Chapter 164 A Gift for Rongrong
Wugang County.
"We waited at the Changping pass and indeed encountered the defeated army from Xuzhou. Father, I have fulfilled my mission; most of the fleeing ambush troops have been killed!" Qin Qinian returned, panting heavily, carrying a severed head in his hand.
He was covered in blood, his armor was torn in many places, and he looked as if he had walked through a pool of blood. The clothes under his armor were dark red, with his own blood and the blood of others.
Although it was bloody, Qin Qinian didn't seem weak after the fierce battle; on the contrary, he was extremely excited.
He wasn't the only one excited; everyone else in the hall was too. Ever since the scouts returned from the eastern suburbs of Jiangkou, everyone had been in this state of eager anticipation, as if they wanted to open their bloody maws and devour the enemy whole.
The withdrawal of troops from Xuzhou was a pretext. Considering the direction the enemy was heading, it wasn't hard for them to guess Li Lishen's intentions.
The real "stalker" was not the Sizhou army, but the Xuzhou ambush troops led by Li Lishen.
If the northern forces truly believe that Li Xuzhou and Dong Zhou have broken ties, and instead send troops to infiltrate the Sizhou army in an attempt to stab them in the back, then there is only one outcome:
They were surrounded and outflanked by the Xuzhou and Sizhou armies who were hiding further behind.
However, that's a hypothetical scenario that will never happen.
As the crowd looked at the head in Qin Qinian's hand, some cheered loudly, some clapped and laughed, and some clenched their fists as if to strike.
And that round, plump head belonged none other than Li Xuzhou, Li Lishen.
"After this battle, nine-tenths of the main force of Sizhou, which was surrounded by our forces, was lost. The Xuzhou army, however, had a way to retreat and half of them escaped. The remaining Jiang Yuzhou will surely be unable to hold out alone. It will only be a matter of time before we take that treacherous minister's head!"
"Although many Xuzhou soldiers escaped, Li Lishen is dead, and the Xuzhou army is now leaderless. They won't be able to cause any trouble in the short term."
"Haha, since Dong and Li like to form an alliance, then we'll put their heads together another day."
Cui Shengping laughed and said, "There is a saying that a general who can lead the whole army with his own courage is a fierce general, while a general who can lead the whole army with his own strategy is a wise general. The Third Young Master is both wise and brave, truly a tiger cub from a military family, and perfectly inherits the brilliance and martial prowess of His Majesty."
Everyone agreed, "Like father, like son—that's exactly right!"
Nalan Zhi interjected at this moment, "This time we were fortunate to have the scouts discover the opportunity in advance, otherwise we would have suffered heavy losses, or even had to hand over the Yanzhou we had captured earlier."
Why give it up so easily?
Naturally, the army was defeated and had no choice but to retreat.
Everyone nodded in agreement, "Yes, it's thanks to the Second Young Master's meticulousness that others could be laughing so heartily today."
Qin Shaozong glanced at Nalan Zhi and Cui Shengping, twirled the jade thumb ring in his hand, and said nothing.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached from outside, but paused as if they had encountered something near the door. Qin Shaozong looked towards the door, intending to let them in, but before he could speak, the soldiers strode in.
The man was travel-worn; he was the scout who had accompanied Qin Yanzhou on the reconnaissance mission. Xun He bowed respectfully and reported excitedly, "My lord, the granaries of Xuzhou have been burned down!"
His words shocked everyone present, causing a great uproar.
"Burned? Who burned it? Did the treacherous minister and his cronies have a falling out?" This was many people's first reaction.
Qin Shaozong, however, thought otherwise, because Xun He's eyes were very bright at that moment. Even though his eyes were bloodshot and he had clearly been up all night for a long time, it still couldn't hide the light in them.
"The captain led us in burning it together," Xun He replied in a resounding voice.
The hall fell silent again; everyone was utterly astonished and speechless for a moment. Cui Shengping's long beard twitched, and he asked with a complex expression, "How many men did the Second Young Master take to investigate?"
Xun He initially said there were twenty people, but later changed his mind and said seventeen. He then gave a detailed account of the entire process of investigating the military camp.
