Chapter 21 Qin Shaozong: She's really wonderful!
Qingfeng Tower.
Yunrong had just woken up and felt much better. She looked at the sky and felt satisfied. It was already late afternoon, and according to usual, Daili should be coming to find her to return to the manor together.
Honestly, she's been wandering around outside these past few days, which has made her lose her appetite for dinner every time. Tomorrow, no matter what that ancestor says, she's determined not to go out of the manor with her.
No, not only tomorrow, but also for the next few days, I won't leave the residence...
"Madam, Lady of the Lord's Mansion!!"
Just as Yunrong was lost in thought, she was suddenly jolted back to reality by a panicked shout. She turned around and saw Dingxiang, and, disliking her daughter, scolded her.
"Why are you in such a hurry? You're scaring away all your good fortune..."
"Madam, Lady Dai has disappeared!"
The two voices overlapped.
The surroundings fell silent instantly.
Yunrong's eyes widened, wondering if she was still dreaming, otherwise how could she have heard such absurd things?
Yun Rong was still stunned, while the square-faced sergeant next to her, who had been forced to stay by Dai Li's orders, changed his expression drastically.
He immediately asked urgently, "How did Madam Dai disappear? Where did she disappear from? When did this happen? Tell me quickly!"
Dingxiang ran all the way to Qingfeng Tower, panting heavily. Now, when questioned, she spoke haltingly, making Yunrong extremely anxious, and she almost couldn't catch her breath.
After finally figuring out what had happened, Yun Rong hissed and gasped, "That ancestor is the most willful of all, always doing things her own way and completely disregarding the feelings of others. Could it be that she had another quarrel with Lord Qin last night, leading to this whole charade today?"
After all, this concubine of the lord had a criminal record. Back then, she left the palace without a word, causing a great uproar in the entire household.
Yunrong hurriedly instructed, "Quickly send people to search. Check the jewelry stores, cloth shops, and silk shops in the North Market, Mingyue Residence and Youlan Courtyard in the East Market, and also the West Market. Oh, and we should also go back to the manor to check, as she may have already gone back ahead of us."
The group quickly split up and rushed out of Qingfeng Tower.
After much deliberation, Yunrong realized that Daili might come to Qingfeng Tower later, so she left Dingxiang behind while she went back home with the square-faced sergeant and another guard from the Jiang family.
*
Chiang Kai-shek's residence.
Yunrong entered through the side door and asked the two gatekeepers if Daili had returned. After receiving a negative answer, her heart sank, but she still entered with hope.
The Chiang family mansion has more than one gate; what if the ancestor came back from a side gate?
She headed towards the guest quarters in the mansion, only to run into Qin Shaozong coming out of the main house.
The orange-yellow sunset enveloped the imposing man, casting a soft, warm honey-gold hue over his black robe. But this warmth did not soften him in the slightest; the military general, whose family had guarded the borders for generations, remained dignified, carrying an unyielding sense of distance.
This was the first time Yun Rong had met Qin Shaozong without her husband's company, but she couldn't be afraid at the moment and had to ask directly, "Lord Qin, has Xiao Li come back to see you?"
Qin Shaozong: "No, why do you say that, Lady Prefect?"
Yun Rong remained silent for a few moments, hesitating between telling the truth and temporarily concealing the truth and waiting for Dai Li. In the end, she chose the former and tentatively shifted the blame to Dai Li.
Yunrong: "While Xiao Li was sending the maid to buy food, she left Xinglong Silk Shop without a word, and I don't know where she went. She seemed unhappy when she left the mansion today, and she even complained to me about you on the way. Did you have a conflict with her last night?"
Qin Shaozong's casual expression slowly faded like the receding tide. "She didn't have any disagreements with me. She just sent a maid to buy food. Where was the others? Could it be that the only person following her the whole time was the maid?"
Yan San and Mo Yanyun, who were in the side room, came out together when they heard the commotion. When they saw that it was the Lady of the Prefect, they asked her what was going on.
Yunrong felt extremely guilty and stammered that she had gotten tired halfway through, so she parted ways with Daili. She went to the post station to rest, while Daili continued to wander around. It is emphasized that Daili took three guards and two maids with her when she left.
