He heard footsteps approaching and made room on the windowsill, pointing at the map, “From the capital, head west, detour through Taiyuan, then head south. From Nanyang Prefecture, go east to Runing Prefecture. Following Xiao Cheng northwards, you’ll pass through seven cities. Stop when you reach Shunde.”
Ji Yuluo watched his finger circle Shunde Prefecture and asked, “Is there a troop deployment in Taiyuan Prefecture?”
Huo Xian smiled, “Smart.”
Taiyuan Prefecture is the closest to Shunde Prefecture. Stopping at Shunde is likely because Xiao’s troops might encounter an ambush while heading to the next city. The chance of retreating is high. If they keep pursuing, a fierce battle might ensue, causing too much damage. It’s better to stay in Shunde Prefecture and lay a trap.
Ji Yuluo asked, “Whose men?”
Huo Xian paused, “Mine.”
Ji Yuluo fell silent. The Jinyiwei only numbered a few thousand. They had to be used as if they were ten thousand to match the rebel forces in numbers.
By the time the capital reacts and redeploys troops, it would be too late. Even deploying troops from Tongzhou now would be too slow. The Jinyiwei was the best option.
Although they were few in number, they excelled at deception and intimidation, enough to scare Xiao Cheng as long as they could hold out until reinforcements arrived.
Huo Xian described the situation in several other cities to Ji Yuluo, who listened attentively. As she traced the map with her hand, it occasionally brushed against his, her exposed white wrist causing his thoughts to wander, making it hard to stay focused.
She smelled too good.
Huo Xian paused and asked, “Did you change the scent of your soap today?”
Ji Yuluo seemed oblivious as she lowered her head and sniffed herself. “Maybe Nanny Liu changed the soap. Does it smell bad?”
Huo Xian didn’t respond. He kept his eyes on the map, but soon, Ji Yuluo’s hand covered the cities he was looking at.
She looked up at him, her gaze like spring melting snow. The cold snow melted on his face, dripping into his heart.
He wanted to sigh.
He couldn’t handle Ji Yuluo.
Huo Xian rolled up the map and put it away, saying, “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t look at me like that.”
Ji Yuluo watched him carefully roll up the map and place it into a chest. She said, “Will you hold me while we sleep tonight?”
Huo Xian rarely slept while holding her properly. Either he was too tired, falling asleep in less than a moment, or he held her for a bit and then moved her aside, maintaining a careful distance.
He restrained himself so diligently that she was deceived by such a clumsy excuse.
Huo Xian turned around, looked at her, and smiled, “Hold you? Why didn’t I notice before that you’re so clingy?”
Ji Yuluo gave him a meaningful look and simply said, “Hmm,” without further comment.
That night, Huo Xian kissed her passionately and painfully. His eyes were bloodshot as he forcefully pinned down her wandering hand, sitting up and flipping the light blanket aside as he struggled to catch his breath.
Annoyed, he said, “Didn’t you want to sleep while being held? Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Ji Yuluo’s eyes were moist from his kisses. Her voice was hoarse as she responded, reaching out to him with both hands, “I am sleeping, right now.”
“Liar.” Huo Xian sat there, trying to calm down. “You go to sleep first.”
He was about to get out of bed, looking like he was either going to take a cold bath or drink a large pot of cold tea, and maybe open the window to get some fresh air.
Ji Yuluo knew his actions well.
She sat up holding the light blanket, her hair tousled from the pillow, her robe open. She looked at the culprit who seemed to want to escape and said, “Liar.”
Huo Xian had one foot out of the bed curtain. He stood with his black boots on, looking back at Ji Yuluo through the veil, seeing her only faintly.
Ji Yuluo’s voice came from behind the curtain, “Huo Xian, I don’t see you as a saint. Don’t see me as a virtuous lady either. I don’t care about the propriety or purity valued by your noble families. I don’t want you to take responsibility, nor am I afraid of being delayed by you. If you really don’t care about your life and die—”
She seemed to think for a moment and then paused for a long time before continuing, “I can just find someone else. I won’t marry into a noble family.”
“But tonight, I want you. Will you give yourself to me or not?”
By the end, her voice carried a bit of defiant emotion.
Ji Yuluo leaned her left shoulder against the wall, her lips pressed together as she stared at his figure standing outside the bed curtain. She wanted Huo Xian.
She wanted him, body and soul, inside and out.
This longing had occurred before, back when she first arrived at the Qiao family. At that time, she would give Mrs. Qiao a handkerchief embroidered with the character “Luo” to ensure she wouldn’t be forgotten. She wanted to leave her belongings in every corner of the courtyard—a treasured stone, a beautiful lantern. She wanted to mark her presence everywhere.
Now, it was the same.
She wanted Huo Xian to belong to her. She wanted him to not dare disappear easily.
Dusk had settled, and night was deep.
The courtyard was silent, with only a few dim lights casting hazy shadows through the window lattices.
Huo Xian stared at one of the lights, unable to move for a long time.
Ji Yuluo was too wicked. He felt that if he retreated any further, he wouldn’t even be considered a man.
Suddenly, he turned around, lifted the curtain, and said fiercely, “If I die, it will be because you tormented me to death. You might as well stab me with a knife.”
