Chapter 146 It's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality...
Dai Li was suddenly awakened from her deep sleep. A cacophony of noise flooded her ears. She heard someone shouting "Enemy attack!" and the sound of gongs and drums. The silence of the night was like a shattered bronze mirror, each shard sharp enough to cut her eardrums.
She instinctively sat up, clutching the blanket, and turned to look in the direction of the curtain.
There were no lamps lit in the tent. A little light shone in through the curtains rolled up on both sides to let in some ventilation, but it was not bright. It only made the tent a little better than pitch black. Therefore, Dai Li saw a tall figure who had also sat up.
Qin Shaozong touched Dai Li's forehead and saw no cold sweat, but still asked, "Was Madam frightened?"
"An enemy attack? Could it be bandits?" Dai Li frowned and guessed.
It's not impossible; after all, they had many carriages, and at first glance, they did indeed look like wealthy merchants traveling. In the eyes of the bandits, weren't they easy prey?
Qin Shaozong rose unhurriedly, saying, "What's there to fear from mere bandits? Let them come if we encounter them."
Dai Li's sleepiness vanished completely, and she got up and dressed. "I don't know why, but I feel uneasy."
"Uneasy? With your husband here, how could you let some villain kidnap you?" Qin Shaozong suddenly thought of something, his eyes flickered, "Why don't you stay in the tent and wait for good news, Madam?"
Dai Li continued dressing, "No, I'll go out with you and take a look."
Qin Shaozong paused slightly, but did not speak.
After dressing, the two stepped out of the tent together. Outside, the fire blazed brightly, illuminating the area as if it were daytime. Earlier, they had heard the clanging of gongs and drums, and faint screams, but upon emerging, there was none of the chaos Dai Li had anticipated.
The soldiers poured out in droves, each wielding a sharp blade, like wolves baring their fangs, waiting only for the alpha wolf's command to charge forward.
The sounds of fighting continued to rise from the north of the square formation. Qin Shaozong chuckled the moment he glanced in that direction. "A sneak attack from the north? They certainly know how to choose. Feng Feng, what's the situation now?"
Qiao Wangfei and Wei Qing have gone to provide support, Bai Jianping has stayed behind to guard the south, and Feng Feng is waiting for instructions outside the main tent.
Now that he had been singled out by his superiors, he immediately said, "Judging from the number of attackers, there are at most a hundred. They are probably just some ignorant bandits who have learned a little bit of martial arts and then started causing trouble."
Qin Shaozong twirled his thumb ring. "A band of about a hundred men is quite a large-scale bandit gang. We hadn't heard from them before. Leave some alive, and try to save those good-for-nothing officials in the court as well."
Feng Feng: "Yes."
Upon hearing "north," Dai Li looked in that direction and, sure enough, saw chaos reigning in the north. People were wielding knives, the gleaming blades reflecting a chilling light.
"Second Uncle, Second Aunt..."
Dai Li turned around and saw Shi Rongyue with her hair down.
The little girl's face was pale. It was the first time she had encountered something like this, and being so young, she was still in shock.
"It's chilly at night, why isn't Rongrong dressed warmly enough?" Since their tents were close together, Dai Li simply put Rongrong back where she came from. "Don't worry, the enemy's numbers are far fewer than ours. Your second uncle will handle it."
Shi Rongyue was coaxed back by Dai Li.
As Dai Li emerged from the young girl's tent, she suddenly shuddered.
With all this commotion tonight, even Rongrong came out. Why haven't Zhouzhou and Qinian made a sound? Could it be...?
Dai Li quickened her pace, passing the main tent and Qin Shaozong standing in front of it, and headed straight for the brothers' tent.
The tent flap was fluttering slightly in the wind, clearly the small buttons inside weren't fastened. Dai Li's heart skipped a beat, and she restrained herself from directly lifting the flap, first calling out, "Zhouzhou, Qinian."
No one answered from inside.
Her heart sank to the bottom. Dai Li suddenly threw back the curtain, and the firelight shone in from both sides, climbing up the empty soft couch inside.
