Shen Lingzhen’s eyelids fought desperately against each other. She could barely make out the person before her as she mumbled: “Follow you… will there be wine if I follow you?” Then her head tilted and she collapsed unconscious against Huo Liuxing’s shoulder.

For a moment, Huo Liuxing truly didn’t know whether to be angry or amused.

So this jar of lychee wine had thoroughly excavated the dissolute young master potential buried deep in the bones of this refined young lady.

With a dark expression, Huo Liuxing extended one finger to push that head away, laid her down on the couch, covered her with the blanket, then reached his hands around to the back of her neck, found the Fengchi pressure point, and began massaging in circles.

Shen Lingzhen seemed to feel discomfort even in her sleep, whimpering and twisting her body. Within a few movements she’d kicked off the blanket, her face full of impatience.

The young lady was quite difficult to serve.

Huo Liuxing tucked the corners of the blanket back in for her, locked her shoulder with his elbow, and continued massaging.

She struggled again, shaking her head back and forth, absolutely refusing to let him touch her, acting disgusted as if he really were a crude boor.

Huo Liuxing shook his head: “Fine, I won’t bother with you. When you wake tomorrow morning with a headache, you’ll have only yourself to blame.” He rose to leave, but after taking only two steps returned, pointing at her: “I’m not the type to hesitate and waver. Just this once.”

At this moment, how could Shen Lingzhen spare any attention for his rambling? She slept soundly on her own. This time she must have been having a good dream—she actually extended her tongue to lick her lips, revealing an expression of complete satisfaction.

Huo Liuxing glanced at her vivid, moist lips, turned his head away somewhat uncomfortably, gazed at the canopy overhead, and continued focusing on massaging her Fengchi point.

An incense stick’s time later, he finally sat back in his wheelchair and summoned Jianjia and Bailu: “Tomorrow morning, prepare sobering soup early. As soon as she wakes, make her drink it.”

Bailu responded “Yes.” Seeing he was about to leave, Jianjia hesitated: “Will you not rest in the young mistress’s room tonight either, young master?”

Huo Liuxing glanced at Shen Lingzhen: “No.” Who knew if she might call him “Father” again later? As a father, he certainly couldn’t lodge in his daughter’s room.

Thinking of this, he stopped wheeling and asked: “Do I bear any resemblance to your Duke?”

Jianjia and Bailu were startled and shook their heads in unison: “How could you resemble the Duke…”

Huo Liuxing said “Oh” and left the bedchamber.

A drunkard’s mouth—full of lies.

——

Shen Lingzhen slept deeply and dizzily. When she woke the next day, in her daze she thought she’d returned to the Duke’s manor. Only after fixing her gaze carefully on the room’s simple, austere furnishings did she come to her senses.

Following Huo Liuxing’s instructions from the previous night, Jianjia brought sobering soup at the first moment: “Young mistress, you’re finally awake. The sun is already high—it’s nearly time for the noon meal. Quickly drink this bowl of soup.”

Shen Lingzhen rubbed her eyes: “How did I sleep so long…” She looked down at the dark red tea soup. “And what is this soup?”

“It’s sobering soup. Young mistress, you drank too much lychee wine last night and passed out drunk. Have you forgotten?”

Shen Lingzhen blinked blankly, pressing her somewhat sore temples, recalling the few scattered fragments remaining in her mind: “I only remember seeing Father.” Then she felt that couldn’t be right. “I must have been dreaming. In the dream everything was mixed up—Father had grown young, he had no beard…”

Jianjia seemed to recall something: “Young mistress, you must have been thoroughly drunk. Last night the young master came to see you and stayed in this room with you for quite a while. Afterward he asked this servant whether he resembled the Duke…”

Shen Lingzhen drew in a sharp breath: “Don’t tell me I mistook my husband for Father and made a drunken scene in front of him?”

“Judging by the young master’s expression when he left, it didn’t seem too good.”

Shen Lingzhen’s face immediately flushed hot. She’d previously read many articles in various books describing drunkards, whose images were without exception shameless and detestable. She never imagined she’d have such an outrageous day herself.

She pressed the backs of her hands against her burning cheeks, pinched her nose and drank the sobering soup, hastily dressed and washed, and without time to eat anything to fill her stomach, immediately went to find Huo Liuxing to apologize.

However, upon reaching the courtyard gate, fear arose in her heart, worried that she’d done something excessive last night and Huo Liuxing hadn’t yet calmed down.

Shen Lingzhen stood on tiptoe at the moon gate, peering inside for a while, then hesitantly retreated to a distance. After a moment, she mustered courage to approach again.

