Chapter 20 Lady Dai is missing!
A burly, dark figure was dragged by the lamplight and projected onto a carved wooden screen. The screen was painted with beautiful flowers and birds, but at this moment, the flowers and birds seemed to have been armed by the dark figure and grown into frightening sharp teeth and claws, making it difficult to look directly at its oppressive aura.
In the side room, Dai Li heard Tao Xiang greeting her from outside, and then heard that deep, strong voice say the three words, "Go down."
Dai Li suddenly looked down at herself, trying to put her disheveled clothes back on. But compared to modern clothes, ancient people's clothing was not simple. Each garment, including the undergarment, outer skirt, and deep robe, had ties, and the layers were easily messed up.
There was no shadowless lamp in the side room. As the footsteps drew closer, the long, pale shadow slowly entered her field of vision, like a tiger or leopard leisurely strolling in the forest.
With her long eyelashes trembling slightly, Dai Li stopped tying her clothes as before and slowly looked up at the man a few steps away.
Now that there was no one else in the room, he no longer needed to deliberately restrain his aura as before. The powerful figure who had fought his way out of the bloody battles was imposing and had an extremely heavy aura that made him difficult to approach.
"It seems I've arrived at an inopportune time, delaying Madam's bath." He said this, but there was not a trace of apology in his words.
Today, Dai Li was wearing a dark blue cross-collar robe with cloud patterns on the hem. Her belt was not tied, her clothes were loose, and her neckline was much lower than usual, so that one could vaguely see her snow-covered hills.
He stepped forward, finally standing in front of Dai Li, the shadows enveloping most of her.
Qin Shaozong reached out and took her belt, wrapping his long fingers around it twice. With just a gentle tug, the already loose belt would immediately come undone. "I heard that Madam sent away the guards today. Why is that?"
The number of lamps inside the side room was far fewer than in the outer room. The light from the small lamps flickered erratically in the damp room, creating an indescribable ambiguity, as if two giant trees, one tall and one short, had grown intertwined roots over the years, inseparable from each other.
"I wonder if the guard you mentioned who was sent away refers to the one I had..." Dai Li gestured a square on her face with her hand, "...to go back and stay with the Lady of the Mansion?"
Qin Shaozong watched her actions, a smile appearing in his eyes, but instead of answering, he asked, "What does Madam think?"
"I guess so." Dai Li lowered her eyes and used both hands to take his large hand that was hooking her sash, slowly untying the satin fabric wrapped around his long fingers.
“However, we had a conflict when we entered the manor, which led me to leave in a huff, and you only sent me a maid the next day at noon. This shows that the conflict was no ordinary one. Arrogant and domineering people are always petty, and I can’t get over this so easily. I didn’t expect to see your soldiers while I was out wandering. That’s quite normal, isn’t it?” Dai Li said softly.
"Today is the seventh day. Even the biggest conflict between us should be resolved by now." Qin Shaozong's long fingers, which were wrapped around his belt, suddenly tightened.
With this movement, he gathered the not-yet-completely-untied sash into his palm.
Dai Li's heart was much calmer.
He came to her about this matter not so much to hold her accountable or punish her, but more to give her a warning. Like many superiors, he disliked subordinates using his name to fabricate orders out of thin air.
"That's about enough. Tomorrow I will continue to go out to the market and buy a lot of jewelry and fabrics. I will also continue to leave your captain out in the cold to vent my anger. I hope you won't mind."
Dai Li's soft fingers first lightly touched the scar on the back of his hand, and then tried to pry open his fingers that were holding her sash.
She didn't exert much effort; it seemed like just a gentle scratch. The large, hard hand, like a tiger's claw, slowly released its grip. Dai Li hooked her sash and took it back: "Tomorrow night will be exactly the seventh day of my menstrual period. By then, my body will be more comfortable, and we can enjoy ourselves together. All our conflicts can be resolved in bed, and things will fall into place naturally, allowing us to reconcile."
Qin Shaozong was almost a head taller than her, and his gaze fell down from above.
The woman before him had powdered cheeks, black hair, dark eyebrows, and a red mole on her forehead that looked as if it had bled; she was stunningly beautiful.
At this moment, her clothes were disheveled, and the overlapping of her garments was extremely loose, revealing a dazzling expanse of white cream, like the finest milk cream illuminated by the moonlight, or like the most beautiful white magnolia in spring with its rich fragrance. With her rising and falling breaths, one could glimpse the snow-white trembling.
One of the lamps in the room suddenly went out, and Qin Shaozong's eyes darkened considerably.
Looking at the person in front of her, her stunning beauty remained undiminished, and as the light dimmed, she even exuded a more alluring languor.
Dai Li hadn't heard him speak. After pulling her sash back, she looked up and was almost startled by Qin Shaozong's gaze.
