Chapter 179 He Just Hates
After Dai Li's words, the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
After Dai Li finished venting her frustrations, her vision blurred for a moment. She wanted to turn her head away from the man in front of her, but he raised his hand at that moment.
His calloused fingers brushed against the corners of her reddened eyes, wiping away the tears that were about to fall. His movements were clumsy, clearly indicating that he was not very good at it.
A breeze blew in from the window sill, and in the silent retreat, the atmosphere that had been lingering in the room slowly shifted.
"So prone to tears, how many sheets of paper did your wife ruin when she wrote the 'Letter of Divorce' for me?" Qin Shaozong's fingertips, which had been brushing away tears, felt inexplicably hot.
“…No, I didn’t.” Dai Li froze for a moment, then tried to turn her head away from him.
But after wiping away her tears, Qin Shaozong stopped her from turning her head, making Dai Li face him. Her eyes were red, and the tip of her nose was also a little red; at this moment, she had transformed from a fox into a red-eyed rabbit.
"Still saying you didn't? The bottom of that letter is all soaked." Qin Shaozong teased.
The blatant evidence was being repeatedly brought up, and Dai Li was furious. Normally, she would have lost her temper or stormed off. But now she couldn't run away, and it wasn't wise to add fuel to the fire at this critical juncture.
Dai Li could only purse her lips and remain silent.
Seeing her silence, Qin Shaozong paused for a moment before saying, "I didn't intend to keep it from you forever, Madam."
Dai Li's heart was filled with turmoil, and her words carried a hint of resentment, "You didn't intend to keep it from me forever? Was it like this, waiting for me to find out on my own before you confessed to me?"
"I originally planned to have a frank discussion with my wife after I returned to Yuyang," Qin Shaozong said calmly.
He didn't say anything after that. Because it was unnecessary, she later wanted to leave and never even considered going back to Yuyang.
Dai Li felt her veins throbbing violently; she didn't know if what he said was true or false. But at this point, the truth of those words no longer mattered.
The important thing is what happens next.
"So, what are your plans?" Dai Li asked, lowering her eyes. As she asked this question, she subconsciously grabbed a small piece of her skirt, crumpling the blue dress.
Qin Shaozong did not answer her directly, but instead talked about his previous plans, "A long time ago, probably more than ten years ago, my intended successor was actually Yun Ce."
Dai Li was stunned, surprised, yet not entirely surprised. On the night Yun Ce and Zhou Zhou came of age, Qin Changgeng had been drinking alone in the armory, and he had hinted at something then.
“Yun Ce is precocious. What would take an ordinary child five days to learn, he can finish in less than three days. Moreover, in the past three generations of his mother’s Jiang clan, except for the mediocre middle generation, every other generation has produced intelligent people. And that kid Qinian…” A vein seemed to bulge on his forehead for a moment.
"He's good at fighting and occasionally has a quick wit, but when it comes to reading, he's hopeless. His articles are full of spelling mistakes, and all the books in the room are gathering dust. Although my wife said he has some kind of reading disorder, in my opinion, even if he doesn't, that kid has absolutely no patience to sit for a whole day. Besides, Qin San is simple-minded and easily influenced; he can't stand hearing the complaints of those close to him. Although Yun Ce isn't my biological son, if my brother hadn't switched commanders with me on the battlefield, I might have already died on the battlefield. Therefore, I think it's appropriate for him to take over everything in the future."
Although China's feudal dynasties did not have the rigid aristocratic system based solely on bloodline in Western Europe, it would not be accurate to say that they were completely unrefined.
Therefore, Dai Li tentatively asked, "Did none of your subordinates have any objections at the time?"
Qin Shaozong truthfully replied, "Of course not. In the early years, there were members of the Wei family in the northern gang, as well as those who secretly connected with the Wei family, all of whom tried to change my mind."
Dai Li saw him suddenly smile.
