Chapter 28 If you can't keep an eye on her, you'll pay with your head...
The room fell silent, the temperature plummeted, and the air seemed to freeze, making one's spine tighten.
Upon hearing his cold laugh, Dai Li immediately added, "You've taken all my credentials. Without credentials, it's difficult to travel far. I really have something to buy in the city this time."
"If there's anything you want to buy, just tell Mo Yanyun and he'll bring it back for you," Qin Shaozong said.
Dai Li glanced at him cautiously, "It's a bit inconvenient."
"It's just a matter of a word, what's the inconvenience?" Qin Shaozong retorted.
Seeing her feigned obedience, the fire in his heart that had never been extinguished began to burn brighter again. "Or are you planning to contact this person or bribe that person again? Let me tell you, Dai Li, don't even think about it! Those few who took your money and helped you leave have all been imprisoned by me. Tell me, should I make them serve six years of hard labor in the city, or should I just give them a hundred lashes and beat their flesh to pieces?"
With each word he spoke, Dai Li's lips tightened further. Finally, upon hearing that the maids and coachmen had been imprisoned, her face turned pale. "My lord... in the past, you tirelessly led your troops to Mount Bolei to suppress bandits for the people, ensuring that the area was free from banditry for over a decade. This shows that you have the well-being of all people and a broad mind. They were completely unaware of what was happening when they were working for me. Ignorance is no excuse, so why should you hold a grudge against such lowly commoners?"
Qin Shaozong twirled the jade thumb ring and suddenly said, "Didn't you say you lived in Peach Blossom Spring?"
Since they are isolated from the world, how can they know about the outside world?
“I heard it from the captain in the cave last night,” Dai Li said softly, her eyes lowered.
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.
Dai Li didn't hear a sound, so she slowly raised her eyes. The man in front of her had a cold expression, still displeased, but he didn't seem as angry as before.
Qin Shaozong stopped mentioning those people and returned to the original topic, "What are you going to buy?"
Dai Li no longer hid it: "Menstrual belt."
Looking at him again, Dai Li added, "My period has started, and I can't have an irregular period. It doesn't seem right to have Commander Mo bring this back for me."
The words "Gui Shui Lai" struck Qin Shaozong's forehead, causing his veins to throb involuntarily.
It's Gui water again...
"Didn't you have your period a few days ago?" Qin Shaozong asked in a harsh tone.
Dai Li looked away from him and said tactfully, "This time it's for real."
Qin Shaozong's face darkened.
If this is for real, then last time was a lie. She not only lied to him about her period being seven days along, but in reality, she hadn't had her period at all.
"So you said you weren't feeling well on the tatami earlier?" His tone became even worse.
Dai Li slowly lowered her head and remained silent.
Qin Shaozong's gaze was cold: "I don't remember I put a gag on Madam, or do you like that rag and now you're thinking of getting used to it in advance?"
Dai Li didn't look up: "...I feel unwell because I sprained my ankle."
He spoke softly, even somewhat unclearly, but Qin Shaozong heard every single word.
"Crack." Something broke apart.
The fire in his chest suddenly surged, burning like oil in a raging fire. For a moment, Qin Shaozong thought he should just kill her on the spot. Otherwise, he might not die on the battlefield or in an assassination attempt, but instead be driven to his death by her anger.
It was utterly absurd and ridiculed by the world.
Dai Li keenly sensed a chilling aura and immediately looked up, saying, "That was before. I won't lie to you anymore."
She stood by the window, half of her body bathed in sunlight streaming in from outside. Her dark eyes and fair skin, her graceful figure, and her stunning beauty were all captivating. Despite wearing the most ordinary gray-black dress and no accessories, she still possessed an astonishing brilliance, like a pearl temporarily placed on dirty black linen, which made her appear even softer and more lustrous.
She was looking at him nervously, her peach blossom eyes gentle as water, and the cinnabar mole between her brows was incredibly vivid.
