Chapter 79 Her Little Thoughts
Gao Mansion.
"My lord, distinguished guests have arrived outside!" The servant rushed inside, but stumbled and almost tumbled into the main courtyard.
At that time, Gao You was leisurely admiring the painting.
The painting was a gift from Xie San. It was created by a master from a previous dynasty. Genuine works by such masters are extremely rare and hard to come by. It is priceless. Friends who appreciate fine calligraphy and painting regard it as a treasure and spend a lot of time admiring it every day for the past two days.
Just then, a servant rushed over, and Gao You, disturbed, showed displeasure. But then, as if remembering something, he quickly asked, "Is it Young Master Xie again?"
Last time, the other party asked him to borrow the military patrol and offered calligraphy and paintings as a reward. He wondered what the other party had brought this time.
It's almost lunchtime, could it be that you've brought along some fine wine?
Thinking this way, Gao You felt a surge of joy and casually picked up a teacup to drink some tea.
“It’s not the Third Young Master, it’s… Marquis Wu’an,” the servant stammered.
The tea spilled onto his prized masterpiece from the previous dynasty. He was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to feel sorry for the work or to be alarmed that he might have just hallucinated.
"Who? Who did you just say came from?" Gao You's beard twitched.
The servant repeated, "The Marquis of Wu'an, the Marquis of Wu'an from the north."
Gao You gasped, "Why is this killing god here?"
The joint attack on Yanzhou by the Northern Regions and Qingzhou was being closely watched by all the prefects and magistrates of Yanzhou's counties. This battle would determine whether their superiors would be replaced; they couldn't afford to ignore it!
With the Daylight Pass ahead, it was thought to be a protracted battle, lasting at least three or four months, and at most a year and a half, before a victor could be decided.
As a result, they had barely received news of the outbreak of war when they were informed that:
Bai Ri Pass has fallen!
Leaving aside their emotional journey upon learning of Fan Yanzhou's swift defeat, all the Yanzhou officials focused on what was to come.
The change of control of Yanzhou means that the local officialdom may be about to be reshuffled.
“Xia Valley is in western Yanzhou. How could Marquis Wu’an have arrived here first? Could it be that he has already arranged everything in the east?” Gao You muttered to himself. “That shouldn’t be possible. How could it be so fast?”
He muttered to himself, but changed his clothes without slowing down at all. After he was dressed, Gao You took his sons out to meet guests.
*
"...What? Marquis Wu'an is here? What is he doing in Xia Valley!" Xie Yuanxiu's expression changed drastically.
Qi Yu ignored Xie Yuanxiu's question and only told Di Ting, "The Marquis of Wu'an arrived just after 3 PM and has now moved directly into the Prefect's residence with his men. Judging from his entourage of soldiers, they are all elite troops, numbering about two hundred."
Xie Yuanxiu silently recited the number "two hundred men," and his heart gradually calmed down. There were four hundred men who had come to Xia Valley with him this time, and in terms of the number of soldiers, he had more than Marquis Wu'an.
However, he was still puzzled, "He dared to come with only two hundred men? What exactly is he here for?"
Even now, Xie Yuanxiu still believes that Dai Li is Di Ting's older sister and knows nothing about her relationship with Qin Shaozong.
Inside the room was a round-faced man with squinty eyes, whose religious name was 'Fan Yin'. At this moment, Fan Yin smiled and said, "Why you came is the same reason he came."
This matter can no longer be kept secret; it's better to tell Xie Yuanxiu now.
Xie Yuanxiu was stunned, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses.
He wasn't stupid, and he was well-informed about the news from the various governors, so he naturally knew that in the past few months, the Marquis of Wu'an had a woman by his side who was very much favored by him.
Could it be...?
His gaze swept over the people in the room, from Di Ting sitting by the tea table, to the person dressed in black robes and always wearing a black mask, then to the squinting Fan Yin, and finally to Qi Yu from before; the latter slightly turned his head to avoid Xie Yuanxiu's gaze.
Now Xie Yuanxiu understood everything. "Diting, isn't she your elder sister?!"
The lie was exposed, but Di Ting showed no panic. "Whether it is true or not is no longer important. What is important is that Marquis Wu'an has been found. We should think about what to do next."