The smile, which had been teasing and playful just moments before, was now laced with a bloodthirsty stench, like a ferocious tiger sensing an intruder stepping into its territory and about to open its gaping maw.
"It seems you don't have any members of the Wei clan under your command right now."
Qin Shaozong's eyes were dark and brooding. "They were either killed or driven away, which is no longer the case. In the past, when my Qin family suffered a disaster, we had no choice but to form a marriage alliance with the Wei family. After the Wei family's daughter gave birth to Qin San, the Wei family had already received enough of the spoils. Yet they still wanted to arrange a marriage for Qin San as a child and take over his marriage as well. It was simply wishful thinking."
He doesn't dislike ambition; in fact, he admires those who strive for success. But this is on the premise that such people possess genuine talent and have a clear understanding of themselves.
When greed goes too far, and one doesn't even know their own limitations, it's like a snake trying to swallow an elephant – insatiable greed.
He loathed Qin San's maternal clan. This was because, apart from his deceased great-grandfather, the entire Wei family was both stupid and greedy.
Dai Li saw him reveal that chilling smile again. He said, "In general, those self-righteous old stubborns who vehemently believed that 'only those of my bloodline can inherit my spoils' are no longer among the majority."
This was the path Qin Shaozong initially paved for Qin Yunce, but something unexpected happened when his nephew was twelve years old.
Seeing that his smile had faded and he seemed shrouded in heavy clouds, Dai Li guessed that something else might have happened. This was evident from the fact that Cui Sheng and the other man were now teachers of the God of Agriculture and were doing their best to help him.
"Later, did Yun Ce fall ill?" Dai Li asked tactfully.
The moon seemed to have risen, and the invisible clouds were dispelled by the soft moonlight.
Qin Shaozong stared intently at the woman in front of him. She was still as intelligent as ever. Now, cornered by him, her eyes were red-rimmed, and after being washed by tears, her eyes became even brighter, like two black pearls soaking in a cold spring.
His image was clearly reflected in her eyes, a mixture of curiosity, trepidation, and heartache caused by Yun Ce. Her earlier hesitation and fear, however, slowly faded away without her even realizing it.
That wicked thing, curled up like a fox ball, is slowly, and once again, revealing its soft belly.
If you're patient, just wait a little longer...
I can't wait!
The sound of blood surging through his meridians was so loud, rushing headlong with unstoppable force, causing him to stop thinking for a moment. Other thoughts gnawed at his mind, gradually taking over his brain.
The area that once felt like it had been scalded with hot oil, the ulcerated ground covered with countless blisters, now seemed to have been gently treated with medicine.
Then, the pain from the needle pricks began to dissipate, and new flesh and blood slowly grew from the foul-smelling ulcer.
Reaching out from the corner, Qin Shaozong lowered his head and kissed the woman.
Dai Li was still waiting for his answer, completely unaware of what was about to happen.
Compared to the initial harshness, this kiss was gentler, but the greed remained. He conquered and plundered, twisting and sucking her soft red tongue incessantly.
This man kissed her fiercely, but Dai Li sensed he wasn't angry anymore. The first time, it had made her tongue ache, but now...
Suddenly, her tongue was bitten, and Dai Li gasped in pain, her thoughts coming to an abrupt halt.
Qin Shaozong stepped back slightly, placing his palm on the side of her face. His rough thumb caressed her watery lips, his eyes filled with displeasure. "Distracted?"
“…We were just talking about Yun Ce.” Dai Li was unwilling to take the blame. It was clearly his own unconventional behavior that led to this; how could she be blamed for everything?
He gave a nonchalant "hmm," a perfectly respectable response, seemingly oblivious to the abrupt change in the topic.
Qin Shaozong put his hand down. "Yun Ce was born prematurely, so his health is not very good. In addition to the serious injury he suffered when his parents passed away and he almost died, he also had a serious illness when he was twelve years old. At that time, he was seriously ill, and many people had other ideas."