Qin Shaozong was amused and exasperated again. She knew how to play the obedient card now; she was truly flexible and adaptable. "If you remain stubborn and only think about causing trouble this time, you can forget about having those two legs. All the maids and coachmen in the Nankang County prison will be implicated by you and suffer severe torture. Do you understand?"
Dai Li nodded, delighted that the matter had been accomplished.
Well, he agreed.
Qin Shaozong said coldly, "Speak."
Dai Li didn't argue with him at this moment, "I understand."
Qin Shaozong: "Go out and let Mo Yanyun and Hu Bao in."
Without lingering for a moment, Dai Li quickly turned and left.
Qin Shaozong expressionlessly removed the cracked jade thumb ring and threw it into a nearby trash can.
Outside the house.
Mo Yanyun and Hu Bao were still standing there when they heard the door open, and they both looked over at the same time.
I was somewhat curious whether Dai Li had tried to provoke the tiger.
Dai Li smiled and said, "Gentlemen, Your Excellency invites you in."
Seeing her smile, Mo Yanyun was startled.
Something's not right. Could it be that she told the lord the truth, and he agreed?
That shouldn't be happening!
Both of them were completely bewildered and didn't understand what was going on. When they came out of the room, they were even more dazed, and Mo Yanyun almost tripped over the threshold.
His mind was filled with those eight resounding words: "If you can't keep an eye on people, you'll have to pay with your head."
*
Ximen County was about the same size as Taiping County. Dai Li wore a veiled hat and was followed by Mo Yanyun, Hu Bao and a group of elite soldiers.
They entered the city through the east gate and then split into two groups. One group, led by Dai Li and Mo Yanyun, headed to the West Market, where cloth was sold; the other group, led by Hu Bao, headed to the South Market, where medical clinics were concentrated.
Ever since disembarking from the ship, Mo Yanyun's heart was clenched, and he dared not blink for a moment, for fear that Dai Li would turn into a wisp of smoke and drift away in the blink of an eye.
Lady Dai disappeared, and so did he.
However, Mo Yanyun was overthinking things this time; Dai Li had no intention of escaping. She currently lacked all the advantages of timing, location, and people, so she only wanted to prepare some menstrual belts and find out her location.
Dai Li wandered around the cloth shop for more than an hour before leaving the city with her belongings and Mo Yanyun and the others, returning to the ship at the ferry crossing.
After boarding the ship, Mo Yanyun subconsciously turned his head.
Oh, his head is saved.
"Commander Mo, the Lord is on the stern deck. He wants you to come over." A soldier approached.
Mo Yanyun looked towards the stairwell; Dai Li had already gone upstairs, and all he could see was a fleeting glimpse of her grey-black skirt. The burly man with thick eyebrows touched his nose and turned to go to the stern deck.
They parted ways initially, with Dai Li's group returning later. After they boarded the ship, the bone whistle sounded, and the two ships departed from the shore one after the other.
The afternoon sunlight was quite bright, and the rippling river water shimmered with golden light, truly a scene of sparkling water and fine sunshine. Countless splashing water droplets reflected the sunlight and also reflected the images of buildings and boats from different angles, as if creating a series of strange and wonderful little worlds.
Standing on the stern deck and gazing into the distance, the distant cities and counties are being pushed further away by an invisible hand, slowly becoming smaller.
Qin Shaozong heard footsteps, but he did not turn around. "Is there anything unusual in the city?"
Mo Yanyun: "No. We didn't encounter any special checks this time, and everything went smoothly when we entered and left the city. It seems that Jiang Chonghai did not send a message to the prefect here."
Qin Shaozong: "How is she?"
Without naming names, Mo Yanyun understood perfectly, "Madam Dai went to the cloth shop and hired an embroiderer to work for her. She spent most of her time there and didn't go anywhere else. It's just..."
Mo Yanyun hesitated for a moment.
