Chapter 97 What secrets does the lady not want to hear?

Dai Li didn't know about the Wei family before, but she heard him mention them in the carriage, and now she does.

The Qin and Wei families are related by marriage. Although the Wei family's daughter passed away more than ten years ago, as the Qin family has gradually grown in power, the Wei family must have maintained close contact with them over the years. Their relationship is certainly closer than that of other prominent families.

As for sending someone to observe secretly, Dai Li guessed it might be related to the "important matter" mentioned by the Prefect of Bai Ri.

Her thoughts raced through her mind, but Dai Li listened to it all as mere gossip; his affairs had nothing to do with her.

Holding the fish soup her son had served her, Dai Li leisurely blew on it, brushed away the scallions on top, and slowly sipped the soup.

The freshly stewed fish soup was incredibly delicious, with shredded ginger added. In this increasingly cool autumn, a bowl of fish soup would warm you right up.

"Detain this man for a while, keep a close watch on him, and don't let him have any contact with the outside world." Qin Shaozong tapped his long fingers twice on the table. "Next time, don't report on the Wei family's affairs at mealtimes."

Hu Bao was taken aback for a moment, then bowed and accepted the order before retreating.

*

The Wei family.

Wei Congmu and his third brother, Wei Congsen, waited in the main hall, glancing towards the main entrance from time to time.

They waited until sunset without stopping, drank more than a dozen pots of tea, went to the outhouse several times, walked back and forth in the main hall more than a dozen times, and even played several games of chess.

From the bright sunshine until the sun was setting, and then until night had completely fallen, the servants were still nowhere to be seen.

"Elder brother, curfew has arrived. They should have been back by now. But we haven't seen them yet. Could something have happened? Could they have been discovered?" Wei Congsen asked worriedly.

Upon hearing this, Wei Congmu's face showed anxiety, but slowly, his anxiety subsided and turned into deep thought. "At the time, I sent someone to secretly follow Marquis Wu'an and discovered that they went to the Ding family. I waited outside for half an hour, but they still hadn't come out, so I sent someone to wait. The Ding family has been practicing medicine for generations. Marquis Wu'an has been staying at the Ding family for so long; could it be that he was truly seriously injured in the south?"

Wei Congsen hissed and gasped, "Now that Marquis Wu'an has detained people, is it because he doesn't want the news to leak out? For him to be so cautious, elder brother, could it be that Marquis Wu'an is nearing his end..."

Wei Congmu's body trembled.

Wei Congsen found it increasingly plausible as he spoke. "I heard that when Marquis Wu'an led his troops into the city today, he didn't ride a horse either. When did he become the kind of man who would refuse to ride a horse and insist on taking a carriage? He went to the battlefield with his father and brothers when he was just over ten years old, and even when he was wounded, he would still ride back to the city on horseback, never wanting to show his weakness. How could he have changed such a habit of decades all of a sudden?"

“But when I saw him today, his voice sounded genuine, and when I looked into the car, his complexion was normal. There was also a beautiful woman in the car. He didn’t look like he had one foot in the grave.” Despite these words, Wei Congmu’s doubts continued to deepen.

"Could Mei Ji be a smokescreen? I've never heard of him traveling with a beauty before," Wei Congsen guessed.

Wei Congmu stroked his beard, unable to make a decision for a moment. "But that girl is indeed as beautiful as a fairy. Not to mention in Yuyang County, I'm afraid there is no one in the entire North who can compare to her."

Wei Congsen had never met him and felt that his elder brother was exaggerating.

Who was Marquis Wu'an? He was like all gentlemen, fond of beautiful women, but deep down he was an extremely rational man, even quite indifferent to women.

In his early years, he had a favorite concubine surnamed Han. At that time, Lady Wei had passed away, and there was no mistress in the mansion, so Han was the most prominent. In terms of the expenses of the ladies in the mansion, Han Ji was second only to Qin Er Niangzi.