Xie Yuanxiu gritted his teeth, but was helpless. He could only ask, "How did Marquis Wu'an find Xia Gu? Who gave him the information? Is there an inside agent within the sect?"
That's too fast! They've only been in Xia Valley for a few days!
Furthermore, Qin Shaozong didn't go to Tianshui County in Sizhou, but came directly to Xiagu. He must have received the news...
Questioning anything else is fine, but Qi Yu couldn't help but speak up about Xie Yuanxiu's last sentence: "Seven years ago, Marquis Wu'an planted spies under Rongbing Prefecture. It's not difficult for him to plant a spy in the core of his prefecture, let alone just an informant. I guess he already guessed that we kidnapped Lady Dai, so he directly sent a message to his informants in Tianshui County, ordering them to secretly observe our movements."
Qi Yu firmly believed that the sect was a monolithic entity, and he preferred that the Marquis of Wu'an had spies throughout the two provinces of Yan and Si rather than having an inside agent.
“The Third Young Master has been making quite a commotion lately, sending troops by boat and personally leading them to Xia Valley. How could this not have attracted their attention?” Fan Yin stroked his chin.
A sinister glint flashed in Xie Yuanxiu's eyes.
Is this a way of shifting all the blame onto him?
But they didn't realize that if they hadn't been careless and failed to keep a close eye on her, she wouldn't have gotten away.
"Clatter." A sudden sound rang out in the room.
The people in the room paused and turned to look at Di Ting, who was sitting by the table. They saw that he had accidentally knocked over the teacup, and the tea had spilled onto the table in a small puddle.
Di Ting wore a silver-white mask, so Xie Yuanxiu couldn't see his expression, but he intuitively felt that the other party must have been under some kind of emotional shock, otherwise he wouldn't have accidentally knocked over the teacup.
Xie Yuanzheng was about to ask a question when he heard the other party ask calmly, "Xia Valley belongs to Yanzhou. Now that Marquis Wu'an has arrived, does the Third Young Master still wish to continue?"
Xie Yuanxiu froze, clearly hesitant.
But when he thought of the girl he had seen in the back garden that day, a fire seemed to burn in his heart, making it impossible for him to say the words "forget it".
And now that he's backing down, wouldn't that be telling the world that he's reached the point of being terrified of Marquis Wu'an?
Even if the other party only brought about a hundred people with them on this trip...
The main hall fell silent, and everyone was looking at Xie Yuanxiu.
Xie Yuanxiu's forehead veins throbbed and then disappeared: "The Marquis of Wu'an only brought about a hundred men, while I have several hundred soldiers. He should be the one who is worried. I will send a message back to Sizhou in a moment and have a large force be dispatched overnight. If the Marquis of Wu'an dares to stay here any longer, he will be sure to never return!"
Di Ting said, "There's no time to lose, Third Young Master, let's hurry."
This was true, and Xie Yuanxiu immediately left the main hall to go back and write a letter.
After the only outsider left, Di Ting looked at Qin Yanzhou and asked, "Mingdeng, how did Marquis Wu'an treat you when you were in the Qin residence?"
The words weren't spoken explicitly, but everyone present understood perfectly.
"You doubt me," Qin Yanzhou said calmly, "but what benefit would I gain from betraying the sect and working for it?"
Di Ting picked up a brocade handkerchief from the table and threw it into the puddle. He did not define the matter as betrayal, but simply said, "This matter is strange. Marquis Wu'an came to Xia Valley too quickly."
Even if, as Qi Yu said, Qin Shaozong had spies all over Yan and Si provinces, let's assume he knew that they were the ones who kidnapped Lady Dai.
But how did Marquis Wu'an determine Lady Dai's location?
The Qinglian Sect has countless hideouts; they can hide in Tianshui County, where the grand ceremony is held, or in Huai'an County, their former stronghold.
There are plenty of places to go. If he had no clue where Lady Dai was, just figuring out where she was would take Qin Shaozong a year and a half.
But of all people, he came to Xia Gu!
Qin Yanzhou remained silent for a moment, then readily admitted, "Looking back now, it was indeed easier for me to leave back then. Perhaps his spies in Yanzhou had already discovered my true identity."
