Chapter 147 Mother-Son Agreement
"Be gentle, you're so clumsy! I told you to be gentle, are you deaf?"
When Qin Shaozong arrived with his men, he heard Guo Nai roar.
The imperial messenger team consisted of only twenty people, eighteen in total, excluding the leaders Shen Tianming and Guo Nai. This small team was composed of elite soldiers; apart from Guo Nai, who was a high-ranking eunuch, everyone was strong and healthy, striving to deliver the imperial edict northward as quickly as possible.
With this configuration, it's obvious that a weak medic wouldn't be carried. Besides, there are towns one after another along the way, so if anyone falls ill, they can seek medical treatment on the spot.
So the northern military doctor who was yelled at was Ding Lianxi and his assistant.
Qin Shaozong said calmly, "Guo Changshi's vital energy is so strong, he should be fine. Congjian, Qiao Wangfei was also injured just now, go and take a look at him."
Ding Lianxi had long since given up on serving him.
This eunuch surnamed Guo in the imperial court is no good at martial arts, but he's the best at showing off. Even after we helped him tie up his severed arm, he was still complaining. If you're so capable, don't let him come here.
Upon hearing Qin Shaozong speak, Ding Lianxi swiftly slammed the wooden box beside him shut, grabbed it, and left before Guo Nai could even react.
Qiao Wangfei came with Qin Shaozong, and when he saw Ding Lianxi walking towards him, he was completely dumbfounded.
He wasn't injured!
Suddenly remembering something, Qiao Wangfei looked down at his hand. When he was fighting the enemy earlier, he had knocked away a curved sword, and as the sword spun away, its tip grazed the back of his hand.
It was nothing serious, just a minor cut with a line of bright red blood seeping out. He casually wiped his hand, and the bleeding stopped.
This was most likely seen by the lord when he was bowing and reporting earlier.
It was just a minor superficial injury. If it had been discovered any later, the wound would have already healed. How could we trouble Mr. Ding?
"Commander Qiao, you are so badly injured, how can you move around on your own? Come, come, I'll take you back for treatment." Ding Lianxi grabbed Qiao Wangfei's arm and dragged him away.
Qiao Wangfei: "..."
Guo Naiyan could easily see that Qin Shaozong was acting deliberately. The general's face was clearly ruddy, so how could he have been seriously injured in the blink of an eye? His eyes were bloodshot. "Marquis Wu'an, do you really think that the land above you belongs to the 'Qin' family?"
These words were too harsh and too sensitive, so much so that after they were spoken, the surrounding area fell silent, and no one dared to respond.
Qin Shaozong suddenly chuckled, "Why is Eunuch Guo so furious? You lost an arm to bandits while on your mission to deliver the imperial decree. When you return to Chang'an, His Majesty will surely be deeply moved by your unwavering spirit despite your disability. He will most likely reward you with higher rank, more land, and beautiful maids. Even if you had both arms, you wouldn't have to worry for the rest of your life. So, you should be thanking me. Why are you not only ungrateful but also speaking ill of me?"
Guo Nai nearly choked on a mouthful of blood.
He lost an arm, and this person actually wanted him to thank him?
Do you want this good fortune?
He was so angry that his blood boiled, and the bleeding from his severed arm, which had just stopped, started to seep out bright red blood again.
Seeing the situation was turning bad, Shen Tianming quickly advised, "Attendant Guo, don't get angry. Take care of your wounds. The attack was unpredictable; it's all those bandits' fault for being so blind. Besides, it's already a fait accompli, so why don't you..."
"Who says it's unpredictable!" Guo Nai's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Qin Shaozong. "I heard it. Tonight's whole thing was clearly orchestrated by the Northern Lands."
Feng Feng and the others' expressions changed drastically.
"Guo Changshi, be careful what you say! You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"
"That's right, without any evidence, what makes you say this was done by someone from the North? Assassinating a high-ranking official of the imperial court, are they out of their minds?"
Qin Shaozong's face also turned cold, his brown eyes gleaming in the firelight like the piercing eyes of a large, ferocious beast. "Where did Guo Changshi hear this? And who was it that said these words?"
Guo Nai was intimidated by his imposing manner and was speechless for a moment.
"My Qin family has guarded the borders for generations, and countless people have died to ensure the peace of the Great Yan's frontier. I never expected that we would be unjustly slandered in the end. I think there is no need to rush to the capital until this mud is cleared up and the truth is found out. General Shen, don't you agree?" Qin Shaozong looked at Shen Tianming beside him as he finished speaking.
Shen Tianming stiffened, but this matter did indeed need to be clarified. "Attendant Guo, this matter is of utmost importance. Please explain in detail."
