Chapter 66 Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun
After staying at home for a few days, Dai Li couldn't stand it anymore. Her son had been attending classes with Nalan Zhi recently, and she spent her days wandering around the small lake in the back garden, catching two buckets of fish already, and she was really tired of it.
With nothing to do, Dai Li, whose foot injury had healed, thought of going out for a stroll.
“Madam, do you wish to leave the manor? I will help you with your hair and makeup right now.” Nianxia perked up.
The lady is usually very casual in the mansion. Sometimes she doesn't even put her hair up in a bun, and she never wears makeup. She says that bean curd powder is poisonous and that long-term contact is bad for the skin.
Well, although Nianxia didn't understand why the expensive face powder favored by noblewomen was poisonous, the lady must have a reason for saying that. She was only heartbroken that her eighteen kinds of makeup skills had nowhere to be used.
As Nianxia styled her hair, Daili looked at Bipo beside her and said, "Bipo, go and tell the guards and cooks that I'm going out to visit the market and they don't need to prepare lunch for me."
Bibo accepted the order and went ahead.
...
In the study.
When Qin Shaozong heard from the guards that Dai Li wanted to leave the mansion, he smiled and said, "Let her go. She's been cooped up at home for a few days, that's long enough. She really can't stay still once her legs are better."
The Yanzhou soldiers have now been cleared from the city, and the city's defenses and patrols have been replaced by soldiers from Beidi and Qingzhou. In a sense, Bai Ri City has completed the initial transfer of power.
Just as the guard was about to obey the order, Qin Shaozong added, "Tell the madam to return home before sunset and not to eat dinner outside."
It's enough to wander around outside all day; it's not proper to stay out all night.
Jin Duole, standing to the side, secretly lowered his eyes, inwardly gasping for breath. He thought to himself that the Marquis seemed to be serious about it, and it seemed that the money intended for repairing the Marquis's mansion would still have to be spent.
...
After Bibo returned, Dai Li was also dressed properly.
The carriage stopped in front of the main courtyard gate. When Dai Li got into the carriage, she saw Hu Bao and several guards, and knew that they were going to accompany her.
The carriage left the mansion and first went to a restaurant in the South Market, where Dai Li had lunch. Afterward, the carriage drove to the North Market.
Fabrics and jewelry are sold in Taipei.
Dai Li actually loves collecting jewelry. She used to have a walk-in closet at home, with two walls and several cabinets all used to store her jewelry.
You don't necessarily have to wear the whole set, but if you see one you want to own, just looking at it makes you happy.
Even after arriving in this era, Dai Li's interest in jewelry remained undiminished. Her extravagant shopping spree in Nankang County was partly for show, and partly because Dai Li herself wanted to indulge in some serious buying.
Later, Qin Shaozong sent her jewelry, which she accepted. One reason was to collect jewelry that was easy to exchange for money, and another was that she genuinely liked it.
Everyone has hobbies. What's wrong with women liking jewelry? Men also enjoy drinking!
Moreover, the craftsmanship of ancient times is astonishing. Despite being purely handmade, they were still able to create a variety of exquisite ornaments. For example, there are cloisonné gold hairpins and gold hairpins with twisted gold wire, as well as spiral earrings, which look particularly interesting.
Dai Li visited only jewelry stores that were clean and looked quite large.
The master and two servants got out of the carriage together.
Hu Bao had several guards wait at the shop entrance, while he followed Dai Li inside.
This jewelry store has two floors; the prices on the second floor are much higher than on the first floor, catering exclusively to wealthy and influential customers. Dai Li didn't go straight to the second floor, but instead slowly browsed up from the first floor.
The ornaments on the first floor were mostly made of silver, bronze and various kinds of wood. Among them, a pair of earrings adorned with colorful bird feathers caught Dai Li's eye, and she bought them without hesitation.
After browsing the first floor, Dai Li went up to the second floor.
Hu Bao wanted to follow, but was stopped by the shop's maid.
The maid looked troubled and said with utmost humility, "Your Excellency, there are some unmarried young ladies upstairs. They are shy and do not like to meet unfamiliar gentlemen. Please wait here."
Hu Bao looked at Dai Li.
Dai Li: "Commander Hu should wait on the first floor."
Dai Li didn't think it was a big deal. The first and second floors were only separated by a staircase, and if you raised your voice a little upstairs, the people downstairs could hear you.
Hu Bao then stayed on the first floor.
Dai Li and the two women climbed the steps.