Those brown eyes were so deep they seemed to have turned completely black, and the dark fire raging within them almost seemed to leap out of them. For a moment, Dai Li thought she was seeing a hungry tiger sharpening its fangs and claws, waiting to devour its prey.
She instinctively lowered her head to avoid it, but as she did so, she noticed that his black robe was pulled up quite high.
Dai Li suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
That just now, it seems like it went a little too far...
"You should go out quickly, otherwise the maids outside will become suspicious," Dai Li advised in a low voice.
Seeing that he stood still as if he hadn't heard her, Dai Li simply took his arm and led him out, saying, "I will be waiting for Your Majesty in my room tomorrow night."
Stepping out of the side room and just arriving at the main room, Dai Li heard a low, hoarse reply, "Alright."
Dai Li: "..."
The door was opened and then quickly closed again.
Finally, she saw him off and Dai Li breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that he wouldn't come again tonight, she felt incredibly relaxed.
After a relaxing bath, Dai Li happily went to bed, curled up in the blankets, and quickly fell asleep.
I slept soundly through the night without any dreams.
*
The sun rises in the east, and the east is bathed in light.
Spring rain is always as precious as oil. Today, like the past few days, the sky is clear and blue as crystal. Anyone can tell that today is going to be a good day.
Using the excuse that the weather was clear and pleasant for leisure, Dai Li dragged Yun Rong out of the mansion early again.
They started their stroll in the East Market, a hub of eateries, eating their way through the streets, until they reached the West Market, searching for merchants from the Western Regions who sold foreign cats. Unfortunately, they were probably unlucky; they walked from one end of the street to the other without finding any.
In her early years, Yunrong not only had to serve her aunt, but also gave birth to two sons and two daughters, in addition to managing a large backyard. All of this took a toll on her health, and her foundation was already weak.
After walking around for a while, her face was turning slightly pale again. She was really tired. Yunrong couldn't help but call out to stop her, "Sister, I'm a little tired. Didn't you extend your stay at Youlan Courtyard yesterday? How about I wait for you at the post station, just like yesterday?"
Dai Li knew that it was about time. "Sister Yun, didn't you say yesterday that there was another inn called Qingfenglou? I've already tried the other two, so how can I let Qingfenglou slip through my fingers? Why don't we rest there?"
Yunrong's mind was filled with the word "rest," and she didn't care about anything else. She went wherever Daili said to rest.
So the group changed course and returned to the East Market. This time, they went to Qingfeng Tower, located on another street in the East Market.
The two main streets of the East Market form a cross shape, with Qingfeng Tower located at the southern end of the "|". Mingyue Residence and Youlan Courtyard are both located on the "1" shape, with Mingyue Residence to the east and Youlan Courtyard to the west, the former being closer to the East City Gate.
After checking into a room at Qingfeng Tower and having some refreshments, Dai Li looked at the square-faced sergeant and said disdainfully, "You don't need to come with me. Stay with the Lady of the Mansion today. I don't need you anywhere."
Yunrong couldn't help but laugh, "Sister, are you still having a disagreement with Lord Qin?"
Dai Li turned her head away and murmured, "Who told him not to drink that day? He just paid lip service to it. If I didn't show some temper, he would really think I was easy to fool."
Yun Rong's lips twitched, a mixture of disdain and a vague, inexplicable envy.
Today's rulers are almost all civil officials who rose through the ranks, except for Qin Shaozong, who comes from the vast frontier region. Although she is younger than her husband, her status is already beyond the reach of others.
Born into a prominent family, with the physique of a military general, he practically controlled the entire northern lands and was at the height of his power. Yet this Dai Li possessed only a beautiful appearance, which had captivated Lord Qin, leaving him utterly infatuated. And yet, she remained arrogant and haughty, truly ignorant of her own limitations.
She was just a favored concubine; her fate was sealed, it was only a matter of time...
Dai Li didn't care what Yun Rong was thinking and left Qingfeng Tower with the same servants as yesterday.
Afterwards, Dai Li went to many other places. The red sun in the sky slowly slanted westward, and its light became less dazzling than before. Time slowly came to Shen Shi (3-5 PM).
"Oh dear, I almost forgot that I ordered seafood and local meat from a fishmonger in the West Market the other day. The three of you should hurry to the West Market and bring the seafood back to the mansion," Dai Li suddenly exclaimed.
None of these three were Qin Shaozong's soldiers. Ordinary guards only had a few coins on them, and Dai Li had only paid a deposit at the time, with a balance to be paid later.
The guards looked troubled.
They had no money on them. But Madam Dai hadn't allocated any funds to them...
Tao Xiang had been a maid in the Jiang household for many years and was already familiar with the servants. Seeing this, she said, "Madam, should we give them the money here to pay the balance first?"
This is both a reminder and a stepping stone.
Dai Li followed the path, glanced at Ding Xiang, and gestured for her to hand over the money pouch.