Reporting was normal, but reporting on women, especially in such detail, always made him feel like he was informing on someone, which damaged his manly dignity.
A cool, indifferent gaze swept over from the side, clearly devoid of emotion, yet it instantly sobered Mo Yanyun up as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him on a sweltering summer day.
He hurriedly said, "Madam Dai did nothing else, nor did she contact anyone else. She only talked a lot with the embroiderer. She asked the other party which direction Ximen County was located in Taiping County. After hearing that it was in the northwest, she seemed quite disappointed."
Mo Yanyun recalled the coachman saying that Dai Li was going to Qiantang. "My lord, Madam Dai wanted to go to Qiantang before. Is she still thinking about it now?"
“Of course, she’s single-mindedly focused on getting into Qiantang.” Qin Shaozong’s gaze was inscrutable.
Mo Yanyun fell silent, as if a cicada in winter.
Qin Shaozong then said, “I remember there is a branch of the Qin family that is good at business. The leader is named Qin Chong. In his early years, he led his branch south to Yangzhou to make a living. Over the years, the head of that branch has mostly changed. Please send a message back to Yuyang for me and ask Yun Ce to find out who the current head of Qin Chong’s branch is and where he is now.”
The Qin family was a prominent clan in the north, with the main branch led by Qin Shaozong being extremely influential. All the collateral branches naturally took pride in this and were eager to maintain frequent contact, so that they could become as closely intertwined as vines.
Therefore, given the current prominence of the main branch, the family possessed comprehensive information. Detailed records were kept of which branch was located where, who the current head of the family was, and who the family members were.
Mo Yanyun's expression changed drastically. "My lord, are you still thinking of finding a son for Lady Dai?"
He knew that Dai Li was looking for her son, and he had done his part in searching the Jiang family mansion and Nankang County when he was ordered to do so.
Lady Dai has deceived you, my lord, on numerous occasions, and even plotted to escape, nearly ruining your grand plan. With such a history of misdeeds, how could you possibly still want to find her son?
Why did it have to come to this!
Qin Shaozong did not deny it, saying, "Finding someone is just a matter of a word from me. A person without a weakness will never be obedient."
Mo Yanyun was still full of doubts. "But Qiantang and Nankang County are thousands of miles apart. Madam Dai's young son was abducted. She was in Nankang County. There is no reason for her son to be in Qiantang, which is thousands of miles away."
It's not just a mile or two, nor even ten or a hundred miles, but over a thousand miles. If an ordinary person were to cross this distance, it would take at least several months.
Given the great distance, why was she so certain that it was Qiantang, and why was she so sure that her son had not been moved elsewhere by anyone during the months he was missing?
Qin Shaozong simply said, "Go and do it."
"……only."
*
Nankang County.
A swift horse galloped from the east, knocking on the east gate under the cover of night, and then sped all the way to the largest and most luxurious mansion in the southern city.
"Who dares to visit so late at night?" The gatekeeper was full of resentment and had no liking for this late-night visitor.
The person outside the door introduced himself.
The doorman's expression changed drastically, and he immediately opened the door. "So it's Captain, my apologies for not recognizing you. Please come in."
The man completely ignored him and hurried inside towards the main house. Soon after, the main house of the Jiang residence was brightly lit, as bright as day.
Awakened in the middle of the night, Jiang Chonghai was unusually neither angry nor tired, his eyes shining with a frightening intensity. "...Is it really so? Qin Shaozong was truly seriously injured during the ambush in the mountains?"
The messenger nodded. "I heard that Qin Shaozong was helped away by his attendants during the retreat, which suggests that he was injured in a vital area. Moreover, when they passed through Ximen County, Qin Shaozong's subordinates took away the doctors from three medical clinics and swept away most of the medicines in the clinics."
Jiang Chonghai paced back and forth in the room, muttering, "Without a leader, this is a golden opportunity! Should we let him lead his army over directly? No, that's not appropriate..."