When the group went up to the second floor, just as the maid had said, there were other customers looking at jewelry, all of them young women. Two of them were very young, with delicate, youthful faces that reminded Dai Li of flower buds just beginning to bloom, probably only fourteen or fifteen years old.
This second floor is no different from other jewelry stores, with each item categorized separately: earrings in one section, hairpins in another, hair ornaments in yet another, and necklaces in yet another.
From a macro perspective, the entire second floor resembles a library, except that the wooden shelves are filled with jewelry instead of books.
Moreover, the design of these shelves is ingenious. They are openwork, but due to the angle of the openwork, they are somewhat like modern blinds. You can't see outside when you stand inside, but you can when you stand outside.
There is a draped rest area in the north corner of the second floor. If you are tired and do not want to be disturbed by the gaze of others, you can lower the curtains on both sides to create a semi-transparent small space.
On the west side is a row of bronze mirrors, each the height of a woman, for guests to compare themselves against.
The jewelry on the second floor is much more exquisite than that on the first floor.
As Dai Li was reading, a maid carrying a tray approached and said, "Madam, this is honey tea offered free of charge by the shop. It's not only sweet but also has beauty and skin-nourishing effects. Please try it. If you like it, you can buy it at Nanzhu Tea House in the east of the city."
When Dai Li heard what she said, for a moment she thought she was dealing with a modern salesperson. It turned out that this was a joint promotion!
There were three small teacups on the exquisite wooden tray, one for each of the three people, master and servant.
As the maid brought the tray forward, Dai Li noticed that several other maids were also carrying tea trays and heading towards the young lady further inside.
It seems everyone gets a share.
Nianxia and Bipo were both tempted upon hearing this, but since Daili wouldn't take it, how could they, as maids, possibly reach out? So the two of them just stared at her longingly.
Dai Li chuckled, took the teacup, and sipped it lightly, just enough to touch her lips.
With her taking the lead, Nianxia and Bipo also reached out their hands, and compared to Daili's lip touch, the two women drank the honey tea clean.
The maid who had been carrying the trays took the teacups and left.
A moment later, another maid came in with a tray of snacks, her enthusiasm was extraordinary.
Seeing that the two young ladies not far away were receiving the same treatment, Dai Li smiled, her joy clearly visible.
After having the snacks, the young woman took several pieces of jewelry, clearly pleased with herself.
"I'm not hungry, you guys eat," Dai Li said before continuing to look at the jewelry.
Having learned from the previous example, Nianxia and Bipo were no longer reserved and reached out to grab snacks.
Dai Li took a fancy to a bracelet. The bracelet was made of gold, with a circle of teardrop-shaped tourmalines of different colors hanging around the edge. The tourmalines were small, and each one was very clear and clean.
When Dai Li held the tourmaline in the sunlight, it refracted a crystal-clear brilliance.
It looks great, I'll take it.
"lady……"
Dai Li turned around upon hearing the sound and saw Nian Xia looking embarrassed. "Madam, I need to use the restroom."
Dai Li: "Okay, go ahead."
Nianxia asked the maid, who said the outhouse was on the first floor and even gave her the exact address.
Nianxia hurriedly went downstairs.
When Hu Bao downstairs saw her come down, he asked her where she was going and if there was anything he could help with. Nianxia answered truthfully.
Hu Bao understood and watched her go to the outhouse.
...
upstairs.
The two young ladies who arrived first had already chosen their jewelry and, with their maids, went downstairs to pay. They rushed down the stairs, and suddenly a group of mistresses and servants were gone from the second floor.
Standing on the side of the stairs, Hu Bao saw a group of people leave. He looked up and happened to catch a glimpse of the young woman's dress. It was a fresh, light yellow color, which was very popular with young women.
Hu Bao looked away and continued to stand guard at the stairwell without going up.
Soon after, a figure in blue came up the stairs.
"Bibo, come here for a second." It was Nianxia's voice.
Bibo, who had been following behind Daili, turned her head, but the openwork "louvered" wooden frame blocked her view, and she could not see the other person. "What is Nianxia doing? She's acting all mysterious."
Even so, Bibo walked over the shelves and out.
Dai Li didn't pay attention at first, until she vaguely heard a muffled groan coming from the other side.
Judging from the timbre, it sounds a lot like turquoise.
But this place wasn't close to the stairwell, and Dai Li wasn't sure if she had misheard, so she called out, "Bi Po?"