The guards received the money but still hesitated, worried that if they all left, no one would be there to protect the lord's favorite concubine. However, if only one or two people went, they feared they wouldn't be able to keep an eye on her, since a carriage meant for nobles would never be used to transport seafood.
Dai Li waved impatiently to shoo them away, "Go quickly, I'll wait for you to come back in the Xinglong area. Hurry up, if you're late and the fishmonger thinks I broke my promise and sells the goods to someone else, making my hopes dashed, I will definitely ask the Lord to punish you for your negligence."
The guards exchanged glances, thinking that they had spent a long time in the bookstore yesterday and the favored concubine had been unharmed, so it wouldn't hurt to leave.
Even if those three leave, there are still Dingxiang and Taoxiang, so it shouldn't be a problem...
Thinking of this, the three guards bowed and accepted the order.
After they left, Dai Li led the group to the Jin Yu Zhai jewelry store, where they bought only the most expensive items, spending all the money pouch that Tao Xiang had brought.
"Taoxiang, we're running low on money. Go back to the manor and get some more." Daili instructed Taoxiang, and before she could speak, she added, "Dingxiang and I are waiting for you at Xinglong Silk Shop. Remember to come back quickly, or I won't be short of money to pay the bills later."
After saying that, she left without paying any attention to the other person's expression. Tao Xiang hesitated for a moment, but eventually did as she was told.
Upon arriving at Xinglong Silk Shop, after trying on two sets of clothes, Dai Li took out a few coins from her small purse: "Dingxiang, go to the stall of that old man with the goatee at the end of Pinghe Street and buy me two flatbreads. I ate his flatbreads yesterday, and they were better than many other places; I'm starting to miss them. If I'm still trying on clothes after you buy them, don't rush me; I'll come out to eat them when I'm done."
Dingxiang held out the money, "Madam..."
Dai Li clicked her tongue lightly, "I have maids from the silk shop here to serve me, so I don't need you for the time being. Honestly, you're all so slow and dawdling, ignoring your master's orders. What kind of behavior is this? It seems I'll have to pour out my grievances to Sister Yun on the way back later, and tell her that I can't command your servants, and that she doesn't need to send anyone to serve me. It's all the same whether they're here or not."
Dingxiang shuddered, dared not say a word, and hurriedly went to buy sesame cakes.
Dai Li watched Ding Xiang's retreating figure and breathed a long sigh of relief.
It's finally done!
Less than a moment after Dingxiang left, Daili also quickly left the silk shop.
The cloth and silk shop was located in the North Market, while the post station was in the East Market. After leaving Xinglong Silk Shop, Dai Li hurried to the East Market.
She walked with trepidation the whole way. Although Yun Rong had taken people to rest at Qingfeng Tower and dismissed the guards and maids, who knew if something unexpected might happen?
If she were to be seen by the servants of the Jiang family, she would have a hard time escaping, since she had not yet changed her clothes.
Mingyue Residence is located at the easternmost end of the "cross" street. To reach Mingyue Residence, you must first pass Youlan Courtyard, which is located at the westernmost end of the "cross" street.
Dai Li turned directly into Youlan Courtyard.
A quarter of an hour later, a figure wearing a veiled hat walked out of Youlan Courtyard. She was dressed in a drab gray dress, nothing out of the ordinary.
The figure continued eastward, crossed the crossroads, turned into Mingyue Residence, and soon left with another package.
As agreed, the driver waited for her on Donghe Street from 3:00 PM to 3:45 PM.
It is now 3:15 PM.
Donghe Street is located in Dongshi. It is a small street next to the "cross" road, and it is much more delicate than the "cross" road, which is the main road.
As she turned the corner, Dai Li saw a donkey cart loaded with goods. Beside the cart were two men dressed in brown shorts, one younger, no more than twenty years old, and the other looking to be over forty.
Dai Li stepped forward, holding half a "train" ticket, and asked, "Is this the train to Baimajin?"
"It's you? You're pretty punctual. Get in the car."
The donkey cart wheels rolled across the stone street, heading towards the east gate. Upon arriving at the gate, a check revealed everything was going smoothly, and they passed through the gate and left the city.
As Dai Li sat on the donkey cart, she felt a sudden sense of relief as the wheels rolled out of the city gate, as if the mountain on her shoulders had finally been lifted. She looked back at the city behind her; the city, bathed in sunlight, was ancient and imposing, a silent witness to the passage of time.
Farewell, Nankang County!
A note from the author:
After setting the last fire for Qin Shaozong, Dai Li ran away! Hahaha
By the way, I saw several comments saying that Pei Ying can't escape, and considering Pei Ying from next door, Dai Li can't escape either xs
First, their family backgrounds are very different, resulting in different personalities and ways of thinking. Second, the terrain of Beichuan is very different from that of the surrounding areas of Nankang County; there are no rivers there, so travel is only possible by land, and a donkey cart can never outrun a horse (shrug).
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