Nobody's here!
The two brothers have disappeared.
The sounds of fighting in the distance seemed to amplify infinitely at this moment, as if they caused the earth to tremble. Otherwise, why would she feel dizzy and unable to stand steadily?
An iron arm reached out from behind and scooped up Dai Li, who had just fallen to the ground. She heard a deep male voice, slightly surprised, ask in her ear, "Where did those two kids go?"
...
"Where did this scoundrel come from? Give me your father's life!" Qin Qinian drew his sword and slashed.
The man was startled, not expecting that while he was fighting with someone, someone would suddenly appear from the other side, and with such a fierce momentum, as if he were leading a thousand troops.
However, the shout from the other party to cheer him on was not without its benefits; at least it served as a warning.
The man quickly pulled out another short knife from his waist, and used it to block the attack. He was about to mock the young man for being too impetuous, but the moment the blades actually clashed, his expression changed.
It felt as if a tremendous force was being applied to his wrist. He was already wielding the knife with one hand, and now he was facing off with his left hand, which he couldn't withstand.
The clash of blades lasted only two breaths before Qin Qinian knocked his short sword away.
"Li Wu, I'm here to help you!" Seeing that things were not going well, his companion's arm muscles bulged and he swiftly killed a wounded imperial soldier before stepping forward.
However, before he could take two steps, a chilling killing intent, which made his scalp tingle, coiled around him like a snake, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.
The man instinctively turned his head and raised his knife, but unfortunately, he was a step too slow. The serpent's fangs had already silently approached his throat, and as the blade swiftly sliced through, a stream of crimson blood gushed out.
A heavy body fell straight down.
Qin Yanzhou's handsome face was as cold as ice, without a ripple of emotion. He didn't even glance at the fallen corpses, nor did he wipe the blood off his blade. He plunged into other battles like a beast.
While dealing with the burly man whose short sword he had knocked away, Qin Qinian also kept an eye on Qin Yanzhou. When he saw Qin Yanzhou, his eyes lit up and he chased after him with his sword drawn. "Brother Qin... how about we have a contest? Let's see who gets the most heads in the end."
Qin Yanzhou glanced in that direction, said nothing, and continued reaping with his knife.
The young man's undergarment was black, blending into the night as if it had become an inconspicuous pool of ink. Thrusts, jabs, slashes, retreats, and dodges were all executed in one fluid motion, flowing like water, leaving behind gurgling, rolling objects in his wake.
As the fighting progressed, everyone around Qin Yanzhou, whether "bandits" or officials from the imperial court, instinctively avoided him.
Deng Qianfeng had previously ordered that the main attack be on the imperial soldiers, killing them as many as possible. The first wave of the night raid was a hail of arrows, which felled the soldiers on the outermost edge. By the time they reacted, the attackers had already penetrated deeper under the cover of darkness.
But this fierce offensive did not last long, and the situation quickly turned around with the arrival of reinforcements from the north.
The attackers fought and retreated, attempting to escape. But the court, having suffered a silent loss, saw that there was support from the north and could not swallow this insult. They immediately ordered their companions to give chase.
After Qin Yanzhou had dealt with several people, he heard the order to pursue the enemy. He paused for a moment, then finally lowered his sword and did not follow the others.
Qin Qinian originally wanted to chase after them with Qiao Wangfei and the others, but when he caught a glimpse of Qin Yanzhou stopping out of the corner of his eye, he deliberately turned around and stood in front of the young man. "Now that we are strong and the enemy is weak, the situation is very favorable. Why don't you chase after them?"
Qin Yanzhou shook his head: "No, that's enough."
Qin Qinian didn't understand. The young man frowned. "We haven't even annihilated the enemy yet. What do you mean by enough? Come on, brothers, let's go fight and kill the enemy together."
Qin Yanzhou sheathed his sword and turned away without saying a word.
"Second brother, what are you doing?" Qin Qinian was dumbfounded, but then he saw the other party walk towards a tent not far away and pick up a package in the corner of the tent.
Qin Qinian: "?"
