Chapter 184 A Kiss for You
Spring has faded away, and summer is fast approaching. Soon, it will be the day Qin Shaozong plans to set off.
Dai Li was initially granted the title of Lady of Wuling in Chang'an, with her fief in Wuling. Wuling was located in the heart of Jingzhou. At that time, the Empress Dowager was reluctant to grant Dai Li the title of Lady, so she simply gave her a "useless place".
It's just a title, it sounds nice, but no taxes are actually collected.
However, Qin Shaozong has taken a different approach, and the pretext for his expedition is: to collect taxes in Wuling!
It makes a rough excuse in name only. Whether Liu Zhan would actually open the city gates to welcome this tax-collecting army is another matter entirely.
Dai Li will not be traveling with Qin Shaozong this time. There are some matters in Yuyang that she needs to handle. After she finishes dealing with them, she will travel south to Chang'an with Shi Rongyue.
We await his triumphant return in Chang'an.
Outside the city, the army was arrayed in an orderly fashion. A tall, imposing man wearing a Taotie helmet and bright armor looked down at his wife, raised his hand to adjust the gold filigree butterfly hairpin on her head, and smoothed the long beaded tassels. "The two falcons that Mo Yanyun gave me are quite nice. You and I will each have one. Remember to write to me, my wife."
Dai Li sighed helplessly. He had mentioned it once before going to bed last night, but she didn't expect him to say it again before leaving. "I'll write to you whenever I have time, okay?"
"That would be perfect." Qin Shaozong smiled.
Dai Li said solemnly, "The journey ahead is long and arduous, my husband, please take good care of yourself. There's no need to rush the war. In terms of supplies and troops, we have a significant advantage, and victory is only a matter of time. I'll be waiting for your triumphant return in Chang'an..."
She wanted to say something else, but as she spoke, she realized that the scene and her words resembled an ominous scene from a movie or TV series, so she quickly stopped.
Qin Shaozong's smile deepened. "Say it again, Madam."
Dai Li was slightly taken aback before she understood. Qin Changgeng particularly enjoyed hearing her call him "husband," and after hearing it all night last night, he still wanted to hear it again.
But in public, I specifically called out to him...
Well, he's about to go on a campaign, so we can't deny him even this small request.
Dai Li smiled slowly and said, "I wish my husband a successful campaign and a safe return home."
"This journey will take at least six months, and at most a year and a half. My lady, wait for my return." Qin Shaozong gave her a deep look before turning away. The wind billowed his red cloak, and his imposing figure mounted his horse, the cloak billowing in a sharp arc, like the outstretched claws of a tiger.
Dai Li looked at her two sons, who were also clad in armor, and gently instructed them. Her words might have sounded uninteresting to others; they were simply telling them to eat well, be careful on the battlefield, not to act rashly, and to be cautious.
Qin Yanzhou and Qin Qinian listened attentively.
"Remember your mother's teachings."
"Remember your mother's teachings."
Dai Li smiled and patted them on the shoulder, "Go ahead."
As the iron cavalry rumbled away into the distance, Dai Li's upturned lips slowly faded, and her vision blurred. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes, feeling a tightness in her chest.
However, Dai Li's gloom did not last long, because a carrier hawk returned that evening. She looked at the small letterbox on the hawk's leg, and then at the hawk flapping its wings begging for food, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He just left.
Dai Li took the letter and unfolded it. His handwriting was as flamboyant as ever, and his arrogance could not be concealed. Moreover, what was written in the letter had nothing to do with the word "reserved".
"We have been apart for less than a day, and I am already mad with longing for you. I have never felt the hardships of military life before, but now that I am not with you, my iron armor is soaked in the cold moonlight, and I toss and turn at night, unable to sleep. I miss last night so much, when we were like waves rolling in the water, expressing our love."
"I miss you, I long to embrace and kiss you tenderly."
"Reply to me, and I will kiss you a thousand times."
Dai Li's cheeks flushed slightly.
This person really dares to write anything. What if the courier misdelivers it, or the mail tube is accidentally dropped, and someone else sees it? What will they do then?
Despite grumbling to him, Dai Li still ground ink and picked up her pen to reply to him.
The hawk returned the following evening.
He was somewhat dissatisfied when he received her reply.