The two cousins were close in age, only three years apart. That year, Qin Yunce was twelve years old and Qin Qinian was nine. One was a naive young boy just starting out, and the other was a gem that many people could still polish.
When the former is teetering on the brink of collapse and it is clear to everyone that it is difficult to maintain the situation, it is no wonder that others will "choose a better tree to perch on".
From his words about a "serious illness," Dai Li guessed that Qin Yunce must have been on the verge of death at the time. She thought for a moment and said, "You didn't stop Mr. Cui and the others back then, did you?"
Qin Shaozong hummed in agreement.
He didn't stop him, and Yun Ce's illness lasted for more than two years, with recurring episodes. When he was feeling well, he looked like he would be completely cured by tomorrow; when he was feeling bad, he was barely breathing.
Qin Shaozong suddenly clicked his tongue, whether from annoyance or disappointment, "During the two years that Yun Ce was ill, I also tried to train Qin San. But that kid really did turn out exactly as I initially judged, without deviating at all. He's soft-hearted, easily influenced, and lacks decisiveness in important matters. This kind of person is only good at wielding a sword on the battlefield. If he tries to wield the sharp blade of power, he'll easily hurt himself."
He paused, looking rather disappointed, "Besides, he gets dizzy just looking at the words. If he were in my position, he would have a lot of correspondence and official documents to deal with. He can't read them, and he makes mistakes when he writes them. Does he expect someone else to do it for him every time? Once or twice is fine, but if this goes on for a long time, it will embolden some people and allow them to use his position for their own purposes."
Dai Li looked at him for a moment, then suddenly said, "Other powerful rulers have many offspring. Fan Yanzhou alone has more children than you can count on two hands. I've heard that Nangong Qingzhou also has several sons. At that time, Yun Ce was ill, and Qinian did not live up to your wishes. Didn't you ever think about having another child?"
In that era, medical care was underdeveloped, and the infant mortality rate was far higher than in modern times. Wealthy families wanted as many children as possible; if one didn't survive, there was always another, right?
Similarly, this one might not be very talented, but that one might be. Besides, they're not short of money; they can afford to raise many children, so why don't they?
Given Qin's wealth and status, if he, as the clan leader, wanted a child, he would surely have many women vying to bear him one.
Qin Shaozong held one of her hands in his palm, gently pinched Dai Li's fingertips, and then looked at the lines on her palm. "I did think about it before. At that time, Yun Ce was on the verge of death, and that brat Qinian was unreliable. The lack of a successor would be detrimental to maintaining social stability. But having an heir isn't something you can just decide to do; you need to consider many aspects..."
"It's not good if the child's birth mother's family background is too high or too low. If it's too high, she won't be willing to be a concubine, and her maternal family might become another Wei family; but if it's too low, her son will easily be looked down upon in the future, making it difficult for him to establish his authority, and he will also have no maternal family to help him." Qin Shaozong was different from other powerful rulers. When the Qin family formed an alliance with the Wei family through marriage, they were inferior to each other. Moreover, after the death of the Wei family's daughter, he made a vow that if he were to remarry, he would marry the Wei family's daughter.
If other daughters of high-ranking families cannot obtain the position of principal wife, then the loss here must be made up for elsewhere.
Qin Shaozong was unwilling to cut off the flesh beside him.
“Whether a child has talent or not can't be seen right after birth. Betting on a single child's chances of winning is slim. If we decide to use this method, we'll have to compare more children.” Qin Shaozong didn't look up, still staring at the fair hand, and said with considerable disgust, “Troublesome.”
He had no intention of turning his backyard into a gladiatorial arena, nor did he want to be entertaining the Li family one day and the Zhao family the next during these turbulent times. Therefore, the matter was repeatedly delayed, and no decision was made for a long time.
Qin Yunce's condition has finally improved.
His nephew's health was still not very good, but he was barely able to manage. Qin Shaozong didn't want to make things difficult, so he simply ignored his advisors' suggestion to "have more children and select the best ones for admission."
