Chapter 168 Father Has a New Love?
The bright afternoon sunlight streamed into the room, making the elegant house even brighter. In the corner, a carved peony incense burner emitted wisps of fragrance, adding a delicate aroma to the room.
Footsteps approached from outside.
Soon, a young man dressed in a white robe and wearing a turban stepped into the main room. He immediately saw the woman sitting by the table. All the maids in the room had been dismissed, and now only the two of them remained in the room. "Mother, did you look for me?"
Qin Yanzhou knelt on the other side of the table.
Dai Li stared blankly at her son, who was just across the table from her.
When I first sent him to school, he was just a nine-year-old kid, carrying a cartoon backpack and with a small water bottle around his neck. I never imagined he would grow up so fast.
He was taller than her, had broader shoulders, and his face had lost the chubby baby fat she remembered, becoming more defined and angular.
But there's nothing she can do; no matter how old the governor is, in her heart he's still a child.
"Mom, did you not sleep well last night? What's troubling you?" Qin Yanzhou noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes.
My mother is usually radiant, even on the night she broke out of Chang'an. How could she have looked so haggard as a peony that has lost its water?
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he sensed unease emanating from his mother. This unease reached its peak when the melancholy in her eyes intensified, and the hesitation in her brows slowly transformed into determination.
Dai Li did not answer his question, but asked softly, "Zhouzhou, if I want to leave Qin Changgeng and leave the North, will you come with me?"
"Why...why do you ask such a question?" Qin Yanzhou's pupils suddenly narrowed, and he flew into a rage, no longer addressing Qin Shaozong as "father." "Has Marquis Wu'an made any demands of you?"
He thought of the palace banquet from yesterday.
Although they received their titles together, the men and women were seated separately at the latter half of the palace banquet, and he dined in the west hall with his lords. Their banquet was held under the guise of celebrating victory, with fine wines flowing freely in the hall, dancers singing and dancing, and many men gradually becoming unrestrained in their behavior amidst the wine.
After a few rounds of drinks, someone would step forward with a cup to toast that person, and the flattery and praise were obvious. Some people would also use the guise of praise to offer gifts.
The gifts were plentiful, ranging from fine vintage wines and precious gems to fine horses and scantily clad dancers...
Could it be that the man's refusal yesterday was just a show of politeness, and he was actually already tempted, just waiting to go back and appease his mother before happily welcoming the beauty into his household?
This was the only reason Qin Yanzhou could think of.
The original agreement only had three clauses. Two concerned the children, and one was intended to bind the partner. If there were going to be problems with the children's education, there should have been signs much earlier; why wait until now?
The only possibility is the first one: Marquis Wu'an has a new love interest, or rather, he is itching to make a move.
This is what finally made the mother want to leave!
Dai Li hadn't expected Qin Yanzhou to react so strongly, and her mind went blank for a moment. "What are your demands?"
Qin Yanzhou was initially furious, but when he saw that Dai Li was just completely blank, without any grief or sorrow, his anger subsided by half. "After he returned from the palace banquet yesterday, he didn't make any demands of you?"
Dai Li's eyebrows twitched slightly. She wasn't slow-witted. Thinking about her son's sudden outburst of anger followed by his cautious probing, she suddenly thought of the divorce agreement.
Is this a misunderstanding, Zhouzhou?
Dai Li was both amused and annoyed, but felt a warm glow in her heart. Her expression softened a bit. "He didn't make any demands of me, and it's not because of that that I want to leave."
Qin Yanzhou asked in confusion, "Why is that?"
Dai Li looked out the window; the daylight was bright, and birdsong drifted in. The mansion wasn't located in a particularly secluded spot; she could still faintly hear the noise from outside.
The world is full of chaos, but life is peaceful.
Many thoughts flashed through Dai Li's mind. She remembered Nalan Zhi's suggestion yesterday to ask Zhou Zhou for his opinion.
Dai Li looked at the tall and upright young man in front of her and finally shook her head. "There's no reason."
She thought about it all night and realized that going to see Nalan Zhi was completely unnecessary. As Zhou Zhou's teacher, he not only couldn't give her any useful advice on this matter, but would even interfere with her.
See, this is what it means to be caught in the middle of something, with no choice but to silently follow the predetermined path. As he himself once said, "As a subject, one can only obey orders."
Moreover, Zhouzhou knelt before her twice, not only breaking his usual silence but also kowtowing to her, all for the sake of being able to don armor and go into battle.
So does that question really make sense?
No, and there's no need to ask, because she already knew the answer.
"Mother……"
“Zhouzhou, you just need to answer me, if… I mean if I were to leave Qin Shaozong, would you come with me?” Dai Li’s voice was very soft.