He seemed to have a talent for storytelling, starting from when Qin Yanzhou insisted on going up the mountain, the minor obstacles he encountered, his advice against Qin Yanzhou's suggestion to raid the granary, and the subsequent series of perilous situations.
Everyone listened with rapt attention, their hearts rising and falling with the music.
After Xun He finished speaking, many people breathed a sigh of relief, praised Qin Yanzhou highly, and asked where he was.
Xun He truthfully replied, "The captain was injured, and he and his brothers went to find a doctor for treatment first."
They had only seventeen men, and were extremely short-handed. Even the soldiers who had been responsible for shaking the tree branches earlier participated in the subsequent cover retreat.
Xun He was assigned to shake tree branches on the west side. Compared to the others, he had fewer opportunities to fight with the Xuzhou soldiers and was the one with the lightest injuries among them. Therefore, Qin Yanzhou specially sent him to give a report.
Qin Shaozong immediately looked at his youngest son, who was still carrying the severed head, and said, "Qin San, this is none of your business. Go find Ding Congjian and check on his injuries."
The boy was flattered by his father's sudden concern. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, wanting to say that he was alright, "Father, I'm fine..."
"Go now!" The two words, leaving no room for argument, were uttered.
Qin Qinian was stunned by the rebuke and subconsciously headed towards the door, but was quickly stopped by Qin Shaozong: "Put down the head."
Qin Qinian came out of the house and walked slowly. He had no destination, and after thinking it over, he decided to go see a military doctor as his father had suggested.
Just on the way there...
“Mother?” He saw Dai Li. She was walking in front of him, not facing him, but with her back to him, and it looked like she was also going to the room where Mr. Ding was.
But my second brother has just returned, how did Mother know he was with Mr. Ding? Could it be that she just went to the main hall?
The thought flashed through Qin Qinian's mind.
Upon hearing his voice, Dai Li didn't stop at first. Instead, she took two steps forward before belatedly turning around. "Qi Nian is back..."
Qin Qinian noticed a hint of confusion on her face and asked with concern, "Mother, are you feeling unwell?"
Dai Li composed herself and shook her head, saying no. Only then did she notice that his armor was torn and his clothes underneath were tattered, like a rag, and the smell of blood was overwhelming.
"How did you get hurt like this, child? Don't delay, go find Mr. Ding quickly." Dai Li's expression changed. Seeing that he was still standing, she wanted to reach out and pull him, but she didn't know if he had any injuries on his arm, so she didn't dare to move and could only urge him repeatedly.
The two arrived at the medical area together.
After two rounds of battle, this place had become a gathering place for many wounded. Dai Li was a little afraid of blood and would not normally come here, but upon hearing that Qin Yanzhou was injured, she couldn't care less.
Inside the room, medics led by Ding Lianxi were busy stitching up the soldiers' wounds.
Last year, at Dai Li's suggestion, Ding Lianxi used mulberry bark thread instead of silk thread, and the effect was surprisingly good. He was amazed and has continued to use it ever since.
When Dai Li arrived, Qin Yanzhou's wounds had been treated and he had put his clothes back on, but his belt was not yet tied and hung loosely on his thin waist.
No one knew where he got a new set of clothes; he was clean and, apart from his pale face, showed no signs of injury. Those unaware of the situation would have assumed he was simply bringing his soldiers to see the army doctor.
"Mother?" Qin Yanzhou stiffened when he saw Dai Li. "Why are you here?"
"I came to see you, and also brought Qinian for treatment." Dai Li looked him up and down, but her son was dressed so neatly that she couldn't see where his injury was.
It's not clear yet. Dai Li first said to the boy beside her, "Qi Nian, take off your armor and let the master treat your wounds."
Qin Qinian obeyed and did as instructed.
He moved quickly, his equipment clattering as it fell off, and in just a moment, he was down to only his undergarments. But just as he was removing his last shirt, the boy stopped, looked at Dai Li again, and shyly called out "Mother."
Not only is it that sons should avoid their mothers as they grow up, but it's also because he has never been so "unrestrained" in front of other women.
