Chapter 121 Even if the world ends, I will grow old with you...
Big bug?
Dai Li's first reaction was that Qin Shaozong was drunk and talking nonsense while intoxicated, making boastful claims.
It's true that there's a saying, "Personally shoot the tiger, watch Sun Quan," but here, "personally shoot the tiger" expresses a determination, not a completed action. Besides, that's a tiger, the king of the forest; you can't just hunt it whenever you want.
Qin Shaozong could easily see Dai Li's suspicion. His temples twitched. "Does Madam not believe me? It's not like I've never successfully hunted a tiger before."
Dai Li remained silent, simply picking up shrimp balls and eating them slowly and deliberately, without answering the question of whether she believed it or not. Her thick, dark eyelashes occasionally lifted, revealing obvious doubt in her eyes.
"How about we make a bet, Madam? I bet I can hunt a big tiger this year?" Qin Shaozong suddenly said.
She didn't answer immediately, and Qin Shaozong didn't urge her either, just sat opposite her and looked at her.
The woman's snow-white cheeks puffed out slightly, only subsiding a little after a few chews. Qin Shaozong suddenly felt an itch on his fingertips, an itch that seemed to transform into an invisible little snake, opening its mouth and biting his fingertip.
The man's long arm trembled almost imperceptibly as his fingertips connected to the meridians of his arm. He rubbed his calloused index finger and thumb together vigorously, subtly smoothing away the unusual texture.
Dai Li swallowed the shrimp ball in her mouth: "Okay, let's make a bet. But since it's a bet, there must be a stake."
Qin Shaozong raised an eyebrow slightly, "Judging from Madam's words, it seems that the stakes for this bet have been decided."
Dai Li nodded: "Of course. The bet is whether you can hunt a tiger. It doesn't matter if someone helps you during the hunt, but you can't cheat. It's not limited to bringing a half-dead tiger beforehand or preparing the spoils in advance..."
He scoffed at this, "It's just hunting tigers, why would you need to cheat?"
Dai Li smiled, a sly smile playing at the corners of her eyes. "The loser must grant the winner one request, whatever it may be."
Upon hearing her last five words, Qin Shaozong immediately frowned. She had a long history of misconduct and too many criminal records, so he said no without hesitation.
The word "no" was firm and resounding, and Dai Li's smile vanished upon hearing it.
Qin Shaozong clicked his tongue lightly, "Madam has a habit of abandoning those who have helped her, and she also has a penchant for going sightseeing without a word. Besides, that brat Qin Yanzhou will be cured in two days. How am I supposed to respond to 'no matter what'?"
Dai Li naturally knew that he was not willing to let her go. She lowered the glint in her eyes and said, "I won't gamble on whether I can 'travel and enjoy the scenery,' nor will I get involved in your political affairs. Is that alright?"
Qin Shaozong didn't immediately say whether it was okay or not. He picked up the wine glass next to him and drank it slowly instead of drinking it down quickly.
One guess after another emerged and then vanished.
The man finished his drink and put down the wine cup.
The wine vessel collided with the table with a soft "tap," and at the same time, Dai Li heard a deep "okay."
He agreed.
Dai Li smiled again: "No matter how many days the winter hunt lasts, the only time you can personally participate, that is, the only time you can hunt the tiger, is one day, is that alright?"
Not a day, but a whole day.
Winter days are short and nights are long; this day, if you really count it, is less than half a day. If this winter hunt is to be held on a larger scale, for example, by inviting prominent families from Yuyang County to participate, there will inevitably be certain formalities involved.
Both take time.
Qin Shaozong paused.
Her appearance and tone were just like a fox happily wagging its tail while digging a hole for him.
Seeing that he remained silent, Dai Li began to flatter him, "Everyone says that Marquis Wu'an is both wise and brave, and his courage is unmatched. He shines like the sun, illuminating the spring and autumn of the northern lands. How could a mere tiger possibly defeat you?"
Qin Shaozong's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and the veins on the side of his neck bulged and then disappeared.
Seeing that he still didn't speak, Dai Li suddenly looked at him with a shift in her gaze, her eyes seeming to hold invisible hooks. "Was what I said just now right, my husband?"
His brown eyes narrowed for a moment as the itch he had just wiped away returned, surging and spreading like wildfire from his arms to his spine, and then to every part of his body, making every hair on Qin Shaozong's head tremble with excitement.