The subtext is clear: it wasn't that I didn't provide her with servants; sending everyone away was her own decision.
Under the watchful eyes, some stern and others curious, Yun Rong dared not leave anything out. She swallowed hard and continued recounting what she had learned from Ding Xiang, her voice growing softer and softer.
When Mo Yanyun heard that Dai Li had ordered seafood and local meat from a fishmonger in the West Market the day before yesterday and agreed to pick it up today, and that three guards had been sent to the West Market as a result, he was stunned.
But this was not the end. Yunrong also said that Daili sent a maid back to the mansion to get money under the pretext of not having enough money, and not long after, in the silk shop, she sent the last maid to buy sesame cakes.
Even Yan San, who was usually reserved, couldn't help but show his astonishment at this moment.
What is Madam Dai doing?
Could it be that the Lord and she discussed a new plan last night? But it doesn't seem like it...
Qin Shaozong stood still for a few moments before saying expressionlessly, "I am aware of this matter. Thank you for informing me, Lady Fu. You may return now. I will arrange the follow-up matters myself."
Yunrong was terrified, but when Qin Shaozong said she could leave, she left without delay.
After she left, Mo Yanyun frowned and asked in a low voice, "My lord, is it possible that all of this was done by Li Zan's forces? They secretly infiltrated Nankang County and found out that Lady Dai has recently been favored by the emperor, so they secretly plotted this."
Yan San, who was standing nearby, said, "If what you say is true, there must be a premise to this matter, which is that Lady Dai is Li Zan's person."
“That’s true. Besides, since the Lord allows her to serve by his side, why would she risk losing more for a small thing?” Mo Yanyun scratched his head, truly baffled.
Qin Shaozong took a breath and closed his eyes, his mind flashing back to the scenes of his time with Dai Li over the past few days, each one rewinding in his mind.
"I am overjoyed that Your Excellency can overlook past grievances and still think highly of me. How could I possibly push you away..."
"A moment of spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, so let's go to bed together."
"...When we share joy, all our conflicts are discussed on the bed, and in this way, things naturally fall into place, and we are reconciled."
"I will be waiting for Your Majesty's arrival in my room tomorrow evening."
...
The lingering female voice still echoed in my ears, sweet as honey, its delicate tenderness weaving a net that made me unable to resist falling in love.
Qin Shaozong suddenly opened his eyes. He looked at Mo Yanyun beside him with a deep gaze. "Is it true that all healthy women will have their menstrual period last for a full seven days?"
Mo Yanyun, a seasoned veteran of the pleasure quarters and always considerate, actually knew, and he subconsciously replied, "Who said that? Of course not."
The surroundings seemed to suddenly grow colder, the chill biting to the bone. Mo Yanyun unconsciously lowered his voice, "This matter has its ups and downs. My former lover from Yunzhong County recovered in just three days. Why do you ask such a question?"
Qin Shaozong's gaze was extremely gloomy. He raised the corners of his mouth, laughing in anger, "She's really quite good!"
A note from the author:
The next chapter will be available for purchase [Let me see!]
Here's a completed story from my column:
My Mother, a Time Traveler, Famous Throughout the Land
◆A love story involving cunning and forceful seduction, with 30+ characters◆
[Completed and available for download ovo]
Four years after losing her husband, Pei Ying's daughter also died in a car accident. She endured her grief and held a funeral for her daughter. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself inexplicably in a strange dynasty.
Before she could even be shocked, she suddenly saw a little girl who looked exactly like her daughter calling her "Mom".
Good news! It seems our daughter has returned, and she is now the wife of the county magistrate. It is said that her husband, the county magistrate, was her childhood sweetheart and adores her.
The bad news is that she is now in a small county on the border of Jizhou. Due to the chaos of war, the Bingzhou army, disguised as bandits, has invaded and captured the county, killing the county magistrate and the county magistrate.
Her family was destroyed, and she lost her husband.
Pei Ying hid herself and her daughter, intending to leave the small county for Chang'an after the war, but she was tricked by a shameless petty official who wanted to curry favor with his superiors.
Later, everyone in the world knew that Huo Tingshan, also known as Huo Youzhou, preferred beautiful women to young girls.
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