After several such rounds, caught in complete indecision, Kongqing came over cheerfully: “Young mistress, the master sent this servant to ask—are you controlling floodwaters?”

Still muddled from her hangover, she didn’t react immediately and exclaimed in alarm: “Has flooding broken out somewhere? Is it serious?”

Kongqing was stunned, then laughed: “The young mistress’s concern for the people’s suffering moves this servant deeply. But rest assured, there’s no flooding anywhere. It’s just that your appearance of passing the gate three times without entering is exactly like the Great Yu who controlled floods in history.”

“…” Shen Lingzhen laughed dryly. “My husband is quite humorous.”

She beckoned Kongqing over and motioned for him to bend his ear close: “Let me ask you—after my husband returned from my courtyard last night, did he say anything to you?”

There were things—like Huo Liuxing asking them with a face black as mud whether he was a crude boor, whether he was all looks and no substance.

But Kongqing couldn’t betray his master. He shook his head: “The master said nothing at all.”

If there truly had been nothing, the normal phrasing should be “didn’t say anything,” not such a deliberately emphasized “nothing at all.”

Shen Lingzhen drooped her eyebrows, thinking Kongqing was certainly trying to comfort her. Huo Liuxing must truly have been angered by her.

She asked again: “Then how does his mood seem now?”

“Originally it wasn’t too pleasant, but just now seeing you here…” He scratched his head, unable to presumptuously say she was acting sneaky, so he substituted another phrase: “Seeing you being so cautious, he actually smiled. The master is about to have his noon meal now. If you haven’t eaten yet, why not join him?”

Shen Lingzhen followed Kongqing into Huo Liuxing’s room.

Upon entering, she heard his low, authoritative voice: “Anyone who behaves improperly—seize them and expel them from the manor.”

Shen Lingzhen, who’d just behaved improperly the night before, immediately stopped on this side of the screen, not daring to go forward. Hearing that Huo Liuxing’s side had no follow-up for a long time, she tiptoed forward a few steps and peered half her head around the edge of the screen.

As a result, she met directly with Huo Liuxing’s pair of eyes gazing in this direction.

She laughed nervously and called out: “Husband.”

“What are you hiding back there for?”

“I heard you seemed to be dealing with someone who’d made a mistake. I thought it wouldn’t be good to disturb you…”

Huo Liuxing put away a ledger, handed it to Jingmo, and said concisely: “Killing the chicken to warn the monkeys.”

Shen Lingzhen, who considered herself the monkey, felt her heart tremble.

Huo Liuxing glanced at her with bewilderment.

Since using the trip to the Shen residence to root out a traitor, he’d been gradually investigating the other servants in the manor. Since he was currently constrained everywhere and couldn’t make moves that were too large—a complete purge would surely arouse suspicion—he could only spend more time observing slowly.

He had no idea what Shen Lingzhen felt guilty about.

He beckoned to her: “Come eat.”

Shen Lingzhen took small steps forward, but upon reaching his side didn’t sit down. She lowered her head and wrung her fingers: “Husband, they say if one knows one’s errors and can correct them, nothing is better. Can you forgive someone who reforms themselves?”

“Once is never just once. Such people aren’t worth forgiving.” He tapped the table with his knuckle, indicating she should sit.

Shen Lingzhen’s palm-sized face wrinkled like bitter melon skin: “I won’t sit. I’ll attend to you from the side. I need to prove to you, husband, that I’m worth forgiving.” She picked up a pair of clean chopsticks and, recalling how others had served her before, began clumsily placing food in Huo Liuxing’s bowl.

When the food was piled mountain-high, Huo Liuxing finally understood where her nervousness came from and looked at her sideways: “So you do remember last night?”

Shen Lingzhen shuddered under his sharp gaze. Thinking that saying she’d forgotten might make things worse, she nodded regardless: “I remember. I told you, I have a good memory.”

“Then you should understand my meaning?”

Shen Lingzhen’s eyes darted around: “I understand. I understand everything.”

Huo Liuxing studied her. If she truly understood, she should be asking him right now what exactly those words meant.

Seeing she’d clearly forgotten everything completely, he’d wanted to bring up again the question she’d glossed over drunkenly last night, but on second thought felt it unnecessary. She was already married—if she didn’t follow him, could she climb over the wall and escape?

He pointed at the round stool: “Sit down and eat.”

“So you forgive my rashness last night, husband?”

“Yes.”

Only then did Shen Lingzhen sit down. Having already falsely claimed to remember the drunken events, she couldn’t very well ask more questions now. She quietly moved her chopsticks, taking small bites of a slice of sweet and sour lotus root.