"When those so-called bandits attacked just now, I heard them say things like 'Our lord said to fight quickly,' 'If we are captured, we must not confess,' and 'die for our lives.' At that time, it was chaotic, and I couldn't remember the appearance of all the people who said these things. I only remember that one of them had a black mole on the left corner of his mouth," Guo Nai recalled.
Qin Shaozong glanced at Feng Feng, who quickly left the group.
Mo Yanyun angrily said, "This is utterly absurd! What's wrong with Lord Jun saying we should settle this quickly? We've encountered such a disturbing scoundrel in the middle of the night. Are we supposed to drag this out until dawn and let them enjoy the sunrise before we resolve this?"
Shen Tianming's lips twitched slightly.
The words may be crude, but the principle is sound; such matters should indeed be resolved as soon as possible.
Guo Nai was momentarily speechless, but then continued, "Even if the first part makes sense, what about the second part? Who knows if you did it on purpose? Otherwise, why would Marquis Wu'an still follow you after you've been away from Yuyang for so long? His Majesty didn't summon you to the capital to meet him, and entering the capital without an imperial edict is tantamount to treason."
The last two words were written with extra weight.
Qin Shaozong said expressionlessly, "If I wanted to rebel, I could kill you all right now, pin the blame on the bandits, and then use the pretext of an attack on a court official and the annihilation of the entire army to personally petition His Majesty in the capital."
Shen and Guo's expressions changed drastically.
Guo Nai's strength instantly diminished by seven-tenths. They had suffered nearly half their casualties in the attack, and now only a handful of ten remained. In terms of numbers, they were less than a fraction of the enemy's.
"My lord, we've found the man with the black mole under his lip that Attendant Guo mentioned earlier," Feng Feng said as he returned.
The surroundings fell silent, and everyone turned to look at him.
Feng Feng's expression was solemn. "However, this person was one of the enemies who was killed, and he is now dead."
*
Not long after Dai Li returned to the main tent, she heard the sounds of fighting outside stop and turn into shouts like arguing, as if they were arguing about something. However, it didn't last long, and the sound sank slowly like a boat capsized by the tide.
Dai Li lay back on the soft couch, wide awake.
One moment she thought of Qin Yanzhou's resolute face, the next she thought of the blood splattered on Qin Qinian's face from who-knows-where. All sorts of complicated thoughts crowded her head, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.
Perhaps a quarter of an hour had passed, or perhaps a very long time had passed, but Dai Li, who was holding a quilt and had her back to the curtain, heard the soft sound of the curtain being lifted.
The person who came was very quiet. Dai Li heard the sound of a belt being pulled off, followed by the fluttering of a robe. It must have been that he took off his outer robe and put it aside.
Dai Li did not move.
The area next to it sank in.
The hot nasal breath landed on the back of her neck, somewhat like the sniffing of a large carnivore before a meal.
Before Dai Li could use the rolling motion to avoid it, a strong, long arm reached out from behind, wrapped around her waist, and pulled her back a little, pressing her against his broad chest.
"Why isn't Madam asleep yet?"
Dai Li was slightly taken aback, unsure how he had sensed it. She was preoccupied with her stubborn and disobedient son and didn't have a pleasant expression towards the instigator behind her.
Dai Li: "I'm asleep, don't bother me."
A low laugh came from behind, and then Qin Shaozong took the initiative to tell her about what happened that night, "Madam, Guo Changshi lost an arm and claimed that this matter was orchestrated by us in the north."
Dai Li was surprised and couldn't help but blurt out, "Didn't you say you hadn't started yet?"
Qin Changgeng did indeed want to stage a scene of a lost "imperial edict," but that would happen later, when they reached the border between Yan and Ji provinces. After all, the dust explosion in Chang'an required time to plan, and extending the timeline was also to avoid suspicion.
Qin Shaozong: "Indeed, it hasn't started yet. Someone else took action ahead of time, trying to muddy the waters."
Dai Li rolled over in his arms, lying face up. "You've caught them alive, haven't you? Did you find out who's behind it all?"
“We captured five people alive, but strangely, they all withstood interrogation and did not confess. They insisted that they were ordinary people who had no choice but to become outlaws because they could not make a living.” Qin Shaozong’s eyes were heavy. “Later, all five of them died from poisoning.”
Dai Li paused, "Did they know beforehand that the poison would take effect? Otherwise, why did they all insist on not confessing?"
Qin Shaozong calmly replied, "Most likely."
"How did Guo Changshi react after he found out?" Dai Li asked.