"Madam, what are your orders?" came the reply from the other end, still Bibo's voice, in an ordinary tone.
"It's nothing." Dai Li suspected that she had just hallucinated.
Dai Li stood in the middle of the bracelet section, with shelves in front of and behind her.
She heard footsteps on both sides. Dai Li first glanced to the left and saw Nian Xia and Bi Po, both dressed in green. The two women were backlit, so their faces were less clear than usual. She then turned to look to the right.
On the right is the maid carrying the tray.
Dai Li naturally turned to face the maid, her back to her own maid, and asked, "What is it?"
The maid smiled and said, "Madam, I would like to ask you to go somewhere."
Dai Li looked puzzled.
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, the two women who had come up behind Dai Li acted at the same time. The two worked together very well. One of them held a handkerchief and used both hands to cover Dai Li's mouth and nose with the handkerchief, while the other grabbed her hand.
This series of actions was completed almost in an instant. Dai Li was shocked and was about to resist when the maid in front of her also came forward with a tray.
Dai Li smelled a strange scent from the handkerchief, like some kind of plant, or perhaps a mixture of both. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, only knowing that she started to feel dizzy after taking a couple of breaths.
Her strength to struggle gradually weakened.
The noise around her gradually faded away, and her vision blurred into multiple images, gathering and dispersing repeatedly until everything went black.
The maid in front of her caught her in a warm embrace.
Two people stood behind Dai Li, and one person stood in front; the three of them flanked Dai Li.
"Bibo" cautiously lingered on the towel for a few more moments before moving it away.
The maid who had been carrying the tray was about the same height as Dai Li. She picked her up and carried her westward until they reached the bronze mirror, where she kicked it.
Then, the heavy bronze mirror slid open from right to left, revealing a walkway with a row of small lanterns hanging from the top. The walkway led diagonally downwards, connecting to the back of the first floor.
Behind the bronze mirror was a person, accompanied by a petite figure. It was this person who had just pushed the bronze mirror aside.
The girl he abducted was dressed in blue, with two carved silver hairpins in her hair and a pair of jade bead flowers in her ears. Her attire was simple but not monotonous, typical of a maidservant from a wealthy family.
And who else could this young woman be but Nianxia, who went downstairs to the outhouse earlier?
The two met and swiftly switched places without uttering a word.
The man carried Dai Li downstairs, and the maid took Nian Xia from her, turned around and walked straight north. She arrived at the rest area and, together with another "Nian Xia", placed her on the table.
This scene was quite bizarre, as if a wisp of Nianxia's soul had escaped from her body and was trying to harm the main body as if it were the host.
Two people came over.
They had a face that was eight parts similar to each other, the same height, and the same clothes and hair ornaments, except that one of them, Bibo, was unconscious, while the other had bright eyes and was full of energy.
The three of them worked together to settle the unconscious Nianxia and Bipo, and after feeding them a few pills, they finally lowered the curtain.
Then Nianxia and Bibo walked up the stairs. One of them went down the stairs and said to Hu Bao, who was guarding the bottom of the stairs, halfway down, "Commander Hu, the shop is promoting tea drinks. Madam thought they were good after trying them. Could you please send someone to Nanzhu Tea House in the east of the city to buy a few jars of honey tea?"
It was Nianxia speaking. Hu Bao was about to respond when he heard Bi Po's voice coming from above.
"The lady said she wanted ten cans."
"Oh, then I'll buy ten cans. Thank you for your trouble," Nianxia said, changing her mind.
Upon hearing this, Hu Bao summoned a soldier outside and ordered him to make the trip. Unbeknownst to him, a donkey cart was parked behind the jewelry shop at that moment.
A woman in white was waiting by the cart. When she saw the man bring Dai Li down, she quickly opened the cargo box on the donkey cart.
The man placed Dai Li into the box, then stood still beside the car, staring at the person inside.
"Madam Dai is indeed beautiful, like a fairy from heaven. Her bearing is perfect for my Qinglian Sect." The woman in white reached out and touched Dai Li's face, then took out a small porcelain bottle, poured out a black pill, and fed it to Dai Li.
No need to swallow; the pill dissolves slowly after entering the mouth.
After doing all this, the two laid the prepared straw on Dai Li's body, and then covered her with a layer of burlap.
The donkey cart slowly drove away from the alley and headed east.
The guard, who was ordered to buy honey tea, was walking down a bustling street when he suddenly heard the braying of a donkey behind him.