Looking back now, I'm glad I didn't listen to them, otherwise I would never have caught that wicked fox.
"Madam previously said that they were all instructed by me, and therefore did not serve to side with Qin Er or compete with Shengping and the others. That is both true and false. During the two years when Yun Ce was seriously ill, Shengping and Chongliang taught Qin San many times and formed a teacher-student relationship. Their plans for Qin San were motivated by personal motives, and I did not instruct them." Qin Shaozong looked up at her at this moment.
Dai Li's pupils narrowed slightly, and her heart, which had been in turmoil, was now filled with a huge surge of emotions.
Right and wrong? This person only denied half of it, saying that he did not instruct Cui Shengping to plot for Qinian.
Nazhouzhou...
Dai Li instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but it was firmly grasped by his large hand. Her throat was dry, and she even stammered at first, "Qin... Qin Changgeng, Zhouzhou has never received that kind of education, he doesn't understand the ways of the emperor, and he has no background, no one can help him. Not to mention, he is only your stepson, not your biological son. If he were to inherit your position, in the eyes of the teachers, it would be a loss of power, how could they agree to that?"
It wasn't that Dai Li, as a mother, was deliberately suppressing her son; rather, she was simply stating objective facts.
She was very anxious, but he calmed down and even smiled leisurely, "Wugong said that Qin Er is very good at studying, and is extremely good at drawing inferences from one instance and integrating knowledge. I am not worried about his studies."
Dai Li choked up.
Both she and Zhouzhou's father have good educational backgrounds, and their son has always excelled academically, never causing her any worry about his studies. She used to be proud of this, but now it's become a major headache for her.
Dai Li then changed her tune, "Let's not talk about studying, Zhouzhou has no connections..."
"Yes!" Qin Shaozong interrupted her, "Madam, you are Qin Er's support."
Dai Li was astonished, "Me?"
Qin Shaozong: "The dragon bone waterwheel is famous throughout the world, and the salt stone is popular in the homes of the powerful and wealthy. The millions of military funds in my northern region all come from the hands of my wife. Not to mention that now there is fertile soil that can make even commoners rich."
Although some of these items were acquired through transactions, regardless of the private circumstances, in the eyes of the gentlemen and the world, they were all obtained by her.
Prestige is something invisible and intangible, yet it is extremely important. Without prestige, one cannot stand; if one is upright, one's orders will be obeyed without being given.
The prestige she gains will provide protection for Qin Er.
Seeing that she was still in a daze, Qin Shaozong said again, "Of course, I will also be his support, and I will have to give him some pointers on the battlefield in the future."
The south is not yet pacified, and he will inevitably have a battle with Liu Zhan. In battle, those who excel will surely gain military merit.
This was a decision he made after careful consideration. Although Qin Er had suffered for ten years, his gentle nature had not been completely eradicated. As for the proof, it was the bandit suppression in Chunmiao Mountain.
He was willing to lose the bet with his wife to save the soldier, and he will also cherish brotherly affection and treat Yun Ce and Qin San well in the future.
Dai Li's mind was in turmoil. She didn't know whether she should be worried about her son having to go to the front lines in the future, or feel helpless about his well-reasoned arguments.
“How could you do this? They… they won’t accept it…” Dai Li murmured.
The words weren't spoken very clearly, but Qin Shaozong understood them.
A heavy darkness settled in his eyes. "Dai Li, I am no saint. I admit that this action was motivated by personal gain. Qin Er, like you, comes from Peach Blossom Spring. I will probably never witness the wonders of that mysterious place in my lifetime. I will never see a journey of ten thousand miles in a day, nor will I see the eternal prosperity of livestock. Qin Er has experienced extreme hardship during his ten years away from home. Precisely because of this, he could never forget the peace and comfort of his birthplace. In the future, when the new dynasty begins, the so-called prosperous and peaceful world will surely have many shortcomings in his eyes."