Qin Shaozong: "He lost an arm, so he was naturally filled with resentment. After all, his appearance was damaged, and he could no longer serve the young emperor. It was as if his official career was over for the rest of his life. But what could he do even if he resented it? There were only a few cats and puppies left in the court. As the saying goes, when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. No matter how dissatisfied you are, you have to keep it to yourself."
When Dai Li heard his last sentence, her brow twitched, and she suspected that this person might have made some outrageous remarks.
Qin Shaozong continued, "Half of the 'mountain bandits' have escaped, but they may return to kill more people in the imperial court."
If at first he was just watching with amusement and thought Shen Guo and the others were unlucky, how could he not know that the other side was targeting the imperial forces after the survivors were killed at the same time?
Dai Li pondered, "Let them stay in the center of the formation from now on, instead of placing them on the edge."
Qin Shaozong grunted in agreement and pulled Dai Li, who was originally facing upwards, over so that they were facing each other.
The two were very close, their noses almost touching, their breaths mingling. "I heard from others that Qin Er behaved quite well tonight. And he was dressed neatly when he came back earlier, so he must not have been injured. After this, Madam can finally rest assured."
"What are you worried about?" Dai Li reached out and placed her hand on his chest, trying to push him away. "Tonight we have the numbers, the enemy is weak and we are strong, and we're in a favorable situation with good luck. But who can guarantee that every time will be like tonight?"
"Qin Er is quite stubborn at heart," Qin Shaozong said.
The subtext is that Qin Yanzhou will not give up.
Dai Li was already extremely worried. There were some things she knew, but she wouldn't allow anyone to tell her them again.
The delicate hand that had been resting on the man's chest was now used to cover his mouth. Dai Li said displeasedly, "How dare you say that? It's all because you were stirring things up. It's all your fault."
As soon as she finished speaking, Dai Li withdrew her hand as if she had been electrocuted, her expression changing rapidly.
This guy actually fawned over her, shameless.
"I have a solution that might solve your urgent problem, Madam. Would you like to hear it?" Qin Shaozong said at this moment.
Dai Li was suspicious.
Does he have any suggestions?
He was the one who stirred up trouble before, and now he's the one saying he has a solution. Could this guy be secretly plotting something bad?
Qin Shaozong added, "I'm just listening. Whether or not to adopt the suggestions is entirely up to you, Madam."
Dai Li hesitated but couldn't resist her curiosity. "Okay, go ahead and tell me."
Qin Shaozong curled his thin lips, but his tone was very serious, "Madam and I signed an agreement in black and white. I think we can refer to the past and have Qin Er draw up an agreement with you this time."
Dai Li's eyebrows twitched slightly, "A contract?"
Qin Shaozong: "Exactly. That boy is single-mindedly focused on the task at hand now, and there's probably no way to pull him back. It would be better for you, Madam, to take a step back for now and use that as a strategic retreat to avoid straining your relationship with your son."
"You mean, should we still let him participate in the bandit suppression?" Dai Li's tone gradually turned hostile.
Qin Shaozong explained, "Tonight he was able to run off to defend against the enemy on his own, but when it comes to suppressing the bandits, who knows if he won't repeat the same trick? Madam, you might as well make a pact now: if he is seriously injured next time, such as having his back cut open or his limbs broken, then..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qin Shaozong received a rabbit kick to the calf.
Dai Li was furious. "Qin Changgeng, Zhouzhou may not be your biological son, but you don't need to harbor such malice in your speculations."
“Madam, it was not out of malice. These are things I have experienced before.” Qin Shaozong pulled the blanket back, which she had kicked askew. “However, things are different now. The Northern Kingdom has been subdued, and many armies in the Central Plains are not as fierce as they were back then. Besides, with the Northern Kingdom as our backing and with the help of your fertilizer, we will certainly not have to worry about food in the future.”
Unlike Youzhou in the past, which was constrained by the imperial court and whose military pay was repeatedly delayed, it also had to face the arrogant northern tribes.
Dai Li suddenly remembered the scars all over his body.
The scars, some long and some short, new and old, are intertwined, and in some places they even form a grid. If they were injured at the same time, they could definitely cut off a large chunk of flesh.
Dai Li opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
"So Madam need not worry too much." What Qin Shaozong didn't say was that not only him, but Qin San had also had this experience.
During the battle with the Northern Kingdom, that kid almost ended up in the underworld, which is why he didn't take Qin San with him when he went south to deal with the salt smugglers.
However, since Qin Er and Qin San are both juniors, if she knew about this, she might not know how to empathize with them and would be filled with fear, so she simply kept quiet.
Dai Li lowered her eyes, turned over while hugging the blanket, and mumbled the word "sleep".
