Chapter 176 She Sobbed Uncontrollably
New County, Xinglong Post Station.
A knock sounded on the door, followed by a voice from outside, "Mom, may I come in?"
Dai Li, who was about to rest, paused for a moment, then went over and unlocked the door. "Zhou Zhou, what's wrong?"
The young man entered, already dressed neatly, not appearing to be about to retire for the night. "I have some questions for you."
The guesthouse rooms rarely had an inner and outer section; the rooms contained only a couch, a desk, and a few folding chairs, and were quite simple. Dai Li walked to the desk, poured her son a glass of water, and asked him with a smile, "You didn't sleep a wink last night, why don't you go and rest first?"
Qin Yanzhou shook his head and said he wasn't tired.
Dai Li: "Okay, so what is it that keeps you awake until you find out?"
"Mother, you didn't tell me the answer before. Now that we've left Marquis Wu'an, can you tell me why you wanted to leave?" Qin Yanzhou stared at her intently.
When he was told to leave, he was not only bewildered but also confused, not understanding his mother's choice. Later, he went to find Nianxia and asked her some questions. It turned out that two noblewomen had been gossiping at a palace banquet.
Initially, he thought his father had found someone new, but his mother's reaction didn't seem to indicate any concern in that regard...
Completely baffled, Qin Yanzhou decided to ask for the reason. He had a premonition that this time he would get the answer.
Dai Li was stunned, not expecting him to come for this reason. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at the tall young man whose face had almost no trace of his youthful baby fat, she swallowed back some of her words.
"Sit down," Dai Li said, lowering her eyes.
Qin Yanzhou took his seat.
Dai Li poured herself a cup of tea and began to recount the story, "It all started when you were a scout, leading troops to investigate the whereabouts of the Xuzhou army. You hadn't returned for a long time, so I went to ask Qin Changgeng for news. But as soon as I reached the door, I overheard them discussing something. Later, a soldier reported that you, with fewer than twenty men, had burned down the Xuzhou army's granary..."
Dai Li rested her forehead on her hand, her thick eyelashes drooping, making her look even more tired. "You have done a great job, and I am very happy and proud of you. I am also amazed that my son is just as outstanding no matter what era he is in. But I hadn't been happy for long when I heard the two gentlemen in the hall talking."
As if she still remembered it, Dai Li pursed her lips tightly before saying, "It's no exaggeration to say that when I heard it, I felt a chill run down my spine. Goosebumps rose on my arms and even my back. It was terrifying."
Qin Yanzhou leaned forward involuntarily, "Who spoke at that time? What did they say?"
“Your teacher Nalan, and Qinian’s teacher Mr. Cui,” Dai Li said.
"What did they say?" Qin Yanzhou frowned.
Those two are key figures in the North, and I heard they have followed Marquis Wu'an for over ten or twenty years.
The teacher was also close to the mother, and he couldn't imagine what they might have said that would have made her so angry. Besides, all the generals were present; they had no reason to…
Dai Li slowly raised her eyes. "Nalan praised you, and Mr. Cui praised Qinian, like they were competing, neither willing to give in. And those who praised you or Qinian rarely praised the other again. Zhouzhou, you should be able to see that Qin Changgeng's ascension to the throne is only a matter of time, and then the vast new dynasty will need an heir. Who will be this crown prince? You, or Qinian…"
"Mom, I never thought about those things." Qin Yanzhou said in astonishment.
Dai Li said in a low voice, "I know you haven't thought about it. But even if you don't, someone else will. Your teacher will, your teacher's best friend will, and your comrades who are like brothers to you will. When you completely represent their interests, your own thoughts often become unimportant."
Qin Yanzhou froze.
Dai Li blinked her sore eyes. "Qin Changgeng is indeed very good to you and me now, but people's hearts are always hard to control. I don't know if he will still be the same in ten or twenty years. And... I don't believe he didn't notice Nalan's choice of sides at all, but he has never told me. I'm scared. I'm scared that he will use you as a whetstone for Qinian, and I'm scared that my child will eventually die in the bloody power struggle."
This was a thorn in her heart, and every time it was touched even slightly, it made her restless and uneasy.
Why didn't Qin Changgeng tell her about such a big matter that would affect the fate of many people in the future?
Does he think she's a woman and therefore unnecessary to mention it? Or does he not want her to interfere, so he simply doesn't bring it up? Or perhaps, he never trusted her from the beginning?
It was late at night. The inn was not luxurious, and there was only one lamp in the room, so the light was not bright.
Looking at her son's face, clearly defined by light and shadow, Dai Li's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry, Mom made this decision on her own. I know you definitely prefer the old life to this one of hiding, and I understand it goes against your aspirations. But I really..."
