Chapter 17 She's lying?!
Midway through, Dai Li told Yun Rong that she needed to relieve herself. Yun Rong's mind was buzzing, and she didn't respond at first. Only after Dai Li got up did she hurriedly call Tao Xiang to follow and serve her.
Dai Li paused, but did not stop her.
The two went to the east latrine in the backyard.
Not long after the wooden door closed, Dai Li said to Tao Xiang outside, "I need to change to a new menstrual belt. Go to the carriage and get it for me."
"Madam, I've brought it with me." Tao Xiang didn't leave, but instead took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve. She stood out from the group of maids because she was meticulous.
Considering that Madam Dai was extremely strict in some aspects, such as never using expensive silk menstrual belts twice, but burning them after each use, Tao Xiang dared not be negligent. When traveling, she carried Dai Li's menstrual belt in a small cloth bag, taking it out whenever needed.
Behind the door, Dai Li frowned slightly, paused for a moment, then opened the door and took the menstrual belt from Tao Xiang's hand. After the wooden door closed, she lowered her eyes for a moment, then suddenly let go.
The menstrual pad fell to the ground.
"Taoxiang, I didn't hold it properly just now, and my period came out." Dai Li's voice was very irritable.
Because it needed to be tied around the waist, a menstrual belt had many straps, stacked up to be quite thick, unlike a modern sanitary napkin which is thin and flat. Therefore, Tao Xiang's small cloth bag only contained one belt, and now, looking at the empty bag, she was dumbfounded.
"Is there a menstrual pad in the carriage? If so, go back to the carriage and get it," Dai Li said.
There were two chests inside the carriage for storing clothes or small items in case of emergency. Tao Xiang hurriedly said, "There is another menstrual belt in the carriage. Please wait a moment, Madam, I will go and get it for you right away."
Dai Li agreed and waited quietly inside until Tao Xiang's footsteps became inaudible before she quickly opened the door.
"Madam, what are your orders?" the maid asked respectfully when she was called.
Dai Li: "Could you please pass on a message to your shopkeeper for me..."
As the afternoon sun began to set and time slowly moved into the late afternoon, the red sun in the sky became much gentler, its brilliant rays painting the heavens like a masterpiece of oil painting. Inside Mingyue Residence, a maidservant who had walked to the backyard kept looking up at the sunset, while no one noticed that two people were whispering near the East Lake.
Dai Li stuffed a handful of five-zhu coins into his hand, saying, "Get things done quickly, this is a reward for you."
The servant became increasingly respectful and obedient.
Dai Li turned around and returned to Dong Qing. Almost as soon as she closed the wooden door again and took the peach fragrance from the new menstrual belt, she hurriedly came back.
After the matter was over, the master and servant returned to the dining hall.
When Dai Li entered, she noticed a gaze from the side. She turned her head and saw that it was indeed the manager of Mingyue Residence. She nodded slightly to him, and he quickly gave her a polite smile.
Although the shopkeeper was puzzled, he understood and remained silent when he remembered the maid's emphasis on "in her personal capacity".
Wealthy and powerful people always value their privacy highly, and this lady, who brought a friend along, acted in this way, clearly not wanting to be known. Mingyue Residence's principle has always been to do more and ask less; for important guests, just follow their instructions and don't try to be clever or add anything unnecessary.
Dai Li sat down again next to Yun Rong. After they had almost finished eating, she suggested, "Let's go, Sister Yun, let's go to the West Market to see the civets from the Western Regions."
Yunrong's lips trembled, and she felt a wave of dizziness.
If you are already exhausted, it is very difficult to get up once you sit down, and that is the state she is in now.
The air fell silent for a few moments.
This concubine, who had been doing as she pleased all along, seemed to finally have a change of heart. "Sister Yun, are you tired?"
Yunrong's eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. It wasn't easy; this blockhead had finally shown some consideration. She quickly pressed her advantage, saying, "I am indeed quite tired. How about we head back home?"
“I’m not tired, I can still continue to wander around. But since Sister Yun is tired, let’s rest here for a while. I’ll go to the West Market for a quarter of an hour and then come back to meet you.” Dai Li said matter-of-factly.
Yunrong paused for a moment, "Sister, isn't this inappropriate?"
“Sister Yun, aren’t you tired? If that’s the case, what’s wrong with that? I’m only going for half an hour, not an hour or two. Besides, I have maids and guards with me, what could possibly happen?” Dai Li stood up from her seat.
Yunrong's heart began to tip the scales.
Dai Li didn't give her any more time to hesitate. "It's settled then. You can rest at Mingyue Residence, and I'll go to the West Market. I'll come back to find you later. Sister Yun, don't worry. With our relationship, if the Marquis asks me tonight how my trip was, I'll definitely tell him that you treated me very well and that I had a great time."
Yunrong watched Daili's receding figure, opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.
*
The Jiang residence, the reception hall.
Upon receiving the secret report, Mo Yanyun excitedly said, "My lord, last night that man surnamed Jiang sent someone to Ying County to deliver the message. It seems he believes it without a doubt."
Once Li Zan confirms they have embarked on their journey, he will take action. This time, they are leading the Xuanxiao Cavalry, an elite force renowned for its invincibility. In an ordinary confrontation, they would certainly not fare well.
But an ambush is different.
If they lay in ambush at the inevitable route, flanking from both sides, and then send small groups of troops to break up the formation, they can easily swallow up most of the enemy's men.