Di Ting removed his mask and slammed it onto the table. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Your share of the miracle drug for the next quarter is being deducted. Your uncle will decide on the subsequent punishment."
The young man remained silent, offering no objection.
"Listen, should we retreat?" the Brahma voice asked.
Marquis Wu'an has arrived, but Lady Dai has not yet been found; as soon as she learns of the news, she will surely take the initiative to contact Marquis Wu'an.
With these two parties joining forces, and given the precedent set by the past, taking Madam Dai away again would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Qi Yu then said in a low voice, "I think that Young Master Xie is determined to have Lady Dai, and his military strength far exceeds that of Marquis Wu'an. In the end, it is still unknown who will win."
"Xia Valley belongs to Yanzhou," Qin Yanzhou said abruptly.
Di Ting tapped the table a few times with his fingertips. "Let's prepare for both possibilities. We can start working on the retreat now."
*
Gao Mansion.
Gao You's face was stiff from smiling; he was putting on a forced smile, but inside he was suffering terribly.
With the Governor of the State of Sizhou in front and the Marquis of Wu'an behind, he was merely a mere Prefect, caught in the middle and disliked by everyone.
It's difficult, really difficult.
But after weighing the options, he decided to temporarily lean towards the latter.
It is true that Xie San is the quasi-governor of Sizhou, and it is also true that he brought some troops and came with great force, but in the end, Xiagu belongs to Yanzhou.
What if Xie San decides in the end not to provoke Marquis Wu'an and runs away in a flash?
Xie San's main base is not here. He can run away, but as the Lord of Xiagu, he can't escape his temple even if he can run away!
"...Of course, I will do my utmost to fulfill your orders, my lord." Gao You looked at Qin Shaozong at the head of the table, a look of fear and apprehension on his face, as if he were struggling with whether or not to say something: "There is just one thing..."
Qin Shaozong, holding a wine cup, promptly offered a message, "What is it, Lord Gao? Please speak freely."
“I dare not conceal this from you, my lord, but a few days ago, that young master Xie from Sizhou came to see me. He kept asking me to send out the military patrol to find him a young lady. At the time, I thought we were neighbors, and helping him with a small favor would be no trouble at all, so I agreed. But after hearing your description today, my lord, I privately believe that the person you are looking for bears a striking resemblance to the ‘lost favorite concubine’ that young master Xie mentioned.” Gao You said in a low voice.
He knew in his heart that it wasn't "seven or eight points," and that it was very likely the same woman.
But that's not important. What's important is that he wants to take this opportunity to explain the previous events to Marquis Wu'an.
Ignorance is no excuse. I was unaware of the situation before, but now that I know, I'm determined to abandon darkness and embrace the light. You can't hold me accountable for what happened before.
Qin Shaozong understood the meaning behind his words, and immediately smiled, swirled his wine cup, and raised his glass to Gao You: "You don't need to worry about this Xie San, he won't stay in Xia Valley for long."
Gao You beamed and quickly raised his wine cup to drink with him, saying, "You're right."
*
As a local strongman in Xiagu County, Gao You's allegiance determined many things, such as the military patrol's stance.
Although the military patrols were still searching for people in the post stations and among the common people, they were clearly no longer under Xie Yuanxiu's command.
Invisible smoke spread, and with a spark deliberately released, flames exploded.
"Why do you have to walk on the road instead of crashing into it? I think you're tired of living." Mo Yanyun aimed at the leader of the group opposite him, and shoved him out of the way, sending him sprawling on his back.
The other person quickly got up, feeling humiliated, and said, "You're so arrogant! There's no such thing as a free lunch. You clearly bumped into me."
"You hit someone and instead of apologizing, you're spouting nonsense here. Brothers, let's teach them a lesson!" Mo Yanyun was the first to draw his knife.
Seeing that things were not going well, the vendor quickly hoisted his load onto his shoulder and fled. Pedestrians hurriedly made way for the two groups of people.
Swords flashed, blood splattered, and chaos erupted instantly.
On the second floor of a teahouse facing the street, the window was half open. Qin Shaozong looked down from the window and took in the chaos on the street.
The man curled his lips, but the cold smile didn't reach his eyes.