"That's right." Qin Shaozong's voice was a bit low and hoarse.
Dai Li was quite satisfied. "Then it's settled."
The gazes opposite her were intense, enveloping her like fire. Dai Li was used to this kind of gaze, and calmly continued to eat her meat.
By the time they were halfway through their antique soup meal, it was completely dark. After finishing the meal, having witnessed what had just happened, Dai Li assumed that, as usual, this person would lead her to the couch.
But not today.
Several lamps were lit in the room, their bright light illuminating the spotless sandalwood tabletop, giving it a glossy sheen.
Seeing that Dai Li wanted to go to the soft couch by the window, Qin Shaozong said to her, "Madam, come here."
Dai Li turned around but didn't go over immediately until she saw the man pull out a bag from somewhere and take out several items from it.
She saw the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
What is this person doing?
Dai Li walked over. But as she got closer, she realized that what was on the table was actually a marriage certificate.
The earliest marriage certificates appeared in the Zhou Dynasty, written on bamboo slips and issued by the matchmaker, who was in charge of managing marriages. Therefore, the person who arranges marriages for others in later generations was also called a matchmaker.
The Great Yan Dynasty required marriage certificates and betrothal gifts as conditions for the establishment of marriage.
The general steps are as follows: the man first sends a marriage proposal to the woman; if the woman agrees, she replies with a marriage reply. They then exchange letters, along with a separate sheet containing detailed information about both families.
When all three are combined, it becomes a formal marriage certificate.
Qin Shaozong's parents have passed away, not to mention Dai Li. Her only remaining relative is Qin Yanzhou, but it's impossible for a younger generation to handle such a matter.
Therefore, both the "Marriage Agreement" and the "Reply to Marriage Agreement" were written by the two individuals themselves.
Dai Li lowered her eyes and looked at the red paper, which was clearly of much better quality than ordinary mulberry paper.
The marriage agreement laid out on the table was basically completed, with only the marriage date remaining.
"It's probably too late to get married this year. The wedding is scheduled for next spring. What do you think, Madam?" Qin Shaozong began grinding ink.
Marriage requires going through the "Three Letters and Six Rites" ceremony, and the more prestigious the family, the more complicated the process. It's only because Dai Li has no other relatives that some steps can be simplified, saving a lot of time; otherwise, it would be difficult to even get married by next spring.
But Dai Li still felt it was too fast, "So fast?"
Qin Shaozong paused, "Oh? Then how should the marriage process be conducted in Peach Blossom Spring?"
Dai Li: "..."
Even faster, you can get married by going to the Civil Affairs Bureau, paying for a photo, and then you can get married.
Dai Li's face was expressionless, but Qin Shaozong saw through it at a glance. He chuckled and said, "It seems it's not as complicated as here."
“Then let’s do it in the spring. The beginning of spring is an auspicious day, so let’s set the wedding date for the beginning of spring.” He made the final decision, then picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and filled in the date on the “Marriage Agreement”.
"This is my first time writing a marriage certificate. I hope you will accept it with a smile." The marriage certificate was handed over.
Dai Li paused for a moment before finally taking it.
She stood opposite Qin Shaozong. The marriage certificate had been placed upside down in her mind, but now that it was in her hands, it was placed in the correct position.
His letter read:
Today, we are united by the red thread of fate, a perfect match; may our love endure in the years to come, like a harmonious melody, flying wing to wing. Even as the seas dry up and the rocks crumble, until the earth grows old and the heavens wither, we will still walk hand in hand until our hair turns white.
Qin Changgeng swore an oath as witness, earnestly requesting that Lady Daili marry me on the Spring Equinox in the 365th year of Yongqing.
May your wife be happy and healthy.
This marriage agreement is not long, less than a hundred words including the initial title. But every word is quite powerful, not only because the writing is forceful but also because of the power of the words themselves.
Dai Li's eyelashes trembled slightly.
Her son is still undergoing treatment; where could she possibly go?
As for Zhouzhou, after recovering from her illness, she seemed to have nowhere else to go.
No, it's not that there's nowhere to go, it's that there's nowhere to go at all.
When she was abducted by the Green Lotus Sect, it was the perfect opportunity to escape. With the Green Lotus Sect as a cover, Qin Shaozong would only be looking for members of the Green Lotus Sect, and would never have suspected that she had already slipped away.
