Chapter 145 Madam, please don't be angry.
"Hey Lao Feng, don't you think the Lord is in a bad mood today?"
"It's not just not good, it's downright terrible. I just saw Lao Mo get scolded. Although Lao Mo was a bit rash just now, given the usual style of the Marquis, he would at most just glance at him, not act like he had poisoned his mouth like that just now."
"So what exactly happened that caused the Lord's mood to plummet from the peak of the mountain to the gutter in just one night? Could it be those two court officials causing trouble?"
"Impossible, those mere bookworms are not worth mentioning."
...
Feng Feng and Bai Jianping huddled together and whispered among themselves, but after a long discussion, they still couldn't come to a conclusion.
After breakfast, the group set off again.
During this process, Dai Li didn't say a word to Qin Shaozong, nor did she even look at him properly. After finishing her meal, she got into the carriage with Shi Rongyue.
Qin Shaozong glanced at Dai Li several times, and once even tried to talk to her, but Dai Li noticed and pulled Shi Rongyue away.
Feng Feng and his companions, who were secretly observing, suddenly realized that the Marquis and the Mistress had a falling out.
No, or rather, it seems that the Lord has angered the Lady.
Shi Rongyue was the one who also received this signal.
The little girl followed Dai Li into the carriage, and when Dai Li wasn't looking, she tugged at her skirt with some worry.
My second aunt is in a bad mood, and now is not a good time. I wonder when the bandit suppression operation will begin; I hope it won't be so soon…
"soft and thick?"
Shi Rongyue shuddered and subconsciously straightened her back and called out "Here." When she realized that she had overreacted, she blushed with guilt and embarrassment.
Dai Li, who was in a bad mood this morning because Qin Shaozong had bothered her openly and subtly, is now laughing. "What were you thinking about just now? Did Rongrong have a sweet dream last night and you were just reliving it?"
Shi Rongyue said dryly, "I guess so. But I don't remember the specifics, I just vaguely felt it was very beautiful."
“Dreams are indeed not easy to remember clearly,” Dai Li wholeheartedly agreed.
The carriage began its journey, passing through the morning market of the small county town. The shouts of vendors and the sounds of pedestrians haggling drifted in from outside the curtains, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Dai Li lifted a corner of the curtain, and the spring morning breeze blew in, carrying a few refreshing coolness that carried away all her remaining restlessness.
Shi Rongyue exclaimed, "That's wonderful!"
Dai Li turned her head at the sound and saw that in the sunlight streaming into the carriage, the fine downy hair on the little girl's cheeks was clearly visible, and the orange ribbon on her head was slightly curled by the wind. At this moment, she smiled contentedly with her big eyes, as if she had been sunbathed into a melting orange cat pancake.
"Rongrong, is this your first time traveling so far?" Dai Li asked with a smile.
"The farthest place I've ever been is Yuyang. If it's not Yuyang, then it is!" Shi Rongyue said truthfully.
“A round trip to Chang’an will take at least two or three months, and since you’ll be arriving in Yuyang in the autumn, you’ll be away from home for at least half a year. Will Rongrong miss home?” Dai Li teased her deliberately. “If you’re secretly crying under the covers at night, I’ll have to send someone to deliver you back to Hongying as fast as I can.”
Shi Rongyue's words, "I still think about it a little bit," caught in her throat. She quickly said, "I won't cry. I've come of age, and after that, I'm a young lady who can leave home. I can't always cling to my mother, otherwise I won't be able to live with myself."
For a moment, Dai Li was dazed. "How could this be?"
Shi Rongyue suddenly realized something. She pinched her ear as she tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to calm herself down. "When you grow up, you have things to do and responsibilities to fulfill. I can't let my parents worry about me for the rest of their lives."
Dai Li snapped out of her reverie, slowly lowered her eyes, and did not respond.
Shi Rongyue was extremely anxious, but since Dai Li didn't speak, she couldn't continue rashly.
We can only wait.
However, Shi Rongyue did not find another opportunity until the car drove out of the county. The little flame in her heart grew dimmer and dimmer, and finally went out with a "poof".
Shi Rongyue: "..." Waaah.
*
For the next six days, the team's itinerary was well-managed. They set off in the morning and arrived precisely at townships or villages as the sun began to set.
The turning point occurred on the seventh day.
After leaving a small village, the next county town to the south was far away, and even with a caravan full of fine horses, it would be difficult to reach their destination in a single day. Therefore, the caravan stopped in the wilderness at dusk.
Setting up camp always requires proximity to water, but large rivers are much rarer in the north than in the south. Since large rivers are hard to find, we find a small stream about ten feet wide and set up camp not far from it.
This expedition involved an unusually large number of vehicles; in addition to ordinary luggage, there were also a number of horse-drawn carriages specifically used to transport the camp tents.
The tents were mostly made of leather and cloth coated with tung oil, which provided protection from wind and rain. In the rainy and humid season, wooden planks were even laid underneath to prevent moisture.
However, spring rain is as precious as oil, so the step of laying wooden planks can be skipped.
The soldiers worked swiftly and quickly erected tents, forming a square. Shen Tianming, Guo Nai, and others occupied one side of the square, while the others from the north occupied the other three sides.
Dai Li and Qin Shaozong shared a tent, with the main tent located in the very center. Next door were the smaller tents of the Qin brothers, Qin Yanzhou and Qin Qinian, and on the other side was Shi Rongyue.
After having dinner, Dai Li went to her tent to rest.