"Your reply was so perfunctory that it filled me with sorrow and made me feel depressed. I only regret that I have no wings to fly back to Yuyang and teach you how to write a reply."
"The hardships of military life have been so comforting to me, your little garment has brought me much solace..."
"Reply to me, and I will kiss you a thousand times."
Dai Li covered her face with her hands, blocking her eyes, pretending not to see the words "Your little clothes have comforted me so much," but the heat rising on her face was so intense that she couldn't deceive herself.
Before this man went to war, he took several of her handkerchiefs with him. Let him take them; she knew what he might use them for in private.
But knowing something is one thing, and having someone casually write it down on paper and send it back is quite another.
Dai Li replied to him.
"Qin Changgeng! You're not allowed to write your private affairs down on paper. What if someone else sees them? Don't you have any shame left?"
She even drew a disgruntled emoticon on the letter paper (◣_◢)
He replied, "...The little painting is so lovely, it's like seeing you in person. I kiss it."
"When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders. The hawk is extremely reliable, and no one can see through it. You can put your mind at ease."
"Reply to me, and I will kiss you a thousand times."
...
At first, after the army left, Dai Li received letters from Qin Shaozong every day. But gradually, it became every other day, and then every few days.
Dai Li knew that he was going further and further astray.
Her stay in Yuyang this time was not only to handle logistical work for the army, but also to take care of an important matter:
Get Zhouzhou and Rongrong engaged.
Marriages among prominent families in this era were extremely complicated, involving a lengthy process of formalities and gifts. The initial steps, such as betrothal, name-asking, and the presentation of auspicious gifts, were all handled by Dai Li.
After finishing these tasks, a quarter passed in the blink of an eye, and the harvest season of autumn arrived.
Thanks to last year's bumper harvest, the promotion of fertilizer was effortless, and the people of the north all knew that it was a powerful tool that could greatly increase the grain yield of their own fields.
Good things are always sought after, so there's no reason to push them away. Therefore, after this year's bumper harvest, there was no need for Dai Li to post notices or urge people to start a new round of composting; every household in the North was enthusiastic.
Composting requires manure, and during that period, the streets of Yuyang and its surrounding cities were exceptionally clean, with no cow or horse manure visible on the roads. Even fresh manure, still warm from being laid on the ground, was picked up by people.
It must be said that the promotion of composting has made a significant contribution to urban sanitation to some extent.
...
Meanwhile, Dai Li finished organizing the abundant harvest of grain and fodder this year, and then, together with Shi Rongyue and the military instructor Jin Duole, escorted the grain and fodder south. Before she went south to Chang'an, she had already received a letter from Qin Shaozong informing her that war was about to break out.
With war about to begin, we'll no longer be on the march, so letters will become less frequent. I hope she understands, and I hope she won't forget to think of me.
Sure enough, after this letter home, which signified that "the flames of war had already broken out," the frequency of letters from the South decreased significantly, sometimes only one letter every two weeks.
He was slow to write, but Dai Li wrote as usual, one letter every seven days, sometimes by messenger and sometimes by hawk.
In the letter, he told him about the engagement of his younger relative, about the golden autumn in Yuyang, and about his upcoming trip south.
Dai Li was also sending messages on her way to Chang'an. She learned that he had successfully led his army to capture Tianmen Pass and then marched straight in, breaking through several cities in succession. She also learned that he had set a trap to kill a certain enemy leader from Jingzhou who had come to launch a sneak attack, and that he had discovered from clues that the Qinglian Sect was involved with Liu Zhan, the governor of Jingzhou. She also learned what merits her two sons had made.
When Dai Li arrived in Chang'an, the battle in the south was becoming increasingly fierce. The northern army, led by Qin Shaozong, continued its advance without stopping, and the outcome was becoming clear.
The advance of the war brought about many chain reactions. Specifically, the Grand Commandant's mansion received several baskets of visiting cards every day, with people wanting to pay their respects as numerous as carp crossing a river; whenever a family in Chang'an held a grand banquet, they would always send an invitation to Dai Li.
Whether she can actually come or not is another matter, but I will definitely invite her.
Dai Li received very few of the numerous visiting cards that poured in like snowflakes, and she only attended two or three banquets, rarely participating in any of them. When prominent families realized they couldn't invite her, they simply resorted to sending gifts instead.
