“If that wine jar had truly struck the young mistress’s foot, her bones would surely have shattered!” In the inner courtyard, Jianjia, the maid who had caught the wine jar earlier, was recounting the incident to Nanny Ji in detail. “There’s no such coincidence in this world. In my view, the eldest young miss was clearly using her drunkenness as a pretext for deliberate malice!”

Nanny Ji frowned. “From now on, keep a closer watch on that eldest young miss and guard against any further misconduct from her.”

“I understand. There’s another matter—when Bailu and I were protecting the young mistress, the young master also acted in the first instant, and his martial arts foundation appears to remain intact.”

Nanny Ji nodded. “That is indeed rare.”

Rumor had it that the Huo family’s second son in his youth had been a martial prodigy with exceptional natural aptitude. At a young age, he had mastered horsemanship, archery, and swordsmanship without exception. At fifteen, he had achieved the highest military merit in his first battle. At seventeen, he had independently led three thousand elite cavalry in a surprise attack against the Xiqiang during the Northern Expedition, achieving victory against overwhelming odds and personally beheading the enemy general. For a time, this had sent shockwaves through the court and military, his martial reputation spreading far and wide.

“Heroes emerge young—Huo of Hexi laughs amid battle”—scholars in Bianjing competed to compose poems praising him from a thousand miles away, imagining his invincible presence on the battlefield, a match for ten thousand warriors.

Unfortunately, a tower rises in one night, and collapses in another. Just half a year later during the next Northern Expedition, this ephemeral young military talent lost his future prospects forever, and Daqi lost Hexi.

Ten years had passed, yet the court had never managed to reclaim the lost territory or avenge their defeat. The legend of Huo of Hexi “killing one man every ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles” had been buried in the river of history along with that land, rarely recalled anymore.

Even when the Xiqiang had invaded ferociously last year, only to suffer defeat among the poplar groves that Huo Liuxing had planted years before—bringing this name that once struck terror into northwestern tribes back into public view—people merely remarked “fortunate, fortunate.” When discussing the Huo-Shen marriage alliance, they concluded he was now a cripple, and couldn’t help pitying Shen Lingzhen with sighs of “such a shame, such a shame.”

But if these common perceptions were true, why would His Majesty have arranged this marriage? Surely he wouldn’t deliberately make his own niece’s life difficult.

Before coming to Qingzhou, Nanny Ji had heard the Grand Princess say: “They think planting a few rows of poplar trees anywhere, anytime, can stop the Xiqiang cavalry’s iron horses? One year for grain, ten years for trees—that requires far-sighted vision and brilliant strategic wisdom. They say ‘beauty lies in bone, not skin,’ and the same applies to military talent. Even if he cannot mount a horse to lead charges, as long as his character remains unbroken, that second son of the Huo family can still be a commander who plans strategies from headquarters and achieves victory from afar.”

Constrained for ten years, yet his martial skills undiminished—Nanny Ji thought perhaps the Grand Princess had not misjudged this man’s character.

——

In the room, another maid named Bailu was using silver chopsticks to test the breakfast dishes for poison. “The young master sent word that the Fourth Prince is in no hurry to return to the capital. He plans to take this opportunity to inspect Qingzhou’s border defenses, so you need not go to see him off today and may take your breakfast leisurely.”

Shen Lingzhen nodded and looked at the spread of food before her.

The Huo family had prepared thoughtfully—half the table consisted of local dishes: almond oil tea, sago dumplings, alfalfa bread, and pressed noodles for her to sample new flavors, while the other half, based on information from the maids in her dowry, catered to her usual preferences: soup dumplings, tofu pudding, three-delicacy lotus pastries, and glutinous rice cakes, lest she find the local food unpalatable.

Watching Bailu’s meticulous testing, Shen Lingzhen smiled and chided, “With so much food, you’ll be testing until the end of time! After being frightened by that wine jar earlier, I’m already hungry!”

“Young mistress, please don’t blame me. This is Duke Yingguo’s instruction. He said that newly arrived in an unfamiliar place where hearts are hard to read, we must proceed cautiously to sail safely for ten thousand years.”

For one breakfast meal, the time spent examining exceeded the time spent eating. Shen Lingzhen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. After finishing her meal and setting down her chopsticks, she suddenly heard a young girl’s voice: “Are you my second sister-in-law?”

Following the sound, she turned her head and saw through the half-open rear window a young girl clinging to the windowsill, peering inside with a pair of bright dark eyes.

“I am.” She immediately rose with a smile and approached, recalling the name of the Huo family’s second daughter. “Miaoling, isn’t it?”

Huo Miaoling nodded, struggling on tiptoe to pull herself up a few more inches. “Sister-in-law, I can’t climb up…”

Shen Lingzhen paused, confused. “Why not use the front door?” She shot a glance at Jianjia behind her.