However, it was later discovered that this woman was a spy sent by Jizhou.

As for how it was discovered, it was because Han Ji delayed sending a message to Ji Province, so Ji Province sent another group to investigate. They inadvertently gave themselves away, which led to Han Ji's exposure.

It is said that the reason why Han Ji did not make a move was that she later fell in love with Marquis Wu'an and did not want to continue to harm him as a hidden blade of Ji Province.

Marquis Wu'an hated betrayal and deception the most, and he also disliked women interfering in his political affairs. After the fact that Han Ji was a spy was exposed, she disappeared from the Marquis's mansion.

Some say that Marquis Wu'an, out of old affection, couldn't bear to kill her and only banished her from his mansion; others say that Han Ji died, and from the moment her spy activities were exposed, her identity was not just that of a young woman, but also that of an inside agent in Ji Province.

As for dealing with spies from other states, Marquis Wu'an had his own set of rules.

Wei Congmu: "It's too early to draw conclusions now. Let's see what happens tomorrow."

Upon closer inspection, Wei Congmu discovered that the Marquis's mansion was making a grand show of acquiring medicinal herbs.

The soldiers poured out of the city and went to various medical clinics throughout the county to buy up medicinal herbs on a large scale.

In addition, merchants coming to the north were not spared either; any caravan carrying medicinal herbs was stopped. Soldiers took the list, selected the herbs, left money, and then left.

The medicinal herbs flowed into the Ding family like water.

At the same time, a carriage drove out of the Ding family residence, and some people saw that the driver was a guard from the Marquis's mansion. And in the instant the curtain was blown up by the wind, someone else said that they saw the Ding family's most skilled old gentleman.

This was a serious matter; rumors spread like wildfire throughout the county, and people were filled with anxiety.

Some people asserted that Marquis Wu'an was wounded in a vital spot by a poisoned arrow on the battlefield, which is why he did not ride a horse when he entered the city, but instead traveled by carriage.

Some say that Marquis Wu'an was indeed injured, but not in mortal danger, and that his unwillingness to ride a horse was simply because he wanted to stay in the carriage with the beautiful concubine.

There are many different opinions, and no conclusion has been reached.

Many people turned their attention to the Marquis's residence, observing the actions of the two young masters. Amidst the open and covert gazes, a carriage drove out of the Marquis's residence.

*

"My lord, the eldest son requests an audience," Hu Bao reported.

When Hu Bao arrived, Qin Shaozong was in the main courtyard, looking at the list with Dai Li.

Qin Shaozong: "Send Yun Ce over here."

Upon hearing from the eldest son that he had sent someone directly over, Dai Li said to Qin Shaozong, "I'll go check on Zhouzhou."

As soon as she stood up, her arm was grabbed by a large, dark hand. Qin Shaozong pulled her back, and Dai Li sat back in her chair, even closer to him than before. "Madam, please don't disturb Mr. Ding. If you distract him and he accidentally inserts the needle in the wrong place, it's a small matter if he has to redo it, but it's a big deal if that kid gets the needle inserted into another acupoint by mistake."

Dai Li immediately expressed her dissatisfaction, "You should never say such things in front of the old man, you should never say them again."

It's already difficult enough that he's willing to treat me, yet he dares to doubt my medical skills!

Qin Shaozong smiled and said, "Okay."

Dai Li still wanted to leave. This time, she didn't make any other excuses but said bluntly, "Your eldest son is here to see you. It's not appropriate for me to stay here any longer. I'm going to take a walk in the back garden."

Qin Shaozong didn't let go. "What's inappropriate about it?"

Dai Li shook her hand away. "You and your son haven't seen each other for a long time, you must have a lot to talk about, maybe even military secrets, so I won't get involved."

"Madam is now my advisor. What secrets are there that you can't hear?" Qin Shaozong said with a smirk.

Dai Li choked for a moment.