He watched as the young man sheathed his sword, then bowed his head and extended his arm as if I were inspecting him. After checking and confirming that everything was in order, he opened the package and took out a white robe that he usually wore.
He slowly and deliberately put on the white robe, fastened the waistband, and gathered his long hair into a simple high bun.
In just a moment, the man who had been wielding a sword to kill his enemies, cold and sharp as a demon in the night, transformed into a refined gentleman.
Qin Qinian's pupils dilated in shock, "You, you t..."
"Here's my knife. If you go to kill the enemy, bring it back for me after you're done." Qin Yanzhou stuffed his knife into Qin Qinian's arms.
Qin Qinian instinctively hugged him, "No, I gave you the knife, so where are you going?"
"If I go back, my mother won't be able to see me and will worry." Qin Yanzhou turned and headed towards the main tent.
Qin Qinian glanced down at his knife, then at Qin Yanzhou walking away, and followed after him. "You're such a grown man, and you have such extraordinary martial arts skills. What is there for Mother to worry about? In my opinion, we should go with Uncle Qiao and the others to chase after the enemy. There are such a large number of bandits in the North. If we don't deal with them in time, they'll probably snowball and grow bigger and bigger..."
Although he kept talking, Qin Qinian kept following Qin Yanzhou's footsteps.
"Second brother, Qin Er, say something! If you're going to lie, at least make it believable. It's just going to the battlefield to kill the enemy, not putting away your sword to behead someone. What's there to worry about?"
Qin Yanzhou suddenly stopped.
Qin Qinian thought he had changed his mind, but when he turned around, he saw his parents and Feng Feng standing not far away. Several people not far away noticed their gazes and looked over as well.
Whether it was Qin Qinian's imagination or not, in the flickering firelight, his mother's eyes seemed much brighter than usual, as if a pool of tears were welling up in them.
When Qin Shaozong saw the brothers' attire, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.
The taller one was neatly dressed, his white robe clean and tidy, exuding an air of impeccable purity. The shorter one carried a knife, his hair disheveled, wearing a black undergarment, and a splatter of blood on his face.
One white and one black, a striking contrast.
When Dai Li saw Qin Yanzhou return, her pupils suddenly narrowed. She quickly looked him up and down and saw that he was dressed in pure white, without any bloodstains or even dirt. Only then did her heart, which had been in her throat, slowly relax.
With people coming and going around, it wasn't a place to talk. Dai Li pursed her lips and looked away, no longer glancing at Qin Yanzhou.
When Qin Yanzhou saw that his mother had no intention of speaking and was no longer looking at him, his eyelashes trembled involuntarily.
All eyes turned to him. He had no intention of praising Dai Li, so he only said to Qin Shaozong, "Father, Commander Qiao and Commander Wei have led their men to pursue the enemy."
Qin Shaozong took in his subtle expressions: "Then leave it to them. You two go back and rest. They're just petty thieves anyway, no need to make a fuss."
Having said that, there was nothing more for the two brothers to do tonight.
The atmosphere became slightly tense, but Dai Li finally spoke, "Qin Yanzhou, come with me."
Qin Qinian watched Dai Li and Qin Yanzhou walk further and further away, scratching his head in confusion, "What happened to Mother and Second Brother?"
"You want to know?" Qin Shaozong suddenly asked.
Qin Qinian realized belatedly that he had spoken his mind. He hesitated and nodded, saying he wanted to, but his father didn't say anything. Instead, his father raised his chin in the direction the two had left.
Qin Qinian said uncertainly, "But my mother didn't call me just now."
Qin Shaozong clicked his tongue in disdain.
...
Dai Li led them directly to a tent where supplies were stored. It was a good place to talk since there was no one else around.
Qin Yanzhou followed Dai Li inside and saw a rolling pin on a stack of wooden boxes. Without hesitation, he picked it up, then knelt down, holding the rolling pin high with both hands. "Your son has failed to meet your mother's expectations. I beg you to punish me."
Dai Li was both shocked and frightened when she couldn't find him, fearing that something had happened to him. But when she saw Qin Yanzhou return unharmed, her fear quickly turned into anger.