Although Xuanxiao Riding Dragon Head has been lost, it is still a well-armored and elite force. If we confront it head-on, Brother Li will definitely suffer some losses.
Why not send a message to the Xuanxiao Cavalry outside the city, letting them know that Qin Shaozong's life hangs by a thread, thus throwing them into disarray? It seems like a good idea, but this matter must be handled with caution, otherwise it could easily backfire.
“I understand. Go back and rest,” Jiang Chonghai said to his confidant.
Before Jiang Chonghai could figure out how to handle the situation, a gift came to him like a pillow being delivered to his door the next day.
When the other party arrived, he introduced himself as Su Xiuzhu, a military professor from the Xuanxiao Cavalry, and said he came to the Jiang residence to find Yan San.
Accompanying him were several strong soldiers in light armor, all of whom exuded extraordinary aura, making it clear at a glance that they had been repeatedly tempered in the smoke-filled battlefield.
The servants in the mansion dared not neglect him and hurriedly led him into the courtyard of the guest room.
What happened inside the courtyard was unknown to outsiders. Jiang Chonghai only knew that Su Xiuzhu and his party came and went in a hurry, and did not even wait to meet him, the owner of the mansion, before leaving quickly with Yan San and the other soldiers stationed in the mansion.
The houses were empty, the stables were empty, truly everything was swept away.
“Brother, they are far too disrespectful. They not only ate and drank for free, but now they’re leaving without even saying goodbye. They really are uncouth people from the north, arrogant, rude, and lacking in manners,” Jiang Chongjiang complained.
He thought his brother would agree, but to his surprise, the other man smiled meaningfully and said, "I can understand. After all, we're in a crisis, so we don't have time to worry about anything else."
"What do you mean by 'fire burning your eyebrows'?" Jiang Chongjiang asked, puzzled.
Jiang Chonghai didn't explain, but instead turned and went to his study. He wanted to write another letter to his brother Li, informing him that the time was ripe and urging him to come to Peach Blossom Ridge to ambush him.
Speaking of which, Peach Blossom Ridge is truly a wonderful place. Not only are there endless peach blossoms, but the roads are also wide, with dense forests on both sides, and the terrain on both sides is as high as a sloping ladder.
Such a beautiful place, using it as a graveyard for the Xuanxiao Cavalry isn't too bad for them.
A fast horse set off from the prefectural governor's mansion and galloped towards the east gate.
Unbeknownst to this man, on the bustling Baimajin River, a fishmonger kept glancing in a certain direction. After watching a man board a special boat and sail away, the fishmonger's face lit up with a smile, and he even gave some of his unsold fish to the buyer in front of him.
"Alright, that's a wrap!"
*
East of the city, the Xuanxiao Cavalry Camp.
"You're finally back." Su Xiuzhu welcomed the scout back. "How was it? Did it go smoothly?"
The burly man nodded. "Everything went smoothly. It's definitely that grandson. I've seen him before, so I can't be mistaken."
Su Xiuzhu: "Jiang Chonghai sent a message to Yingjun. The lord said in his letter that we should wait until daylight before setting off."
Yan San pondered for a moment, “That is indeed the way to do it. At this time, there is no one in charge of the army. Even if we are eager to avenge our lord, we still need to take the time to find someone to take charge, and also give the messenger time to travel far and wide to deliver the news.”
The location of Peach Blossom Ridge is actually quite clever; it's closer to Ying County. In other words, traveling there from Ying County is much, much faster than traveling from Nankang County.
They waited in the eastern suburbs for a day, which meant they had to march quickly at night to make up for the time lost during the day.
Yan San: "Pass down the order to let the soldiers rest more. From 7 PM today onwards, it will be a high-intensity march day and night."
Time flew by, the sunlight gradually faded, and the sky was tinged with the brilliant sunset, then gradually shrouded in a layer of dark gray.
Night falls.
The Xuanxiao cavalry in the east of the city quickly broke camp, their hooves thundering like muffled thunder, and galloped straight towards the upper road.