Dai Li understood, but she didn't leave. She just turned around, with her back to Qin Qinian and facing Qin Yanzhou, and then began to question her eldest son: "Zhouzhou, where are you hurt?"
Qin Yanzhou hesitated.
Dai Li's face turned cold. "Tell the truth."
"On my arm and back." After reporting the two locations, he quickly added, "The wounds aren't deep, they'll heal with some rest, don't worry."
Not content with just saying that, Qin Yanzhou quickly fastened his belt, as if afraid she would ask to see his injury.
Dai Li's head throbbed with pain. The murmurs she had overheard at the door seemed to come from all directions, a jumble of emotions that made her heart race and her head throb with pain. She still remembered that there were many wounded soldiers here; it wasn't a place to talk, so she remained silent.
Qin Yanzhou lowered his head and avoided Dai Li's gaze.
The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.
Ding Lianxi worked quickly and efficiently, bandaging Qin Qinian's wound in no time, and then explained the precautions he needed to take in the coming days.
After he finished dealing with it, Dai Li led the adult and the child away.
...
For the next three days, Qin Shaozong was extremely busy, arranging for people to pursue the remnants of the Xu and Si prefectures, and dealing with the dying struggles of the Chang'an military patrol and the Yuzhou army.
He also did not neglect the matter of issuing proclamations. After each small battle ended, Qin Shaozong would order a proclamation to be issued to widely publicize the progress of the war. Just as the first proclamation stated, "The blade is aimed only at the chief culprit, not at those who dare to offend the emperor."
Although Qin Shaozong left early and returned late, and the lights in the council hall often burned until late at night, he still noticed that Dai Li had been acting strangely lately.
She stopped looking at the fertilizer records, and she became much quieter. Her maid said that she had a smaller appetite, and sometimes she would hold a book in her hand but not turn a page for a long time.
As for the nights, he knew she would sometimes wake up startled.
Qin Shaozong thought she was distressed by her son's injury, so he simply called his two brothers, who were temporarily unable to fight, and asked them to accompany Dai Li to the county for a stroll.
Wugang was merely a county, much smaller than a prefecture, but far larger than any village. The war continued, but due to the strict discipline of the Qingbei Allied Army, everything within the county remained as before.
At this time, the streets were bustling with vendors, and shouts rose and fell, creating a lively and extraordinary scene.
Dai Li wandered aimlessly through the streets, finding nothing of interest. She had been thinking about the same thing for the past few days, but after much deliberation and repetition, she had to admit with a sense of dejection and fear that she couldn't find a stable way to break through the impasse.
An old man had set up a bamboo cage by the roadside, containing several puppies. The puppies were whimpering inside, their bellies round like little balls of fluff, and they were incredibly cute.
Qin Yanzhou was the first to deviate from his path and walk in front of the old man.
When the old man saw him, he smiled and asked, "Young man, are you buying a hunting dog? The ones here are all offspring of the best hunting dogs, raised from a young age. They will surely be loyal and brave when they grow up. They're not expensive, only twenty coins each."
Seeing his elder brother go over, Qin Qinian happily followed, "Second brother, are you going to buy a dog?"
Qin Yanzhou nodded, "Buy one for Rongrong."
Qin Qinian asked like a curious child, "Why buy a dog for Rongrong? Could it be that you two have a secret agreement? When did this happen, and why don't I know about it?"
Qin Yanzhou pursed his lips.
The story is a long one. It started when his mother wouldn't let him go to the front lines, so he asked Shi Rongyue to help persuade her. In return, he picked out a little white dog for her.
But since Dai Li was also there, Qin Yanzhou couldn't say it directly.
Qin Qinian didn't get a response, so he muttered things like, "You guys don't include me," "What kind of white puppy does she want?" and "I'll help take a look too."
When the old man heard that he wanted a white dog, he took out two from the cage and said, "Young man, what do you think of these two? The one on the left is more sturdy, and only the tip of its tail is stained with a little ink..."
Dai Li stood not far away, watching the two people, one big and one small, choosing a puppy, and her pupils trembled.
The two brothers stood close together. Qin Qinian was not as tall as Qin Yanzhou, but that did not stop him from putting his arm around his brother's shoulder. The two of them huddled together and discussed the puppy.