Even if you can't invite someone, you should still send a gift.
Surely you'd like gold, silver, and jewels—rare and precious treasures!
Given the current war situation, the northern forces are likely to grow even stronger, and once her husband returns victorious, the world might change. Sending more gifts to his wife now might allow her to whisper sweet nothings in his ear later.
The abacus was being calculated so loudly that it reached Dai Li's ears, but she rejected it outright.
She wasn't interested in precious ornaments, but she did like jewelry, though the Marquis's mansion had plenty. Every piece in Dai Li's dressing case was priceless. As for other things, nothing was more unusual than modern high technology.
Therefore, Dai Li remained completely calm and composed.
Life went on like this, both beautiful and uneventful, and before we knew it, the harsh winter had passed and we were entering the chilly early spring.
Dai Li held a cup of hot tea, curled up in her snow-white fox fur cloak, her thoughts drifting. Counting the time, it had been more than half a year since Qin Changgeng set off. He had said it would take at least half a year, and at most a year and a half, but now half a year had passed, and she wondered how the battle was going.
His last letter was over a month ago; this time it's been even longer than before. Ah, communication was so inconvenient back then. If only we had cell phones…
The hot tea in her hand had unknowingly lost its temperature. Dai Li put down the cup and picked up the teapot on the small charcoal stove next to her to pour herself some tea.
But she got distracted while pouring the water, and the spout of the kettle wasn't aimed at the teacup. The scalding hot tea spilled onto the table and was quickly scraped down the surface.
Dai Li sat at the table until boiling water splashed onto her legs, at which point she suddenly threw down the teapot and hurriedly backed away.
"Madam!" Nianxia went to the kitchen and returned just in time to see this scene. She was shocked and her face changed drastically. "I'll go and call the physician."
Dai Li stopped her, "You're wearing thick clothes, so you didn't get burned much."
"Please change your wet clothes quickly." Nianxia hurriedly went inside to find her some clothes, complaining, "Where's Bipo? Why isn't she serving you?"
"It's normal for people to need to use the restroom. She went to the toilet, and besides, it was my own carelessness." Dai Li took off her cloak and then removed her wet clothes one by one. Looking at her slightly reddened thighs, she reached out and touched them.
It hurts a little, but it's bearable.
Looking at her flushed skin, Dai Li's heart pounded, and for some reason, she felt inexplicably flustered.
"I'll go get you some ointment," Nianxia said, seeing that she was unwilling to see the family doctor.
This time, Dai Li did not refuse.
After a while, Bibo ran back excitedly, "Madam, the Grand Commandant has sent a letter!"
Dai Li was taken aback, then overjoyed. Since arriving in Chang'an, she had received far fewer letters from the south; including today's letter, she had only received two letters from Qin Shaozong.
Without waiting for Nianxia to return, she went straight to the lobby.
The weary messenger greeted Dai Li with a bow, then pulled out an envelope with sealing wax from his robes. “Madam,” he said, “the Lord says everything is well in the army and that you need not worry. Please check this letter.”
Seeing the heavy dark circles under his eyes and his tired face, Dai Li called a guard to take him to rest. After the messenger left, she didn't take the letter back to the main courtyard to read it, but instead opened it directly in the main hall.
The weight of the letter was similar to that of previous messengers, but upon unfolding it, Dai Li realized something was amiss.
Qin Shaozong's handwriting was easy to recognize, strong and powerful, its arrogance mirroring his personality. However, the handwriting on the letter in her hand was much more restrained, each stroke concealing its sharpness, clearly the handwriting of her son, Qin Yanzhou.
Zhouzhou used to write to her, but his own letters and those he wrote on behalf of Qin Nian only accounted for a maximum of 30%, with the remaining 70% belonging to Qin Changgeng. Sometimes, the father would even eat all the food himself, not giving his son any space at all.
Now, there is no trace of Qin Changgeng's handwriting on the paper.
Dai Li read the sentence in her son's letter, "Father has been busy with many matters recently, so his son wrote this on his behalf," twice, her brows furrowing more and more.
Ghostwriting?
This has never happened before.
Recalling what the messenger had said, Dai Li couldn't resist having the messenger, who had just been taken to rest, brought back.