Jianjia stepped forward and lifted Huo Miaoling inside, taking a clean handkerchief to carefully wipe away the mud stains on her hands and hem.

Huo Miaoling thanked her, then performed a proper curtsy to Shen Lingzhen. “Miaoling greets sister-in-law. Sister-in-law, my elder sister caused trouble and is dead drunk. Mother punished me along with her and forbade me from leaving the courtyard. I came secretly, so I had no choice but to climb through the window!”

First there was the lady practicing martial arts at dawn, then the eldest daughter drinking on the roof, and now the second daughter climbing through windows to visit—this Huo household certainly had a bold and forthright household style.

Shen Lingzhen smiled and instructed Bailu to fetch a meeting gift. “I didn’t know what you’d like, so I chose a set of scholar’s materials suitable for young ladies.”

Huo Miaoling received it, opened the lid, and her eyes immediately lit up as she pointed at each item: “Purple rabbit-hair brush, lacquer ink stick, flowing sand paper, clay inkstone…”

“You recognize them well. Do you normally use these things?”

“How could I? I could never afford them.” Huo Miaoling carefully cradled the items, examining them closely.

This set of scholar’s materials was crafted by renowned masters—even as tribute gifts they wouldn’t be considered shabby. It clearly demonstrated the Shen family’s substantial wealth.

“Sister-in-law, yesterday I heard someone say our family’s storerooms were completely full with only half your dowry and didn’t believe it, but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes!”

Shen Lingzhen was somewhat surprised by this and turned to Jianjia and Bailu. “Where was the other half of the dowry placed?”

“Temporarily in an empty courtyard. We maids thought to discuss with you first before deciding what to do.”

Filling courtyards that had previously housed people with the new bride’s dowry looked rather unseemly. Shen Lingzhen said, “This won’t do. First take me to see which items have nowhere to be stored so I have an idea, then I’ll go discuss it with my mother-in-law.” She looked down at Huo Miaoling. “Sister-in-law must attend to proper business now and may not be able to entertain you. Shall I have someone escort you back?”

Huo Miaoling nodded, walked a few steps away, then wrung her fingers and turned back. “Could I come along? I won’t touch sister-in-law’s dowry, I’ll just look.”

Knowing her dowry items must contain many rare treasures, and that children naturally sought novelty and wanted to broaden their horizons—this was only human nature—Shen Lingzhen naturally agreed. She had someone summon the Huo household’s steward matron, explained the situation, and went to open the storeroom.

But not looking was one thing—seeing it made the situation even more difficult. Inside the storeroom, the Huo family’s original belongings had been piled in dark corners like scrap metal, while the trunks she had brought gleamed brightly in the center.

After some thought, she instructed her maids: “This won’t do. I recall Father purchased a residence for me in Qingyang?”

“There is such a matter.”

Duke Yingguo doted on his daughter and worried that if she couldn’t adjust to life in the Huo household or suffered mistreatment with nowhere to go, so he had prudently purchased a ready-made residence as a precaution.

“I’ll select some items here, and you can move whatever we don’t need immediately to that place.” As Shen Lingzhen spoke, she walked inside, examining trunk after trunk.

Huo Miaoling followed behind her, looking and marveling all the way. “These jewelry pieces are truly beautiful.”

“Then leave the jewelry here. If you or your elder sister see anything you like, feel free to use it.”

Huo Miaoling immediately waved her hands. “This is sister-in-law’s dowry—it cannot be touched. Besides, I’m still young and have no use for it. My elder sister always dresses as a young man and never wears such things. But… but leaving them here is good—sister-in-law can change to a different jewelry set each day and look beautiful, delighting my second brother’s eyes!”

Shen Lingzhen was about to smile when she noticed a sword rack in the corner of the storeroom with a sword lying horizontally upon it, and her expression suddenly froze.

This sword, this sword…

“What’s wrong, young mistress?” Jianjia asked.

Shen Lingzhen didn’t answer but beckoned to her. “Give me the oil lamp.” She took the lamp and slowly approached the chicken-wing wood sword rack. When she could make out the sword’s appearance in the dim yellow glow, her gaze fixed intently.

This heavy sword’s scabbard was carved with scrolling grass pattern reliefs based on lotus flower motifs, with eighteen bodhi beads inlaid at the mouth fitting—identical in every detail to the sword carried by the benefactor who had saved her life.

She turned back in astonishment. “Miaoling, do you know whose sword this is?”

“It should be my second brother’s. I heard that second brother used to lead troops into battle and was very imposing. This heavy sword was light as bamboo chopsticks in his hands. But it hasn’t been used for many years and now can only gather dust here…”

As Huo Miaoling chattered on praising her brother’s past martial prowess, Shen Lingzhen could no longer hear her subsequent words clearly.

Could there truly be so many coincidences in this world? Once or twice might be chance, but three times defied explanation.