When one sits in a high position, the greatest danger is being misled. When the highest authority utters the phrase "Why don't they eat meat porridge?", how can that not be a tragedy for the people?
Many emperors were wise and powerful in their early years, but as their foundations were nearly established and they received endless praise, they became more or less complacent and arrogant, feeling that there was no room for further progress in this prosperous era.
Afterwards, such emperors would change their ways, whether seeking immortality, pursuing the path of immortality, or indulging in wine and women, but they would never again have the ambitions they once had.
Qin Shaozong suddenly smiled, unable to help but sigh at fate. The path he had paved for Yun Ce back then, which he once thought would be wasted, had unexpectedly come in handy many years later. "As for the matter that Madam was worried about in the end, it is not difficult to solve. Those particularly stubborn ones from the early years have been eliminated. Although Qin Er is not a blood relative of the Qin family, as long as he marries my young lady from the Qin family, he will not only gain a powerful wife's family, but his offspring will also have the blood of the Qin family."
This was his deepest and most unspeakable desire: he and she were destined to have no children of blood, and he deeply regretted this.
As long as Qin Er embarks on this path, his wish will be fulfilled in an unconventional way.
Dai Li was stunned, as if struck by lightning; she almost jumped up. She had been cornered by Qin Shaozong, and after their kiss, they had pulled away slightly. Now, Dai Li grabbed his arm, "Qin Changgeng, you clearly promised me you wouldn't interfere with Zhouzhou's marriage..."
Qin Shaozong knew she would react this way. His eyes darkened. "I did promise you. But if he likes someone, you won't allow it?"
Dai Li froze, her eyes still filled with fear and confusion. "What do you mean? Who does he like?"
Qin Shaozong removed her hand from her sleeve, and pulled her into his arms. "Who do you think gave Shi Rongrong that silly dog she hugs every day? Qin Er has taken her horseback riding more than once."
Dai Li opened her mouth, but the overwhelming amount of information left her dizzy and speechless.
So the Qin woman he mentioned is Hongying, and the young lady of the Qin family is Rongrong.
Zhouzhou and Rongrong?
Qin Shaozong: "I sent Shi Rongrong and Qin San back to Yuyang with you. I wanted Rongrong to spend more time with Qin Er, and I also wanted Qin San to stay away from Chang'an, so that he wouldn't get involved in this still chaotic power struggle while Qin Er was absent."
He had originally planned to explain things to her after he returned to Yuyang, but plans changed. She left behind a "Letter of Divorce" and ran away with her son without a word.
Qin Shaozong raised his hand to stroke her brow, his deep brown eyes revealing a hint of ferocity, as if he were unwilling or defeated. "When I saw that 'Letter of Divorce,' I only felt hatred. I hated your distrust, and I hated that I was not Qin Er's biological father and could not be entrusted with your whole heart."
When he spoke of "hatred," it was so profound and clenched, as if his chest was being torn open by intense emotions, with feelings of helplessness, frustration, and jealousy surging forth.
The once arrogant and proud son of heaven showed a rare, barely perceptible hint of dishevelment.
“I…” Dai Li wanted to say that she didn’t distrust him, but looking into his reddish-brown eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say those comforting lies.
She didn't believe him at the time. She didn't trust that a man who held half the world in his hands, who was not related to her and was only her husband later in life, would go to such lengths to plan a stable future for her and Zhouzhou.
This distrust, fueled by his prolonged silence, gradually festered into unease, making it impossible for her to ignore it any longer.
I did consider having an open and honest talk with him, but that thought vanished as quickly as a pebble dropped into a river.
Qin Changgeng is right; the root of all this lies in distrust.
She never truly believed him.
Author's Note: In Lao Qin's plan, the marriage alliance with Zhouzhou was indispensable. He didn't rush to say it because of the "three rules" and also because he wanted to give the young couple time to develop their relationship. As a result, it dragged on and on...
It seems slightly more people chose option A than option B. [glasses]
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