It was common for carriages to come and go on the main street. Upon hearing the noise, the guard moved further inside. A donkey cart passed by him and clattered towards the east gate.
All four city gates—east, south, and north—were guarded, checking all those entering and leaving. These guards were composed of soldiers from both the northern and Qingzhou regions, each making up half of the force.
The donkey cart arrived at the East Gate and waited in line for a brief inspection.
At this moment, two soldiers stepped forward. They exchanged a glance with the man driving the carriage, their eyes filled with an unspoken fervor. The woman in white, who was sitting in the back of the carriage, got out and instructed one of the soldiers to rummage through the boxes.
The man merely made a gesture.
If everything is in order, proceed with the clearance.
After the donkey cart left the city, it traveled about half a mile before meeting up with a caravan of horses that was parked by the roadside.
Horses are precious in the modern world, and merchants often travel by donkey when making a living in various places; the wealthier ones raise horses. But even those who raise horses usually have very average quality horses, as horses are a strategic resource, and good breeds are not circulated in a certain sense.
However, the merchants' cavalry were equipped with tall, fine horses, each one well-maintained and glossy, with bright, piercing eyes, clearly excellent horses with exceptional speed.
The donkey cart stopped, and the woman in white nimbly got off and carried Dai Li out of the back compartment. "Hurry up, we can't delay them for long."
Soon, the caravan of merchants changed course and headed north.
To the north is the Jin River.
*
Inside the city, at Jin Fengyu Jewelry Store.
The guards who went to the east of the city to buy honey tea had returned more than half an hour ago, but Hu Bao still hadn't seen anyone come down from upstairs.
Lady Dai rarely stays in one place for so long...
After thinking it over, Hu Bao decided to go upstairs, but before he could finish walking down the stairs, a figure appeared at the end of the stairs.
"Commander Hu, it's getting hotter, and Madam is suffering from the summer heat; she wants to eat melons." It was Nianxia.
At this moment, another familiar figure walked out from beside Nianxia. "Madam said that when she came, she saw an old man selling melons at the end of North Street. His melons looked pretty good. She wants to eat some of his. Please ask Commander Hu to send someone over."
Before Hu Bao could respond, as if sighing, he heard Bi Po whisper to Nian Xia:
"This shop is really nice; it even has a rest area. I reckon Madam will come here often in the future."
Finally, Bibo smiled and said, "Commander Hu, I'm counting on you."
Hu Bao stepped back: "It's nothing, just doing my duty."
The guards went ahead as ordered, while Hu Bao continued to wait.
Whether it was Hu Bao's imagination or not, the other party's trip took longer than he had expected. A round trip from here to the North Street should take at most half an hour, but the other party seemed to have taken much longer.
It wasn't until the guard returned, panting, that Hu Bao realized it wasn't his imagination.
It wasn't half an hour, it was a full hour.
According to the guard, the old man selling melons at the end of North Street had closed his stall, so he had no choice but to buy melons from other places.
But as fate would have it, melons, which are usually quite common, were nowhere to be found today. He went to several major markets but returned empty-handed, finally managing to buy a few from a farmer's wife.
Hu Bao walked out of the shop in a few steps and looked up at the sky.
It's already late afternoon.
In a little while, it will be the hour of You (5-7 PM), when the sun sets.
It was late afternoon. Perhaps because Madam Dai had left at the end of the afternoon last time, Hu Bao had an inexplicable aversion to this time of day.
At that moment, two young women, accompanied by their servants, entered the room. They were clearly from wealthy families; upon arrival, they didn't even look at the first floor and went straight to the second floor.
"Huh? Why aren't there any maids on the second floor? Where did they go?" A surprised voice drifted down.
Hu Bao felt as if he had been struck on the head.
There are clearly maids upstairs, otherwise Nianxia wouldn't have said that the shop sells tea drinks, but why aren't they here now?
Hu Bao immediately disregarded everything else and rushed upwards in three stages at once.
He went straight to Dai Li.
There seemed to be only two figures inside the tent.
Hu Bao: "Madam Dai."
There was no response.
"Madam Dai, please forgive me." Hu Bao's heart pounded wildly. He quickly lifted the curtain, and the scene in front of him made his vision go black.
Only Nianxia and Bibo had their eyes closed; Madam Dai was nowhere to be found.
A note from the author:
I showed this chapter to my best friend first. She said Lao Qin was showing off his wife everywhere, and as a result, he got too cocky and his house got burgled :D
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