In the darkness, the man smiled silently.
*
After spending the night in the wilderness, the team continued their journey the next morning, heading towards their next destination, Manjiang County.
Because the imperial forces had many wounded, especially Guo Nai, one of the commanders who had lost an arm, their marching speed was much slower than usual. They were originally scheduled to arrive at Manjiang County at noon, but they didn't enter the city until late afternoon.
Upon entering the city, Guo Nai couldn't wait to take his people to the clinic for treatment.
Clearly, he did not trust the medical practitioners in the north.
Qin Shaozong let him go, while he and Dai Li checked into the post station. Manjiang County was not large, but it was an important county on the route from the Western Regions to Jizhou, so there were many people from the Western Regions in the county.
This was the first time Shi Rongyue had ever seen such a blond-haired, hook-nosed foreigner. She sat by the car window and leaned out further and further until she had both hands on the windowsill, like a cat peeking out.
"Second Aunt, they are so special. Some have blue eyes, and some have green eyes. I suppose most of the Hu people in the Western Regions are like that." There was a hint of envy in the little girl's voice.
If it weren't for her second uncle's powerful and influential position, she, who shares the same eye color as him, would have faced even more criticism in the past.
Dai Li was distracted and multitasking. "One region's environment shapes its people. On the other side of the world, some people can even have dark skin, the kind that would almost blend in with the darkness."
Shi Rongyue exclaimed in amazement, "Second Aunt, you are amazing! You even know this."
Dai Li smiled but didn't say anything.
Soon after, the inn arrived.
As before, Qin Shaozong generously booked the entire post station, with Dai Li and the other core members from the North staying on the top three floors.
It was still before dinner time, and Dai Li looked at Nian Xia and Bi Po, who were tidying up the room, and finally said, "Nian Xia, take out the brush, ink, paper and inkstone from the box. Oh, and also the inkpad."
Nianxia didn't understand, but she did as instructed without hesitation.
She spread out the mulberry paper, ground the ink, picked up her brush, and slowly applied ink to the paper. She wrote slowly but very carefully, without pausing at all.
After finishing one sheet of paper, Dai Li gently lifted the wolf-hair brush and looked hesitantly at another brand-new sheet. After much deliberation, she finally picked up that sheet as well and began to inscribe again.
This time, the writing was far less fluid than before. Dai Li stopped writing several times, and even erased the previous lines and had to discard the paper to rewrite.
By the time she finished writing on the mulberry paper, almost half an hour had passed.
"Bibo, go and tell Yanzhou and Qinian to come over," Daili instructed.
Bibo accepted the order and left.
Soon after, two figures, one tall and one short, arrived side by side.
The door to the room was not closed, but both of them stopped in front of the room. Qin Yanzhou knocked on the door panel next to him. "Mother, did you look for us?"
Dai Li: "Come in."
The two then entered.
Without avoiding Qin Qinian, Dai Li looked at the young man and said in a cold tone, "Zhouzhou, I'll ask you one last time, are you determined to go and suppress the bandits?"
Qin Yanzhou lowered his head in a submissive gesture, but said, "Please allow me, Mother."
The expected scolding didn't come; instead, he heard the woman speak, "Qinian, what about you? You too?"
Qin Qinian was stunned. He thought Dai Li had called him over to act as a mediator, but he didn't expect her to ask him the same question.
"Of course," Qin Qinian replied without hesitation.
Dai Li beckoned the two brothers to come forward. Once they were at the table, she handed each of them a piece of mulberry paper. "Since you want to go into battle, then sign this. If you don't sign, don't even think about going to suppress the bandits. Let me make it clear beforehand that Qin Changgeng has agreed to let me make the decision on this matter. Even if you try to find him through another route, it will be useless."
Compared to Qin Qinian, who was frowning and struggling to read each word, Qin Yanzhou read very quickly.
He finished reading first, looked up in surprise, his eyes filled with joy: "Mother, I can do it, I promise you!"
The agreement in his hand was very concise. Dai Li agreed to let him go to suppress the bandits, but on two conditions: first, he had to obey orders unconditionally; second, if he was injured in this bandit suppression, even if it was just a minor injury, he would not have to go to the front line in the future.
Dai Li remained indifferent. "If you agree, then sign it and put your fingerprint on it."
Qin Yanzhou has finished signing his name and leaving his fingerprints.
Qin Qinian's face was contorted in a grimace, looking as if he had been struck by lightning. "Mother, can you change the terms? I can't just read four books and write a 20,000-word review within half a month. It's not as satisfying as a beating."
Dai Li: "...No, this is fine."
Author's Note: Here I am! [dog head with rose in hand]
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