Now that this pretext is gone, and with Zhouzhou in Yuyang County, the most central part of the northern region, she is even less able to leave.
Dai Li heard a long sigh from her own heart.
"Qin Changgeng, there's something I need to tell you in advance. If you feel it's inappropriate or you can't do it, you can skip all the formalities of the marriage ceremony and the formal marriage ceremony." The ink on the marriage certificate was still wet, so Dai Li couldn't break it now and placed it back on the table.
Her tone was calm, but Qin Shaozong could detect an unyielding insistence in her voice.
He put down the wolf-hair brush, "Please speak freely, madam."
“In the laws of Peach Blossom Spring, husband and wife are husband and wife, it is a monogamous system, there is no such thing as concubines; even regardless of gender, as long as one marries multiple people, it is a bigamy crime under the law. I know that this is completely different from the Great Yan Dynasty, and I also know that you nobles are used to having a harem full of flowers.” Dai Li paused here.
He didn't speak, he just listened quietly.
Dai Li then continued, "But others are others, they have nothing to do with me, and I can't control them. But my man must listen to me on this point, otherwise he doesn't deserve to be my husband. Qin Changgeng, do you understand what I mean?"
Qin Shaozong was both surprised and unsurprised.
She was surprised by the novelty of marriage in Peach Blossom Spring, but not by the fact that she had only one husband before.
Although this fox was adept at judging situations and often feigned docility to an exceptional degree, she was not without pride. Her pride would not allow her to share a husband with another woman.
"The Marquis's residence has been emptied. As for the Lady Li that you saw earlier, she was specially brought over from elsewhere by Lady Wei," Qin Shaozong said calmly.
When he said "Li Ji", Dai Li was stunned for a moment before realizing that he meant Wei Pingzhi.
With Wei Pingzhi's visit preceding this, Dai Li asked, "Where did you go, Teng?"
Qin Shaozong leaned back in his soft chair, looking more languid. "They've been given money and houses, so they can go wherever they want. Today, women are encouraged to remarry. There are plenty of wealthy men in Yuyang, so they won't have trouble finding a place to go."
After saying this, the man gestured to the paper and pen on the table, "The Marriage Agreement, please."
After the marriage agreement was given out, he immediately asked for a reply agreement.
Dai Li replied, "I won't give it to you so soon."
Qin Shaozong frowned upon hearing this. "Why?"
Dai Li remained expressionless: "...There's no reason."
She couldn't very well say that she didn't know how to write this "Letter of Response to Marriage".
But Qin Shaozong was not pleased with these words. He was neither willing to immediately write the "Letter of Response to Marriage" nor willing to tell him why.
The man who had been leaning against the soft seat straightened up, "Madam..."
Just as she called out, Dai Li folded the already dry ink of the "Marriage Agreement" on the table, took it into the inner room without turning her head.
Qin Shaozong got up and followed him inside. "Madam, I don't have this 'Letter of Acceptance of Marriage' today. When will I have it?"
"We'll see," she replied dismissively.
The lamps inside burned quietly, dragging the two figures to the ground, while the shadow that entered from behind quickly approached the front.
Next to the mirror case was a multi-tiered wooden box, mostly used to store Dai Li's various jewelry pieces, with a few spare compartments for miscellaneous items.
Dai Li opened the top shelf, took out the purse from the small compartment, put the marriage certificate in, and finally weighed it down with the purse.
As soon as she turned around, Dai Li bumped into Qin Shaozong's arms.
The man stopped in his tracks, raised his hand, and naturally pulled the person into his arms.
The rising steam descended from above, enveloping Dai Li in his shadow. Behind her was a hard table, and in front of her was him.
He carried the lamp on his back, the light only coming from other candlesticks to the side. The man's face was angular, with deep-set brow bones, and his long, narrow brown eyes, set on either side of the bridge of his nose, now seemed like two pools of different colors.
One pond was deep, the other shallow, and her reflection could be seen in both. He said, "Madam, give me a definite time."
For a moment, Dai Li was lost in thought. She slowly lowered her eyes. "I'll give it to you after the winter hunt."
Author's note: Here we go! Can any of you guess what Dai Li is planning to do?
Please, please provide nutrient solution. [Hands clasped in prayer]
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