If you say they are brothers, outsiders who don't know the truth will definitely believe you.
Because of their current brotherly harmony, Dai Li is deeply afraid that one day they will turn against each other with swords drawn.
This unease may have existed for a long time, initially just an insignificant seed, stuck deep in a crack in the rock, invisible and intangible. But with the recent battles, it has taken root and sprouted rapidly, as if nourished by wind and rain.
Dai Li still remembered that day when she was counting down the days until Zhouzhou returned, but she waited and waited and waited and he never came. She couldn't sit still any longer, so she went to the council hall and planned to ask Qin Changgeng about it after he finished his business.
As soon as he reached the door, he heard Qinian giving a report. He said that he had not only taken Li Xuzhou's head, but also wiped out many of Xuzhou's remaining troops.
This was good news, and many people congratulated him.
Dai Li heard Cui Shengping's voice among them, followed by Nalan Zhi's. But the latter wasn't praising Qinian; instead, he mentioned Zhouzhou.
A strange feeling arose in her heart.
When the scouts returned and recounted their daring feat of snatching teeth from a tiger's mouth, she broke out in a cold sweat, only to hear a torrent of praise flowing through the council hall.
In an instant, Dai Li felt that strange feeling soaring up on the wind of praise, like oil being poured into a raging fire, and suddenly reaching its peak.
That wind was so cold, it seemed to penetrate to the very bone, leaving no gap between the bones untouched. And in that biting wind, Dai Li seemed to see endless bloodshed and bloodshed, and brothers fighting to the death.
Qin Changgeng's staff have chosen sides, and Zhouzhou even has followers behind him!
They dared to take sides, did they do so on Qin Changgeng's orders? Otherwise, how could they dare?
What about Qin Changgeng? What was he thinking? Did he see Zhouzhou as a whetstone, or something else?
Before coming to the Great Yan Dynasty, Dai Li was just an editor at a publishing house and did not pursue a career in politics. Therefore, she admitted that her political acumen was indeed not very high.
That's why she was even more panicked.
Even someone as oblivious as her senses noticed something amiss; was the underlying conflict between the two sides perhaps even greater and more difficult to resolve...?
For the first time, Dai Li felt that her husband's great potential and ability were not necessarily a good thing.
It was obvious that Qin Changgeng would not stop at the position of a marquis; his goal was the imperial throne in the capital and the power to control the entire world.
Even if Zhouzhou doesn't have any ambition for power, what if he's pushed, pressured, and begged in the future? Would he be willing? Could he refuse? Could he escape unscathed?
The phrase "being unable to control one's own destiny" is never just an empty phrase. Zhouzhou and Qinian are both good children, and even though the latter is not her biological son, she hopes he will live a peaceful and happy life in the future.
Looking at the two brothers who were so close, Dai Li was overcome with worry.
Qin Yanzhou and Qin Qinian were unaware of her thoughts. After careful comparison, the young man chose a small white dog with a purer coat and a more robust build.
"Mother?" Qin Yanzhou, who was holding the puppy, turned around and saw Dai Li staring blankly at him and Qin Qinian, her face somewhat pale. "What's wrong?"
Dai Li snapped out of her reverie and forced a smile. "It's nothing, I was just spacing out for a bit."
The group continued on their way and encountered a caravan of merchants. The merchants' voices drifted over:
"I heard that the Xuzhou army and the Sizhou army were utterly defeated. Tsk tsk, it seems that the days of those powerful and wealthy people in Chang'an are numbered."
"A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives. Can they really be trapped to death by a city? If they can't stay in Chang'an, they can always escape and find a peaceful place to continue their lives."
Dai Li suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Author's Note: I saw some readers asking about my hand. Actually, I'm much better now. Thank you for your concern! [heart emoji]
But I'm not a full-time writer; I'm just a corporate slave (poor thing). My idiot boss keeps dumping work on me, and there are frequent meetings, so I'm often busy until very late. I simply don't have time to write, and I don't have any drafts saved up [crying emoji]. So I'm updating every other day [crying emoji][crying emoji]
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