Tears finally fell from her eyes, and Dai Li choked out, "Last time I didn't know that the school bus would have an accident and couldn't stop it; but this time I had a premonition and really couldn't ignore it."
A handkerchief was handed over.
“Mom, things are actually much better now than at the beginning. When I was still in the Qinglian Sect and in the Fan family, I never thought that one day I would be able to leave that sect and meet you again.” Qin Yanzhou smiled slightly. “My teacher once said that if things don’t go as planned in the end, please believe that God will have other arrangements.”
Dai Li stared blankly at him, yet it seemed she wasn't really looking at him. A bizarre and fantastical scene flashed before her eyes.
A little boy with a backpack and a cartoon water bottle around his neck waved to her, then turned and walked away into the distance with his back to the setting sun.
At the same time, a tall, slender young man walked towards her against the setting sun, the two passing each other. The small figure walked further and further away, while the young man drew closer and closer, until finally standing before her.
He was taller and stronger than her, full of vitality, like a big tree to lean against for shade.
Dai Li was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
*
As the sun rose above the horizon, flapped its wings twice, and slowly ascended, the newly awakened prefecture was bustling with activity. A prefecture is one level higher than a county, and even though the new prefecture was one of the smaller prefectures in Yuzhou, it had a population of over 100,000.
Xinglong Chuanshe is located on the edge of a bustling city, surrounded by people coming and going, and a great deal of noise.
"Have you heard? A distinguished person from above has arrived in the county."
"How could I not have heard? All four city gates are sealed... no, it's not so much sealed, it's more like a strict search. I wonder what they're looking for? Could it be that the bandits from the Minjiang River secretly sneaked into the new prefecture the other day?"
"I don't know. But it's always a good thing that there are more soldiers in the city. Didn't Uncle Zhao say his house was burgled a while ago? This time, those thieves will definitely be like cowards, not daring to make a move."
...
Qin Yanzhou stood by the open window, listening blankly to the gossip of passersby below. After a few moments, his expression suddenly changed drastically.
He threw the washcloth into the basin, strode to the door, pulled it open, and walked out.
The light outside was much brighter, the daylight was intense, and it was no longer the morning he and Dai Li had agreed to set off yesterday.
Qin Yanzhou woke up late.
He hadn't slept for a day and a night and had done a lot of physical labor. After Dai Li's candid talk last night, he was thinking about the future, and even though he was physically exhausted, he couldn't fall asleep immediately.
So, he accidentally overslept.
"Mom." Qin Yanzhou knocked on the door next door.
After knocking for a while, the door finally opened. Behind the door, Dai Li looked sleepy, her black hair disheveled, clearly having just woken up.
"Mom, it's already past midnight now," Qin Yanzhou said.
That one sentence completely jolted Dai Li out of her drowsiness.
It's 10:00 AM!
"Oh no, I overslept," Dai Li said, her head throbbing.
She experienced a rollercoaster of emotions last night, cried a lot, and was extremely exhausted. She hadn't slept much the night before, which is why she hadn't slept until now. If her son hadn't woken her, Dai Li could have slept for another hour or so.
"It's already 9:00 AM, so be it. It doesn't matter if we're a little late. We can still leave the city in time," Dai Li said quickly, regaining her composure.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, she saw her son shake his head.
"Mother, I heard that several city gates in Xin County were under martial law this morning." Qin Yanzhou looked at his mother's suddenly pale face and said softly, "It seems that Marquis Wu'an's troops have come looking for us."
Something seemed to explode in her mind, making Dai Li dizzy. She reached out to steady herself by holding onto the door. "Are you sure you're really his person?"
Qin Yanzhou was unsure to be honest, but seeing that Dai Li looked dazed, he said, "Mother, I'll go and find out what's going on. I'll be back soon."
Before he could take a step, his arm was grabbed.
“Zhouzhou, don’t go! There are quite a few soldiers in the north who recognize you. If it really is Qin Changgeng’s men, you might be discovered as soon as you go out.” Dai Li was worried.
Qin Yanzhou explained, "Yesterday I saw several children playing at the back gate of the post station. They were probably servants or children from around here. Mother, I won't go far. I'll just ask them to help me find out what's going on and I'll be back soon."
Dai Li then let go.
After her son left, Dai Li was filled with anxiety.
Did Bai Jianping successfully rendezvous with the troops on the river and inform everyone of her "defection"?
But that doesn't make sense either. If that were the case, how could he be sure she and Zhouzhou were in Xin County, and not somewhere else after crossing mountains and valleys? Or perhaps someone was there to meet them, and they simply changed their route back to Wuwen. After all, if she had taken the official road back to Wuwen, he wouldn't have known!