“My lord, I have found out that in the three days since Xie San led his troops to Xia Valley, they, along with the city's military patrols, have thoroughly searched all the post stations and inns in the prefecture. In addition, they have issued notices in the city to search for people and sent people to investigate the major residential areas of commoners. They have done a lot of work, but they still have not found any trace of Lady Dai,” Feng Feng reported.
He was also puzzled.
They've thoroughly investigated every branch of the temple, issued notices, and even dispatched a large number of people and resources to search the commoner districts. Despite this combined effort, they've managed to make no impact whatsoever.
Could it be that Lady Dai is no longer in Xia Gu?
“She’s always been good at hiding things. Have someone spread the word that the people from the North have arrived in Xia Valley and are having a very pleasant conversation with the Lord of Xia Valley. They are currently staying at the Prefect’s residence.” Qin Shaozong twirled his thumb ring.
The fox has hidden herself; let's see if we can get her to come out on her own.
Feng Feng accepted the order and went to carry it out.
Qin Shaozong looked at the chaotic streets and alleys, his gaze darkening.
*
Dai Li had been living in this small courtyard for a day now. It wasn't a long time, and she was able to endure it, not stepping out of the house once. However, although she hadn't gone out, she was aware of what was happening outside.
The search for the missing person continues.
Sometimes Dai Li would hear hurried footsteps passing by the door, and occasionally she would hear voices saying, "You guys go over there and ask, you're in charge of this area."
The houses in the "urban village" are so close together that they are comparable to modern "handshake buildings," and sometimes you can even hear people talking next door.
For example, right now...
"It seems like there are more people in the city today."
"You must be mistaken. It's probably the same ones from a few days ago, or maybe reinforcements have arrived. Tsk tsk, this is quite a show of force. I wonder what kind of female thief is worth all this trouble from the officials."
“It wasn’t the same batch. I went to the market to buy vegetables today and saw a fight breaking out. Someone was decapitated, their head rolled far away, and there was blood everywhere.”
"They started fighting? Why are they fighting each other?"
“I already said it wasn’t the same group. I secretly observed that the team that was attacking people was all wearing black armor, and they were all very strong. They looked like experts, and they should be able to take on five people at once. The other team was less imposing, but they were quick-witted. After they saw that things were not going well, some of them secretly slipped away, probably to get reinforcements.”
"You still dare to watch this kind of spectacle? Are you out of your mind?"
"What's there to be afraid of? Let them fight. They're pointing their knives at each other very precisely. It's unlikely they'll take it out on innocent bystanders."
...
Dai Li stood against the wall, listening to the conversations from the other side, her brow twitching with anxiety.
Another group of people has entered the city, and a conflict has broken out?
The previous group was undoubtedly from Sizhou and the Qinglian Sect. Who could be coming next?
A tall figure inexplicably appeared before Dai Li's eyes.
The neighbor then said:
“Oh, right, I remember now. I heard that another group of people came from the north and had a close relationship with Lord Xia. They are now living in the prefect’s mansion.”
"Oh dear, with Lord Xia protecting them, those who clash with them will suffer."
Dai Li thought to herself, "As expected."
It really was Qin Shaozong...
She paced around the courtyard a few times, and finally couldn't resist beckoning the young boy over. Just as she was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of a dark figure suddenly climbing over the wall from the outside.
Although it was broad daylight and the sun was shining brightly, Dai Li was still startled. But when she saw who it was, her heart instantly calmed down, and she beamed with joy.
However, since there were other people in the courtyard, Dai Li couldn't directly call out to her son.
Qin Yanzhou gave her a look, and she understood. The two then went back to their room.
After the door closed, Qin Yanzhou said briefly, "Mother, Marquis Wu'an has come looking for us. He has won over the governor of Xiagu County, and now the city's military patrols and the soldiers he brought are united to deal with Xie San."
Dai Li frowned in thought, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Zhou Zhou, so there are two forces fighting each other in the city, and things are in chaos outside, right?"
Qin Yanzhou nodded in agreement.
"This chaos is just right! Zhouzhou, how about we take advantage of the confusion and leave?" Dai Li said excitedly.
Author's Note: Here I am! [shrug]
I need nutrient solution.
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