She stood frozen in place, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

——

Shen Lingzhen remained distracted all day, even when Huo Liuxing took her to visit the military training grounds in the afternoon, her mind wandered elsewhere.

When the family gathered for the evening meal, Huo Shuyi didn’t come—she was said to be serving her punishment after sobering up.

Normally at such a time, Shen Lingzhen should have gone to check on her and help smooth things over, but preoccupied with thoughts of that sword, she focused entirely on Huo Liuxing and merely spoke a few kind words on Huo Shuyi’s behalf at the table.

The rest of the time, she would serve him vegetables and steal a glance, ladle soup and look again.

In truth, she was already seventy or eighty percent certain of her benefactor’s identity. The remaining twenty or thirty percent of doubt concerned one question: if this were true, what was the real situation with Huo Liuxing’s legs?

Clearly, asking directly would yield no results. If he had been willing to explain, he wouldn’t have lied to her last night about never having been to Bianjing after age fifteen. Since he intended to conceal the truth, he would certainly have other explanations ready to dispel her suspicions.

She thought the best method was still to confirm with her own eyes.

Her benefactor had an old, roughly square-shaped scar about two inches below his left collarbone. If even this detail matched, then Huo Liuxing’s so-called disability was likely a fabrication.

But such a concealed location…

Shen Lingzhen found herself in a difficult position, and even by bedtime, she hadn’t found an opportunity to investigate.

Emerging from the washroom, she saw Huo Liuxing dressed in his inner robe, reading by lamplight as he had the previous night. She walked softly behind him and quietly glanced downward at his collar from above.

But the neckline was fastened too tightly—she could see nothing. Instead, Huo Liuxing sensed her gaze and looked up. “What’s wrong? You’ve seemed either distracted or hesitant to speak all day. Are you unhappy about this morning’s incident?”

“No.” Shen Lingzhen hurriedly waved her hands, protesting with unconvincing bravado like there were no silver coins buried here. “I just saw you reading so intently and wanted to see what good book it was.”

Huo Liuxing closed the book and turned the spine toward her. “The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. It discusses the deeds and teachings of Huineng, the ancestral master of Chan Buddhism. Would you like to read it?”

Her sole focus was on opening his robe—where would she find time to read sutras?

Shen Lingzhen shook her head and hinted, “I’m feeling rather sleepy.”

“Then sleep.” Huo Liuxing smiled, extinguished the lamp on the table, leaving only a candle for nighttime illumination.

Shen Lingzhen took the inner position on the bed, lying down before him, then turned her head to secretly observe his movements. She watched him wheel his chair over, fold down one wooden armrest, and use his arm and core strength to smoothly transfer himself onto the bed—a sequence of actions as fluid as flowing water.

Yet he truly didn’t use his legs at all.

She guiltily closed her eyes, feeling Huo Liuxing lie down on her right side and pull up the covers. Now everything was ready—she need only wait for him to fall asleep.

Shen Lingzhen silently counted in her mind. After approximately the time it takes to brew two pots of tea, hearing his breathing gradually deepen, she cautiously moved closer, pulled his covers down slightly, slowly extended her hand toward his collar, used her fingertips to pinch a corner of the neckline, and began pulling it outward bit by bit.

She held her breath, her heart pounding like a drum from nervousness. Just as she was about to reach the “crucial point,” Huo Liuxing’s steady breathing caught, and in the next instant, he had already grasped her wrist firmly.

Looking up, their eyes met in an awkward stare.

“What are you doing?” His gaze was sharp and alert, as if he had never been asleep at all.

Half of Shen Lingzhen’s body still pressed against him. Blood rushed to her head in an instant, her face flushing crimson. “I…” She swallowed nervously, steeling herself to distort the truth. “I was tucking in your covers, and seeing your collar had come loose, I was afraid you’d catch cold…”

He looked down at her with an impassive expression. “How could my collar have come loose?”

“Perhaps you have, perhaps you have restless sleep and shifted it open…”

“Oh.” The man who had always possessed extraordinary composure, who could sleep suspended from tree branches all night during campaigns without moving an inch, nodded as if suddenly enlightened and released her.

Shen Lingzhen withdrew her hand, rubbing her aching wrist with a pained expression.

Huo Liuxing glanced down at the red mark on her wrist, clenched and unclenched his fist emptily, as if surprised such light force could hurt a young woman. When he spoke again, his tone was gentler. “Yes, my sleep has always been ‘restless.’ Thank you for ‘taking care’ of me so thoughtfully.”

Shen Lingzhen gave a start and obediently lay back flat, burrowing into the covers and shaking her head. “You’re welcome, not at all…”

Huo Liuxing tightened his collar and closed his eyes again, though his heart was not entirely calm.

How was it that he, a vigorous adult man, remained unmoved like wind and rain, while this young woman couldn’t resist becoming handsy first?