Qin Yanzhou couldn't understand why his mother still wanted to leave when his father hadn't done anything wrong. What had gone wrong? Had something important happened recently that he wasn't aware of?
And leave? Where are they going if they leave here?
Did the father know that the mother wanted to leave?
One question after another came crashing down on Qin Yanzhou, giving him a splitting headache. Many faces flashed through his mind: his father, his teacher, his younger brother, and... a girl holding a little white dog, smiling like a piece of malt candy.
But in the end, all the faces faded away, leaving only the person in front of me clearly.
Qin Yanzhou's complex emotions gradually subsided, and his gaze became firm. "Of course I will stay with you. Mom, are you unhappy here?"
Dai Li's vision blurred instantly, and tears filled her eyes.
With those achievements, even if Qinian is the final victor in the struggle for the throne, she can still be guaranteed a life of luxury and honor in the future.
She knew clearly what the decision to "leave" meant: it meant that Qin Shaozong's future glory would have nothing to do with her, it meant that her days of living a life of luxury were over, it meant that she would live a very frugal life for the rest of her life, and it meant that she would go against her ideal of "helping the world when one is successful".
But none of these things matter as much as her child's life.
Whether this behavior could be defined as "self-sacrifice" was no longer important when she heard her child's concerns.
“Yes, I’m unhappy, I’m worried every day,” Dai Li replied.
Seeing her gloomy face, Qin Yanzhou asked, puzzled, "What's troubling you?"
After going around in circles, we've come back to the root cause.
Dai Li shook her head with a wry smile, not mentioning the reason at all. "Zhouzhou, what I just told you, just treat as a secret between us, mother and son. Don't mention it to anyone."
Qin Yanzhou nodded in agreement, but his thoughts raced. It seemed his father was unaware of the matter, and judging from his mother's tone, he would certainly not allow her to leave once he found out.
The young man slowly lowered his eyes.
...
As Qin Yanzhou walked out of the main courtyard, he looked back and saw a small portrait reflected in his dark eyes, a portrait that held the weight of many people and events that time had left behind.
A moment later, he looked away and left.
*
"Brother Chong Le?" Shi Rongyue looked at Qin Yanzhou, who had come to find her, in surprise.
The little white dog that had been circling around her feet recognized him and barked "woof!" before running over happily.
It was a tiny, young creature with bristling fur that made its legs look particularly short, and when it ran, it looked like it was scraping the ground as it moved sideways.
Qin Yanzhou bent down, scooped up the puppy, held it in his arms, stroked its head a couple of times until its little tail flapped, then tossed it around in his hands a couple of times before giving a serious assessment: "Xiaobai is too heavy."
Shi Rongyue was very happy, "Of course it's heavy, Uncle... Xiaobai eats very hard, several meals a day!"
Little Whitey barked twice, its little head held high, as if proud.
After playing with Xiaobai for a while, Qin Yanzhou finally put it down. "Rongrong, I have some questions I'd like to ask you about yesterday's palace banquet."
Shi Rongyue asked in surprise, "What is it?"
Qin Yanzhou: "Did my mother encounter anything unusual or meet any special people at the banquet?"
Shi Rongyue subconsciously shook her head, "No, I don't think so. My second aunt was sitting next to me yesterday. Many people tried to talk to her at the palace banquet, but they were all very careful about their words and all they said were compliments..."
"No, there is something quite special." She suddenly changed her words as she spoke, "My second aunt left the table to use the restroom halfway through the meal. When she returned, she suddenly asked the people around her about two noble ladies and described their appearances. The others naturally told her everything they knew. It turned out that one of them was the sister-in-law of the Imperial Household Department Commander, and the other was the wife of the Commander of the Capital Garrison."
Qin Yanzhou pressed further, "What happened next?"
“There were quite a few busybodies at the time, since my second aunt didn’t pay much attention to anyone after entering the banquet, so they all asked why. My second aunt said that the two of them were quite talkative, and then she didn’t say anything else,” Shi Rongyue said.
Qin Yan's brows were furrowed tightly.
He knew his mother well; she had always been a gentle and dignified woman. She would never embarrass others in public unless she was deeply offended.
Those two must have said something...
Seeing his furrowed brows, Shi Rongyue was about to get anxious when a flash of lightning suddenly appeared. "That's right! Brother Chongle, I remember Nianxia was with Second Aunt at the time. If you want to know what those two said, perhaps you can ask Nianxia."
The young man smiled and said, "Thank you, Rongrong."
*
Having made up her mind to leave with her son, Dai Li began preparations. Nian Xia and Bi Po were excellent helpers, but unfortunately she couldn't take them with her; she would have to pack up quietly herself.