The grand gesture of immediately imposing martial law on the city gates is very much like someone's style.
But how could it be so fast?
...
The time spent in a daze passed exceptionally quickly, as if it were only a blink of an eye for Dai Li, and the person who had just left had returned.
"Mom, I have bad news."
Qin Yanzhou's expression was complicated. "The child said there were no fewer than twenty soldiers guarding the city gates. The new prefecture has four city gates, and the number of guards alone is nearly a hundred, which exceeds the total number of soldiers traveling by water. Furthermore, there are many more military patrols coming and going in the city, all in black armor..."
Even though she was mentally prepared, Dai Li still felt a sudden darkness before her eyes.
More than a hundred men, clad in black armor, the Xuanxiao Cavalry.
Qin Changgeng may have come in person.
Dai Li murmured, "It's over, he's going to find us..."
“Xin County is so large, far beyond what a small county can compare to. We didn’t use our own post station yesterday, so he won’t know,” Qin Yanzhou comforted him.
Dai Li frowned, not as optimistic as him.
This wasn't her first time running away; having experienced it twice before, she knew Qin Changgeng was not only extremely perceptive but also very meticulous.
More importantly, he held immense power and had the ability to mobilize the army, and all post stations, shops, and residences in the city would cooperate with him unconditionally in searching them.
Although she and Zhouzhou used a fake post station to check in, their check-in time couldn't be faked. As long as Qin Changgeng sent someone to check the guests who checked in yesterday, and specifically screened for couples like her and Zhouzhou traveling together, they would definitely be able to quickly identify their targets.
Dai Li first explained to her son, and then said, "Zhouzhou, you're already somewhat familiar with those kids at the gate. Why don't you bribe them again and have them keep an eye on the gate for you? If any soldiers come to the post station to question you today, have them put a bunch of wildflowers at the entrance of the back alley."
Qin Yanzhou nodded and said, "Mom, if we can't stay at this inn, how about we stay in the East District tonight? The East District is where commoners from the lower classes gather. If we give them some money and find some reasons, it shouldn't be a problem for them to stay."
Dai Li rubbed her temples, not telling her son that she was first arrested in this kind of urban village, but only said tactfully, "You won't stay in the East District for long. As long as they post notices widely and offer a large reward, the common people at the bottom will be like sharks that smell blood."
Qin Yanzhou pursed his lips.
"However, it shouldn't be a problem to make do for a night or two. Zhouzhou, I have an idea. Why don't we go and inquire about the wealthy families in this new county..."
*
New County.
"My lord, we've made a discovery!"
Bai Jianping hurried back, his expression excited. "The old doctor at the West Street clinic has seen the mistress and the second young master. They really did visit the clinic."
Upon hearing this, the crease between Qin Shaozong's brows finally lessened.
The night before, the "water bandits" attacked the ships with overwhelming force, their numbers far exceeding those of the northern soldiers. According to Bai Jianping, Qin Er even took up a sword and went into battle.
In the darkness of night, with the ship unstable and the enemy outnumbering them, the chances of injury were certainly much higher than usual. And given how much she cared for her son, once they were out of danger, she would definitely take him to a clinic for treatment first.
Therefore, upon his return to the new county today, he immediately dispatched people to various medical clinics throughout the county.
This investigation actually uncovered some clues.
This is good news, proving that his previous assumption was correct; she is indeed in Newshire!
"When did the old physician see them yesterday?" Qin Shaozong asked.
Bai Jianping: "I saw the patient at noon. The second young master had a knife wound on his shoulder and a knife wound on his back. By the time the treatment was finished, it was already early afternoon."
“They didn’t rest all night the night before, and only arrived in the new county at noon yesterday. They left the clinic at noon, and they still need to prepare their luggage for their long journey.” The man suddenly laughed, a deep laugh that, even in his laughter, carried the oppressive feeling of an approaching storm. “She definitely hasn’t left! Send down the order to thoroughly investigate all the post stations in the county, and pay special attention to the male and female travelers who checked in yesterday.”
Bai Jianping bowed and accepted the order, but was about to go carry it out when his superior called him back.
Qin Shaozong turned his jade thumb ring and said, "Have someone post notices throughout the city. I remember the eastern district of Xin County is a mixed bag, mostly inhabited by poor people. Those are the easiest places to hide. Post the notices there. At the same time, send five teams of people to beat drums and gongs and make sure to inform every household that they must not take in outsiders, or they will be imprisoned."
"only."
Author's Note: Here I am! [dog head with rose in hand]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