"Madam, what are your orders?" the messenger asked, bowing his head.
Dai Li stared at him intently. "Your Excellency has encountered an accident on the battlefield, hasn't that been the case?"
This is a question, but it doesn't convey much doubt.
The messenger instinctively looked up, his expression changing drastically, "Mistress..."
Seeing his expression, Dai Li understood immediately. She felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Although it was early spring, the sunlight outside could not dispel the chill. The invisible cold wind entered her lungs, making her feel cold all the way to the depths of her spine.
“Tell me the truth!” Dai Li said in a deep voice.
Having spent so much time with Qin Shaozong, even Dai Li herself didn't realize that her expression and aura were now somewhat similar to his. Her eyes gleamed with a cold light, exuding an imposing and dignified presence.
The soldier was startled, momentarily forgetting his earlier instructions, and blurted out, "My lord was struck by an arrow on the battlefield..."
Dai Li's mind went blank for a moment, and all color drained from her face. If it weren't for Bi Po supporting her from behind, she probably wouldn't have been able to stand up.
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldier knew things were going badly. But what's done is done, so he quickly said, "My lord is wearing gleaming armor, and the enemy already knows how powerful it is, so that arrow was not aimed at a vital spot."
Dai Li bit her lip, using the pain to dispel her dizziness, "How are you now, my lord?"
The soldier shook his head and said he didn't know the specifics, only saying, "Since the lord was shot, he has never left the military tent. However, Mr. Ding said that the injury is not serious, but he needs to rest."
Dai Li asked about other things, such as the frontline situation after Qin Shaozong was wounded, the reactions of the high-ranking military officers, and the frequency with which Mr. Ding entered and left the main tent.
The most important things were not kept secret, and the messenger answered all of Dai Li's questions without reservation.
Thus, Dai Li learned that in the battle that had wounded Qin Shaozong, the Northern Army had ultimately won a great victory, and that the generals, represented by Qiao Wangfei, had each performed their duties after the city fell.
Aside from the initial period, military doctor Ding Lianxi did not stay in the main tent continuously afterward. His subsequent comings and goings were also very regular, once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the evening, each time for half an hour.
Dai Li frowned in deep thought.
The messenger suddenly remembered something, "Before I came, the lord instructed me to ask you for some letters so that I could take them back with me."
Dai Li: "You saw him?"
The messenger shook his head and said no, only that he was delivering a message.
Dai Li: "You must be tired from your journey. You should go and rest first."
She slowly walked back to the main courtyard, and once there, she unfolded the letter again and read it carefully once more. The letter made no mention of Qin Changgeng's injury; it merely recounted the various victories, both large and small, in a casual, conversational manner.
Dai Li tapped the table absently with her fingertips.
It seems that morale is still stable, and Mr. Ding is not taking care of him day and night like he would a wounded patient whose life hangs by a thread.
Judging from this, his injuries are not serious.
Rationally, Dai Li knew that he was probably not in imminent danger. After all, the protective capabilities of the Mingguang Armor were not made of paper; it certainly lived up to its reputation as the best armor in the Tang Dynasty.
But emotionally, another voice kept speaking in her ear:
If he wasn't in such dire straits, why would a strong-willed man like Qin Changgeng not leave his military tent for several days and not show himself in front of his soldiers?
Even if we assume that the injury was a ruse to mislead the enemy, isn't this a matter that only involves the battlefield? Why would he also deceive her, who is far away in Chang'an?
So that definitely wasn't a cover-up!
Something really happened to him...
Dai Li was restless, her mind racing with guesses, when a thought emerged from the hazy fog and gradually became clear.
She gazed out the bright sunlight, watching the delicate and beautiful flower buds slowly blooming, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
Flowers should grow in peaceful places so that they can bloom more beautifully.
But she was never a flower.
"Bibo, help me pack my things quickly. Nianxia, go and invite Mr. Jin over. Tell him I need to change the selection of the person to transport supplies to the army."
Author's Note: What you hold in your heart will surely come to pass. Dai Dai is sending Lao Qin a reply with an arrow ∩_∩
Can you smell anything?
That's right, the main story is almost finished! Once the main plot is done, I'll tidy up and wrap it up [glasses]. What follows is some slice-of-life content.
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