However, more important than anything else right now is to get Qin Shaozong to agree to let her return to Yuyang first.
That person was incredibly perceptive; the slightest sound would immediately set their ears on alert. Back when she fled from Nankang, she was recaptured and brought back despite the difficulty of finding people in this ancient era.
We mustn't let him find out.
As evening fell, the couple returned to their room together after dinner. As soon as Dai Li came back, she rummaged through the box and found Qin Yun Ce's previous letter. Then she took out the small booklet of fertile soil records that she had organized.
"Qin Changgeng, I'm going back to Yuyang in a couple of days." Dai Li didn't ask him if he was alright, but instead brought up the old matter again and told him directly that she was going back.
Qin Shaozong stopped pouring tea. "Back to Yuyang?"
Dai Li waved the letter in her hand at him, and apologized to Yun Ce in her heart, "Yes, I want to go back to Yuyang first. Yun Ce's marriage has finally been settled, so let's make it official as soon as possible. Also, if we set off now, we'll be back in Yuyang in the autumn, and after the harvest, we'll need to do a new round of composting, so we can't afford to waste time. And with Chang'an newly established, it's not good to be without someone in charge here. You'll definitely have to stay here, so after thinking about it, we've decided to split up."
The process of getting married in this era was very complicated, unlike modern times where you can just go to the civil affairs bureau. You had to go through the "three letters and six rites" before you could become husband and wife.
Qin Shaozong put down the teapot without saying a word.
Dai Li could tell from his expression that the deal would be finalized within the next day or two. If he disagreed, he would definitely reject it outright, rather than remaining silent.
Dai Li continued, while also making a promise to him, "Zhouzhou and I will return to Yuyang first, while you and Qinian Rongrong will stay in Chang'an. After you finish dealing with your affairs in Chang'an, you can take them north, and then we can bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year together."
Perhaps moved by her last sentence, the man finally responded with an "um" after a long while.
Dai Li breathed a sigh of relief, just as the weight was lifted from her heart, when she heard Qin Shaozong say, "Madam, please bring Qinian and Rongrong with you."
“That’s not appropriate,” Dai Li said instinctively.
Qin Shaozong raised his eyebrows slightly, "Why is it inappropriate?"
Dai Li tried to find a reason: "You are so busy in Chang'an, you should have more people around you who can share your burdens. In addition, Mr. Cui, Qinian's teacher, is still in Chang'an. If Qinian leaves with me, he will not be able to attend his classes."
Qin Shaozong thought for a moment, "Then you should bring Rongrong with you."
Dai Li hesitated, "Rongrong seems to be on good terms with Nangong Xiaoliu's daughter next door. She finally has a female companion on this journey. If she comes back with me..."
"Hongying probably misses her. Tell her to go home early and come back to visit after the New Year." Qin Shaozong's single sentence effectively shut down any further words Dai Li could say.
It's only natural for parents to miss their children.
Dai Li frowned, sensing something was amiss. She and Zhouzhou would leave on their way back to Yuyang, which would undoubtedly cause unrest within the group, and she didn't want this to affect the other younger members…
"Don't you like fluff?" he suddenly asked.
Dai Li shook her head in surprise, "No, that's not true. Rongrong is fine, I don't dislike her."
Qin Shaozong narrowed his long, narrow eyes slightly. "What was Madam thinking just now?"
Looking at her with that thoughtful gaze, Dai Li felt a chill run down her spine. She could almost hear the sound of blood surging in her veins. "Thinking... about what will happen after we part."
Qin Shaozong suddenly laughed and hugged her. "Since the pain of parting is unbearable, why don't you go back later, Madam? Send a message to Yan San about the fertilizer first. He is always reliable and prudent."
He still didn't want her to leave first.
"No!" Dai Li turned her head away. But as soon as she finished speaking, her waist and legs tightened, her feet were lifted off the ground, and she was picked up.
"I will be alone in my empty bed for the next few months, and I hope that my wife will comfort me in advance." Qin Shaozong carried her into the inner room.
With the separation now a certainty, Qin Shaozong was particularly vigorous tonight, changing positions several times before still feeling unsatisfied.
His eyes burned with fire as he gazed intently at the woman below, her long, black hair disheveled. Her dark eyelashes were damp, clumped together in a few strands, and her flushed, jade-like face was radiant and beautiful. The flickering lights in the room reflected on her smooth, snow-white skin, as if illuminating delicate glimmers of water.
Sweat beaded on the man's forehead, trickling down his handsome, angular face, only to be wiped away by a soft, delicate hand just before it fell.
Author's Note: Here I am! [dog head with rose in hand]
For Dai Li, staying was a gamble. But she dared not gamble, because if she lost, Zhouzhou would die.
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