Seeing him take the initiative to apologize, Dai Li's anger flared even higher. She grabbed the rolling pin, pointed it at him, and angrily rebuked, "Qin Yanzhou, what did I say to you before? You just let it go in one ear and out the other, didn't you? Do you really think I wouldn't bear to hit you!"
“My master said, ‘Master your skills in both literature and martial arts, and offer them to the emperor.’ However, the world is like this now. My son has received favors from the Qin family and is in the Qin family’s army. How can I sit idly by and watch a villain launch a night attack?” The young man lowered his eyes.
Hearing his eloquent argument, Dai Li's anger reached its peak. She couldn't help but hit his arm with a rolling pin. "It seems you won't listen to anything I said before."
The young man kowtowed, but there was no wooden board beneath him. This time, his kowtow wasn't as loud as the first, but his attitude was more resolute than before. "Mom, going to the front lines isn't difficult. You see, I went, and I came back safely."
Dai Li trembled with anger. "Qin Yanzhou, are you determined to do this?"
He slowly straightened up. "I have come of age. Please allow me to."
Dai Li was so angry that her head was buzzing. Just as she was about to hit him again, she suddenly saw a pair of dark eyes peeking out from the gap in the curtain that was being blown up by the wind.
The other person seemed surprised to have been discovered, blinking their round eyes. Soon, the curtain was lifted, and the still-growing boy cautiously entered.
“Mother…” Qin Qinian felt the atmosphere was strange.
He had just arrived and overheard the gist of the story; it seemed that his mother disagreed with Qin Er going to the front lines.
Dai Li took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger, but before she could say anything, she saw Qin Qinian kneeling down next to Qin Yanzhou.
Dai Li paused.
“Mother, I just went to the front lines too.” Qin Qinian glanced at the rolling pin in Dai Li’s hand.
For some reason, Dai Li inexplicably sensed a hint of longing.
She had only raised one child before, but some of her colleagues who had two children said that the most important thing in raising children is to treat them equally, and that the problem is not having too few children but having too few children.
We can't give care and good things only to one person, nor can we punish only one person while ignoring the other.
Dai Li used to just listen to it for fun, after all, Zhouzhou was an only child, but now there's another one...
Dai Li, holding a rolling pin, hesitated for a moment before finally slapping Qin Qinian's arm. "With so many soldiers in the army, do you two need to keep rushing forward?"
After being lightly slapped, Qin Qinian's previous cautiousness vanished in an instant, leaving him with a feeling of comfort, like a big dog being tickled.
Dai Li: "..."
Dai Li was both angry and amused, and after all this commotion, her anger subsided a little. "You're all teenagers and in your twenties now, be more careful in the future."
The two nodded in unison.
Dai Li glanced at the two brothers, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
*
"My lord, the remaining enemy troops have hidden in the mountains. They are familiar with the terrain and escaped under the cover of night," Qiao Wangfei said with shame.
Qin Shaozong: "Were any survivors spared?"
"We killed forty-two people this time, but left five alive." Wei Qing looked troubled. "My lord, the court suffered heavy casualties. Ten out of twenty people died, and Guo Changshi was the most seriously injured."
Qin Shaozong raised an eyebrow slightly, "How heavy is it? Half-dead?"
The fire pit beside him flickered in the wind, which also darkened Wei Qing's expression. "This man lost an arm. I don't know if he was provoked by it or if he had other intentions, but he actually shouted 'The North is too bullying us' at the beginning."
Just then, Qin Yanzhou and Qin Qinian returned.
Hearing this, Qin Qinian felt bewildered. "He was frail and had his hand chopped off. What does that have to do with us in the North? Just because he's traveling with us doesn't mean he can push all the responsibility onto us."
Qin Shaozong narrowed his long eyes and suddenly said to Wei Qing, "Keep a close eye on those five survivors. Make sure their mouths are sealed tightly. They must not be allowed to commit suicide."
Author's Note: Here I am! [dog head with rose in hand]
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