Qin Shaozong continued, "You've become good friends with Nalan Wugong, and he's talked to you about politics quite often, hasn't he? As for Qiao Wangfei and the others, you told them to spend more time with that kid and take him for morning exercises, and they all agreed immediately. Madam, tell me, where haven't you been involved?"

Dai Li: "..."

They used their advisors as arrows to stab him, but unexpectedly, a boomerang appeared one day.

“I have other important matters to attend to.” Dai Li stood up again.

Qin Shaozong leaned back lazily in the soft chair, one hand supporting his chin on the armrest, the other holding her tightly. "The important matter you mentioned, Madam, is it to deal with the broken grass and tree bark you had collected this morning?"

Dai Li: "..."

How come the words "reed flowers" and "paper mulberry bark" sound so unpleasant coming from this person's mouth?

Dai Li clicked her tongue lightly: "Qin Changgeng, don't underestimate these things. With them as materials, you can start a fire with just a breath."

The principle behind a tinderbox is to preserve a spark by depleting oxygen. Both paper mulberry bark and reed flowers contain abundant fiber, which is an excellent accelerant. With just a little fresh oxygen added to the bamboo tube, the tiny spark can quickly ignite.

It's a pity that sweet potatoes haven't been available yet, otherwise sweet potato vines would be even more effective.

Once the tinderbox is invented, it will be much more convenient to make hot pot and barbecue.

...

The entrance to the main courtyard not far away.

Qin Yuance stopped in his tracks, wondering if he was dreaming. Otherwise, why would he hear a young woman addressing his uncle by his courtesy name, and instead of being annoyed, the uncle even had a rare smile on his face?

"Young Master, please." Hu Bao gestured with his palm.

His words not only pulled Qin Yunce back to his senses, but also startled the two people sitting by the window in the main room.

Qin Yunce composed himself, entered the courtyard unhurriedly, then went into the main room, stopped a few steps away from the long table, and bowed with his hands clasped: "Son greets Father and congratulates Father on his triumphant return."

The other person was facing away from the sunlight, wearing a white robe with gold trim and a cross-collar, and had a very thin figure.

"Yun Ce is here." Qin Shaozong pulled Dai Li back to his side and asked her to sit with him.

Qin Yuance raised his head, then lowered his gaze, restraining himself from looking at Dai Li, but instead focusing on Qin Shaozong's hands placed on the table. "Father, rumors have been circulating in the county lately, all saying that you were wounded on the battlefield and are now in critical condition. Should I send someone to stop these rumors?"

Before he even saw the man, he was indeed very worried, fearing that his uncle was seriously injured, or even dying, as the rumors suggested.

But just now at the courtyard entrance, he clearly heard his uncle's voice was full of energy, and he even had the mind to chat and laugh with the young lady, so it must be nothing serious.

I can finally relax.

As Qin Yunce spoke, Dai Li was sizing up the young man who was wearing a white robe similar to her son's.

He must have inherited his father's physique; he was quite tall, now around eight feet. He was rather thin, with an unhealthy pale complexion, whether from a recent illness or from being frail since birth, it was unclear.

Dai Li thought he looked somewhat like Qin Shaozong around the nose, but there was no resemblance anywhere else.

Compared to Qin Shaozong's toughness and sharpness, the young man's appearance was much gentler. He had fair skin, soft features, and his eyes and brows were far less aggressive.

If Qin Shaozong is a long sword that has just drunk blood and is awe-inspiring, then the young man is like a porcelain cup illuminated by the morning sun—somewhat fragile, yet warm, and with a touch of leisurely elegance, giving a comfortable feeling and completely without any aggression.

Qin Shaozong was fully aware of what was happening outside. "Let's not worry about the rumors for now and let the storm rage on for a few more days."

After briefly mentioning the outside world, Qin Shaozong changed the subject, asking, "Has anyone from the Wei family visited the Qin residence recently?"