“He may not be completely convinced.” Qin Shaozong looked at the sheepskin map spread out on the table. “Jiang Chonghai has always been suspicious, and this alone is not enough.”
He pointed to a spot on the sheepskin map, where he had stationed his troops outside the city. His long finger slid a short distance eastward before returning to its original position, then headed southeast. "Since I already mentioned at the banquet that we would be heading towards the central and lower routes, let's make a big show of it. Send men to advance fifty li along these two routes, then choose a place near the water that's easy to reach but not directly on the water's edge to set up camp and cook, pretending to be the vanguard."
Qin Shaozong shifted his gaze to the upper route, a hint of a smile appearing in his brown eyes. "Send a small group of men to quietly scout the upper route. With Madam's unintentional revelation beforehand, Jiang Chonghai will definitely have planted spies in the upper route to observe secretly. Seeing is believing. Only when he confirms that the middle and lower routes are just a cover for his intentions can he be 80% certain."
The best way to deal with such a suspicious person is to make him believe that he has everything under control.
They are indeed going to embark on a journey, but not to become cicadas; they are going to become the oriole that eats the mantis.
"Knock knock." Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Qin Shaozong glanced at Yan San, who went to open the door as ordered. He didn't know what the person outside had reported to him, but he returned after a long while, his expression somewhat solemn.
Seeing this, Mo Yanyun asked curiously, "What happened? Did that man surnamed Jiang suddenly change his plans, or is there some unexpected situation in Ying County?"
Yan San: "It has nothing to do with those things, it's about Madam Dai."
Mo Yanyun was about to say what was there to be so worried about when Yan San said, "My lord, the guards just reported that they searched a radius of five miles outward from the ten miles due west of Nankang County, but found no house that matched Lady Dai's former residence."
Qin Shaozong, who was looking at the sheepskin map, suddenly looked up.
*
On the other side.
After leaving Mingyue Residence, Dai Li headed to the West Market.
During her visit yesterday, she had already inquired about the situation in various cities of Nankang County.
The East Market was dominated by teahouses, restaurants, and inns. The North Market was mostly linen shops, jewelry stores, bookstores, and pawnshops. The South Market, a relatively quiet area far removed from the other markets, became the district for the wealthy and powerful.
The West Market sold all kinds of food ingredients, including rice, flour, cooking oil, various seasonings, and a variety of vegetables. Occasionally, hunters would bring wild rabbits, pigs, and snakes they caught in the countryside to sell here. In addition, merchants from the Western Regions would sometimes sell live animals such as civets along with spices in the West Market.
Dai Li took a car to Xishi, and her pace slowed down as soon as she got off.
It's early Shen Shi (3-5 PM) now, and in another hour it will be sunset. The best vegetables and meats have already been sold out in the morning, and the West Market is obviously not as lively as it was in the morning as evening approaches.
A row of areas built with bricks, forming a "口" shape.
The water stains here are noticeably heavier than in other places, and you can occasionally see scattered lights shimmering on the ground, like stars embedded in it.
Compared to other places, there are fewer vendors here. After walking through a row of stalls, there are only two or three vendors left, and they are basically all packing up.
As she approached, Dai Li smelled a strong fishy odor.
"Madam, the seafood stalls here are filthy and fishy. Why don't we go somewhere else?" Tao Xiang said in a low voice.
Dai Li spoke of the past as if reminiscing, “My hometown is in the water towns of the south, where the fish markets are incredibly prosperous and the variety of aquatic products is countless. After coming to the north, I have always wanted to find some fragments of my hometown, but there are some things that even if you have mountains of gold and silver, you may not be able to do.”
The fishmonger, who was packing up his stall, paused, sensing the money in his hand. "Madam, what kind of seafood are you looking for? Fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs, or various shellfish and algae? Oh, if you'd like some freshwater fish or seaweed, that's fine too, but the price will be much higher."
The "sea creatures" and "earth meat" mentioned by fishmongers refer to seafood and sea cucumbers.
Dai Li's eyes lit up. "Can you really get it? Let me make it clear beforehand, I only like to eat fresh seafood and I don't like dead fish or rotten shrimp."
The fishmonger grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "Madam, please rest assured. Although the Hutuo River is far more turbulent than ordinary rivers, and the journey upstream takes much longer and requires more effort than that of ordinary rivers, if you truly wish to purchase seafood and local meats, I can have my brothers divide the cargo among boats. The light boats will be much faster, ensuring the seafood stays fresh and alive."
Dai Li's heart pounded wildly.
Hutuo River!
This great river, which flows from west to east and passes through Shanxi and Hebei, is located near Nankang County.
The "tuo" in Hutuo River means torrential, indicating its rapid currents and surging waves. Boats travel downstream most easily, and it is no problem for a boat to travel a hundred miles a day along the current; otherwise, there would be no saying, "Returning to Jiangling in a day, a thousand miles away."
The Hutuo River flows eastward, so she can take a boat eastward with the current and quickly distance herself from Nankang County. She can then disembark midway and change course south to Hangzhou.
A note from the author:
Dai Li is currently surrounded by a group of people serving her closely, so it won't be easy for her to escape. Moreover, she's aiming for a swift and decisive victory, so the beginning will be described in more detail; otherwise, it would feel abrupt. [heart emoji]
But it'll be quick, there's not much preparation left. [Shut up]
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