She had spoken very little to Qin Shaozong these past few days, avoiding exchanging a single word with him unless absolutely necessary. And this "necessary" exchange only occurred in one situation: when someone from the imperial court happened to arrive.
"It's been several days, is Madam still angry?" Qin Shaozong followed Dai Li into the tent.
Dai Li ignored him.
Qin Shaozong said helplessly, "I was wrong before. I promise I won't say those things to Qin Er anymore, okay?"
Dai Li couldn't help but scold him, "You've said everything you needed to say, what's the point of making promises to me now?"
Qin Shaozong suppressed the upward curve of his lips and remained silent. Instead, he suddenly reached out and pinched Dai Li's waist, a move that caught her completely off guard.
Her waist was ticklish, and when he pinched it unexpectedly, she couldn't keep her serious expression and laughed.
Dai Li: "..."
Qin Shaozong forcibly pulled her into his arms and rubbed his chin against her cheek. "How much gas is left in your belly, Madam? Let me feel it again and see if you'll smile again."
"Qin Changgeng, you're so annoying." Dai Li slapped his hand.
It was a small tent, not as spacious as the private rooms in the post station; it could only fit a soft couch. So Qin Shaozong, who had slept on the small couch for six days, was finally able to sleep in a bed.
Well, although the bed was very simple, Qin Shaozong didn't care.
As soon as he lay down, he closed his eyes and reached out to the side. When he caught the soft little thing, he rolled it up and tucked it into his arms, holding it tightly in his embrace. Then, unsurprisingly, he got a kick to the calf.
Qin Shaozong didn't even open his eyes. "What's that old saying again? Couples fight at the head of the bed and make up at the foot of the bed. Since you're still so angry, why don't we have a fight?"
As he spoke, the large hand that was wrapped around her waist slid down meaningfully.
Dai Li grasped his rough hand tightly. "Don't be silly."
The tent was even less soundproof than the room; if there was any noise, the neighbors might be able to hear it. If she were to have sex with him in the tent tonight, Dai Li felt that she would have to smother Qin Changgeng with a pillow in the middle of the night and then throw him into the river to cover up the crime.
He spread his slender fingers and intertwined them with hers, kissing her earlobe again and again. "It's been six days, my lady. We've already left Youzhou. Can you calm down?"
"Go to sleep." Dai Li pulled the blanket over his head.
...
Tonight there are neither stars nor moon; the sky above is as if veiled by a thick black gauze. Crows flutter by, their ghostly shadows completely disappearing into the darkness, leaving only their cawing calls to be heard, without a trace of their presence.
The square camps rising up along the river were set up with braziers and torches, which shone like precious pearls in the dark night.
There was a rustling sound coming from the low hill to the east, not far from the camp.
"The Marquis of Wu'an and his men have set up camp. Judging from their appearance, they number about three hundred, which is more than twice the number of ours."
"The main objective this time is to kill imperial messengers. If things go wrong, retreat immediately and do not linger in battle."
"General, the court has only twenty-odd talented individuals; it would be difficult to discern their abilities..."
“Not difficult. Just now, news came from our inside agent that they are stationed in the north. As long as the court suffers heavy losses this time, with most of the men dying on their way back to Chang'an, it will be hard for Marquis Wu'an not to arouse suspicion, after all, the north is his territory.” The man sneered: “Pass down the order to act at dawn. If captured alive, you must insist that you are a bandit and that you do not serve anyone.”
The rustling sound, like a snake, darted through the grass and quickly disappeared into the distance.
Deng Qianfeng stared at the fire not far away, his gaze unfathomable.
This is Jizhou territory, Qin Shaozong's land. They can't send too many soldiers. No, to be more precise, they can send people, but not weapons.
Each town gate had patrols to inspect travelers' belongings. Weapons, especially fine swords and knives that were clearly for combat, were not allowed to be brought along.
If it is discovered that someone cannot produce the corresponding documentation, not only will the weapon be confiscated, but the person carrying it may also be imprisoned.
Of course, it's not impossible to travel around the city and deliberately avoid the city gates for inspection. But when traveling, one still needs to eat, drink, and relieve oneself, and those supplies can only be found in the city.
If you bring your own supplies, you can bypass the city gates and venture deep into the north. However, traveling with such large and small bags will increase the chances of being discovered by the city's patrols or actual bandits.
Therefore, after planning this matter for a long time, only a little over a hundred soldiers were brought in.
A cool breeze swept by, the dark clouds in the sky shifted, and the full moon peeked out briefly, only to disappear back into the clouds at the end of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), when the night is dark and the wind is high.
A group of shadowy figures, wielding blades, crouched low, concealed themselves in the grass, and advanced rapidly, closing the distance quickly.
The bird whistled twice, and a row of archers took their positions.
The tendon was stretched taut, making a "crunching" sound, and with another drawn-out bird whistle, arrows rained down.
...
Inside the tent.
Qin Yanzhou suddenly opened his eyes, quickly reached for the long sword placed beside his pillow, and sprang to his feet.
At this moment, Qin Qinian, who was standing next to him, also woke up. "What was that sound just now?"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a loud shout came from outside:
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Outrageous! You dare to come looking for trouble while you're still in the North? You're courting death! You brat, just you wait, your father will come and deal with you right now!" The furious young man, with his hair untied, drew his sword and charged out.
As Qin Qinian went out, the curtain was lifted, and Qin Yanzhou saw soldiers carrying weapons coming out of the tent one after another, clearly ready to fight.
Four words suddenly flashed through his mind: "Act first, report later."
Author's Note: Here I am! [dog head with rose in hand]
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