Qin Yuance nodded. "Before you came back, they came four times in total. The first two times, my aunt came to see Qinian, but she went back when she found that Qinian was not there. The third time, my eldest uncle came and told my son about the conflict between my second uncle and the Cai family. The fourth time, my eldest uncle came again, but my son did not see him."

A few days ago, the conflict between the Cai and Wei families caused quite a stir in the city. It is common for prominent families to have conflicts, and Qin Yunce did not think much of it when he first heard about it.

The younger brother, who had been confined to the military camp by his uncle for a long time and forbidden from entering the camp, suddenly went to the outskirts of the city, and was even taken there by Yan San. Not long after the younger brother left the mansion, Aunt Wei came to visit Qinian.

Qin Yunce keenly sensed something unusual.

This premonition intensified rapidly after his younger brother stopped returning to the city, so he began to intentionally or unintentionally avoid contact with the Wei family.

When the other party sent a visiting card, he claimed to be ill and refused to see them. After all, he had never been in good health, so claiming to be ill wouldn't seem out of place.

"You don't need to concern yourself with the Wei family's affairs; I have my own arrangements," Qin Shaozong said.

Qin Yunce smiled and nodded. Just as he was about to say something, a gust of wind blew in from outside, and he kept covering his mouth and coughing. It took him a long time to stop.

Qin Shaozong frowned. "How have you been feeling lately? Old Master Ding is at home now; let him take a look at you later."

Qin Yuance slowly exhaled, "Thank you for your concern, Father. I am fine. Coughing in the wind is an old problem, I just need to wear more clothes. Besides, I have been taking the tonic medicine that Mr. Ding prescribed, so there is no need to trouble him again."

Qin Shaozong also knew that his nephew's poor health had been going on for quite some time.

His eldest sister-in-law's first pregnancy was premature; Yun Ce was born before full term, and her constitution was weaker than that of ordinary children.

Later, his elder brother was killed in battle, and he was busy dealing with the villains to avenge his brother. In a moment of carelessness, his sister-in-law, who had been his brother's childhood sweetheart and was deeply in love with him after marriage, committed suicide out of love.

My nephew, who was already old enough to remember things at the time, suddenly lost both his parents. He couldn't sleep at night, had a high fever, and almost didn't make it through. From then on, he became a walking pharmacy.

Qin Shaozong insisted, "Let's take a look. Anyway, he's here at the mansion. Since you're already here, have dinner here before you go back."

Qin Yunce nodded obediently.

Qin Shaozong changed the subject and suddenly introduced to Dai Li, "Madam, this is Qin Yunce, my eldest son. He is nineteen years old, the same age as that boy Qin Yanzhou. You can just call him Yunce."

Then he looked at Qin Yunce and said, “This is my wife. Her surname is Dai, the Dai of Yuanshan Dai. You must not be disrespectful to your wife.”

Qin Yuance was startled. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind in that instant, but he simply cupped his hands and greeted Dai Li again.

Qin Shaozong's hand was still on Dai Li's arm, as if it weighed a ton, showing no intention of letting her get up.

Dai Li accepted Qin Yunce's bow wholeheartedly and did not return it at all.

When Qin Yanzhou returned from his treatment, he found an extra person in the courtyard. He learned through introductions that it was Qin Shaozong's eldest son. The two younger men greeted each other politely upon their first meeting.

Just as Dai Li had thought, her son was very unassuming and spoke very little. Even when he met someone his own age, he showed no interest in making friends, treating it as simply getting to know another person whose name he knew.

Dai Li sighed inwardly.

The four of them sat around the table and had dinner together.

After dinner, Qin Yunce, feeling warm from drinking fish soup, took a carriage back to the Marquis's residence.

As night falls, the lights in every home are extinguished one after another.

In the dead of night, when the sky and earth were one, a figure nimbly scaled the wall and entered the mansion where Dai Li lived.

Author's Note: Guess who's coming? [shrug]

I need nutrient solution.