Traveling day and night, after many days of marching, the Xuanxiao cavalry, temporarily led by Yan San, arrived near Peach Blossom Ridge.
Instead of immediately leading his army into Peach Blossom Ridge, Yan San cautiously dispatched two teams of scouts to sneak up along the ridge in two separate groups to investigate the situation within the ridge.
More than two hours later, the scout returned and reported that there were no ambushes in the mountains.
Upon hearing this, Su Xiuzhu couldn't help but laugh. As his name suggests, he was handsome and refined, with a refreshing and neat appearance. "This so-called Grand Marshal of the Army is really arrogant and conceited. He really knew we would be late."
Yan San reminded him, "It's not that we're late, it's just that we thought we would continue on our way as usual."
To facilitate a rapid march, the Xuanxiao Cavalry was split into two parts.
One part was the vanguard of the rapid marching troops. Each of them carried a fast horse and only provisions and water bags. They basically lived on horseback from then on.
The other part consisted of the cooks responsible for logistics. They carried pots, pans, and other utensils, and drove the cattle, sheep, and fodder raised by the army behind them.
The vanguard marched at breakneck speed and arrived at Peach Blossom Ridge three days ahead of schedule.
Yan San began assigning tasks: "The north and south garrisons will advance into the mountains from both sides to ambush, while the east and west garrisons will be positioned at the east and west ends of Peach Blossom Ridge. The east garrison will guard the Hukou Pass on the east side. When Li Zan's troops are routed and flee, you will break out in one fell swoop and cut off his retreat. During this time, be careful to avoid enemy scouts, as they may send troops to investigate and gather intelligence."
The Xuanxiao Cavalry quickly split into four garrisons, each led by its own garrison leader to carry out orders.
After a brief period of commotion, Peach Blossom Ridge returned to tranquility. A breeze rustled through the trees, causing the peach blossoms on the ridge to sway gently, like a silent welcome from the buds and the surrounding soil.
As the sun rose and set, two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the tranquil Peach Blossom Ridge once again welcomed a large number of guests.
These past few days, Li Zan has been in high spirits. First, he learned from his younger brother Jiang that Qin Shaozong was not as good as he seemed. Then, he learned that Qin Shaozong had lost his mind and chased after a runaway concubine, taking only a few people with him to Taiping County. Later, news came back that he was seriously injured.
With Qin Shaozong seriously injured in front and the Xuanxiao Cavalry's marching route already known, how could he not bury this renowned cavalry here?
Li Zan, confident of victory and eager to witness history, personally led his troops to Peach Blossom Ridge.
The two large ships that had previously turned off the main river channel traveled along the smaller river channel until they ran aground. Everyone on board disembarked and walked towards the back of Peach Blossom Ridge.
That place was the encampment of Xuanxiao's cavalry.
Dai Li walked beside Qin Shaozong, with Mo Yanyun, Hu Bao, and others behind her. After walking for a while, she slowed her pace and slid down beside Qin Shaozong.
Qin Shaozong turned his head slightly, glancing at Dai Li walking beside Hu Bao out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing.
After walking for a while, Mo Yanyun started chatting idly, and Qin Shaozong glanced over casually as he joined the conversation, only to find that Hu Bao was no longer by his side.
Looking again, wow, she had walked all the way to the back of the group. I guess in a little while, she'll be able to retire to the mountains.
"My lord?" Mo Yan saw Qin Shaozong suddenly turn back.
Qin Shaozong simply said, "You lead the team forward first, I'll go check the back."
Author's Note: Looking at the timeline, after a few days of marching, Dai Li's period is almost over. Actually, the period isn't the main point; the main point is ([orange heart][yellow heart][green heart]).
Looking at the comments from the previous chapter, I noticed that some clever readers guessed Dai Li's profession, haha.
Five thousand words shouldn't be considered short, right? (whispering)
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