Huo Liuxing looked at her: “Does your head hurt this morning?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Strange to say, I heard people who drink too much always get headaches. That I’m this completely fine—could it be I have exceptional natural gifts?”

Recalling the trouble of massaging her last night, Huo Liuxing glanced at her: “Yes. If you drink more in the future, you can ascend to an even higher level.”

Shen Lingzhen shook her head like a rattle drum: “I won’t drink anymore. I’ll never dare drink again.”

Huo Liuxing watched her bow her head to scoop soup, looking guilty yet obedient, and shook his head, truly feeling like he’d raised a daughter.

When the noon meal was half finished, Kongqing came, but he was looking for Shen Lingzhen: “Young mistress, the second miss is outside looking for you.”

Before she could respond, Huo Liuxing said coldly: “She’s been sticking to you quite diligently lately?” So diligently she even dared casually sell off her elder brother’s calligraphy.

“The young lady stays in the residence all day with nothing to do. I happen to be free too.” Shen Lingzhen explained, then turned to ask Kongqing: “Does the second miss have some business?”

“The second miss said she wants to go out on the street shortly, but since the eldest miss’s injury just healed, she has no interest in going out, so she came to ask if you’d like to go together.”

Shen Lingzhen’s eyes brightened, then dimmed. She turned her head to glance at Huo Liuxing.

Though the northwest didn’t emphasize strict separation between men and women, she’d grown up in Bianjing after all. She was accustomed to not making her own decisions about such public appearances.

Huo Liuxing looked at the sun hanging high outside the window: “It’s very hot out at this hour. Won’t you get heatstroke?”

“I’m not that…”

Before the word “delicate” could leave her mouth, Shen Lingzhen assessed herself and, recalling such precedents in the past, said: “All right then, I won’t go.”

“Now you’re avoiding food for fear of choking?”

Shen Lingzhen looked at him strangely, thinking how Huo Liuxing had suddenly become as fussy as her father.

She pouted: “This won’t work, that won’t work—then what does my husband want me to do?”

“Drink heat-prevention tea soup before you go.”

Her face immediately lit up with joy: “My husband is truly resourceful and wise.” She instructed Kongqing: “Tell the second miss I’ll come shortly.”

Huo Liuxing thought for a moment and asked Jingmo: “The report sent from the Dingbian Army this morning—it’s not urgent, is it?”

“It’s not, but this servant looked through it earlier and found several suspicious points that may need your immediate review.”

“Then send several manor guards to follow them and ensure their safety.”

Only then did Shen Lingzhen hear Huo Liuxing’s intention: “You needn’t accompany us on the street, husband. Just handle official business properly. Without you, the streets are perfectly safe.”

“…” What ingratitude.

Jingmo thought that though the young mistress’s words were blunt, they weren’t without merit.

However, Huo Liuxing didn’t want to look at Shen Lingzhen anymore. He ate until thirty percent full, then returned to the study and picked up the reports Jingmo had organized to review.

This review took most of the afternoon.

He folded the reports into a stack, set them aside, opened a sheepskin map, traced his finger across it bit by bit, and slowly began to frown.

Jingmo said: “Drought has erupted in the Xiqiang Salt and Hong provinces for over a month now. In the past month, refugees from both provinces, starving and without food, have continuously harassed the border, frequently engaging in plunder. The lord has suppressed over ten riots large and small. Moreover, the Xiqiang court’s resettlement measures for these refugees have never been implemented, and disaster relief efforts are extremely ineffective. We don’t know if it’s corruption among lower officials or intentional neglect from above. Does the master think there’s something suspicious here?”

“This alone isn’t enough to conclude anything, but the locations of these dozen-plus riots definitely follow a pattern.” Huo Liuxing pointed at the map, marking each spot: “They’re all places along the border with relatively weak military strength, and they’re executing excellent tactics of feinting east while attacking west.”

If they were ordinary refugees, they shouldn’t be so accurate in their targets, nor should they have such seamless coordination with each other.

“So there really are troops mixed in among the refugees, using this natural disaster to plot something?” Jingmo frowned. “But what exactly are the Xiqiang people plotting?”

Huo Liuxing frowned and said nothing.

Ten years ago, the Xiqiang people seized Hexi and tasted the rewards. In recent years they’d grown increasingly greedy, employing both open attacks and hidden arrows, one after another.

Unfortunately, the Emperor’s inner demons remained, and not only did he not dare recover Hexi, he continuously stationed central civil officials along the border area to restrain the military commanders.

Now Huo Liuxing’s father was already sixty years old and, having endured countless battlefield injuries, was increasingly unable to bear the burden. And since Huo Liuxing was outwardly a cripple, he naturally wouldn’t be taken seriously either.

With so few capable generals remaining at the border, no wonder the Xiqiang people were stirring.

Jingmo sighed and continued: “Though not a word is mentioned in the report, this servant thinks that after exhausting himself this past month, the lord must also be at the end of his strength. If Xiqiang deliberately delays disaster relief, continuing like this, I fear…”

“If it were before, I’d go there myself.”

In previous years, Huo Liuxing hadn’t always stayed deep in the residence. He’d occasionally risked going out when emergency situations arose.

But at this critical juncture, when the Emperor had just developed thoughts of employing the Huo family again, countless eyes were already watching him from all sides. Moreover, the hidden danger Zhao Xun had planted in the Huo manor hadn’t been confirmed as completely eliminated. If he went and disappeared for ten days to two weeks, how could that not attract attention?

Just as he was at his wit’s end, there was suddenly a “clang” as the study window was blown shut by wind.

Huo Liuxing looked toward the sound, stepped forward to push open the window, reached out his hand to test the wind, looked at the churning clouds on the horizon, and his expression gradually changed: “This morning—did the plants and flowers in the courtyard have dew on them?”

“That’s right. It was quite cool early this morning.”

His expression grew grave: “Has the young mistress returned?”

“Probably not yet.” Jingmo glanced at the rising wind. “Master, rest assured, the servants prepared umbrellas for the young mistress and second miss. They won’t fear rain.”

Huo Liuxing shook his head: “Ride at full speed to the street, find them, and have them shelter in a sturdy building. Also send manor guards to help evacuate the people outside. Immediately notify the prefect to prepare for disaster response.”

Jingmo was stunned: “Disaster response?”

“Hail is coming.”

——

In the northwest during summer when cold and heat alternated severely, hail was a common occurrence—once or twice every other year—but it was usually harmless ice pellets.

To be called a “disaster,” the falling hail would likely be enough to break roofs and kill livestock, destroying crops.

The Huo manor immediately became chaotic.

Huo Shuyi immediately wanted to go to the street to find Huo Miaoling. Huo Liuxing stopped her: “I’ve already sent Jingmo. You going to the street now would only add to the confusion. With this time, you’d be better off helping evacuate the neighbors. If we can reduce one household’s losses, that’s one household.”

She nodded, took protective gear, and rushed out.

Yu Wanjiang’s face was deathly pale in the front hall.

Beside her, Huo Liuxing’s brows were also tightly furrowed. From his previous military campaigns, he’d studied weather extensively. His predictions about rain and wind were always accurate. This time he hoped his judgment was wrong.

But the moment this wishful thought crossed his mind, the sky suddenly darkened dramatically. Immediately after, a shocking clap of thunder struck down, and crackling sounds began overhead.

Huo Shuyi happened to be walking under the covered corridor. Looking back to see the overwhelming hail, large as chicken eggs, she was terrified and hurriedly ran into the front hall: “Mother, second brother, have they found Miaoling?”

The tremendous sound of the hail drowned out her voice. Huo Liuxing and Yu Wanjiang gazed intently at the rain and hail outside the window, saying nothing.

Huo Shuyi anxiously clenched her fists and paced back and forth in the front hall, her heart burning like fire as she listened to the relentless hail. In all her years she’d never seen hail this large. In such conditions, it could probably break through even ordinary houses’ roofs. If someone was walking on the street unable to take shelter in time, they’d truly get their head split open.

After less than half an incense stick’s time, the wind and rain gradually ceased.

Huo Shuyi bit her teeth: “I’m going to find Miaoling.”

As she spoke and strode forward, Kongqing happened to rush in with three steps combined into two, crossing the ground full of shattered hail: “Madam, master, eldest miss—the young mistress and second miss have returned!”

Arriving at this time, hadn’t they been caught right in the hail? Yu Wanjiang was greatly alarmed: “Is Miaoling injured?”

“The second miss is fine,” Kongqing said, panting heavily. “But she was crying and telling this servant that the young mistress was hit until her head split open and blood flowed!”

Huo Liuxing rose abruptly.

Yu Wanjiang was stunned in her shock. Only when he’d taken two steps did she react and hastily remind him: “Liuxing!”

Huo Shuyi’s eyes widened as she stared straight at Huo Liuxing’s retreating back with her jaw dropped: “Second brother…”

Huo Liuxing’s whole body stiffened as he stopped abruptly.

Kongqing stood dumbfounded for an instant, then with lightning speed rushed forward and with a “bang” shoved him back into the wheelchair.