Chapter 89 Her habit of crossing the river and then burning the bridge.
Dai Li was instantly drawn to his last sentence.
Taking an unconventional approach?
What kind of unconventional approach is this?
Unfortunately, when Dai Li asked, Qin Shaozong slowly replied, "We can't discuss important matters here. We'll tell Madam when we get back."
Dai Li suddenly realized that the house they were living in now was the same one they had stayed in before. Zhou Zhou was able to move in here easily back then because of his status as a divine envoy of the Qinglian Sect.
It is indeed inappropriate to discuss how to cure the poison inflicted by the Qinglian Sect here.
Dai Li then stopped asking.
*
After spending the night in the small mountain village, the team set off again the next morning.
Today, Qin Shaozong also rode in a carriage with Dai Li. No one dared to ride his big red horse, so they let it run with the group on its own.
Inside the carriage.
Not long after the carriage set off, Dai Li asked him, "Qin Changgeng, what about the unconventional approach you mentioned yesterday? How do you plan to take it?"
She's been thinking about it.
Qin Shaozong laughed and said, "Madam, were you thinking about this all night? Why are you asking so early in the morning?"
"Can't I ask?" Dai Li asked, displeased.
“Sure, of course.” Qin Shaozong took Dai Li’s hand, and her dark blue sleeve slid down a little with his movement, revealing a bare, fair wrist.
Qin Shaozong lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on it, feeling that it was too plain.
While the other women were adorned with gold and silver, she was only wearing an ordinary wooden hairpin. It was likely that she had sold off her previous jewelry along the way south.
After Dai Li said "okay," there was silence afterwards.
What's wrong with this person? They're keeping us in suspense.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she tried to pull her hand away, but to no avail. The large, dark hand tightened its grip, not hurting her, but preventing her from retreating.
"The Green Lotus Sect has existed for over a hundred years. Perhaps initially they only had a handful of people, each holding multiple positions, helping people with fortune-telling while also concocting talismans and miraculous medicines. But after a hundred years of development, they have established clearly defined departments. There must be a dedicated group of people researching those so-called miraculous medicines," Qin Shaozong said at this moment.
Dai Li's furrowed brows relaxed slightly. "Indeed."
If a small workshop can stand the test of time for a century, it can grow into a large company.
“Since that kid can take the ‘miracle drug,’ it means he’s not a marginal figure in the sect. Therefore, it’s not impossible that he knows where the person who made the drug is hiding.”
As he finished speaking, Qin Shaozong's thin lips curled up, and a chilling ruthlessness appeared in his eyes. "Arrest these people, torture them severely, and you'll surely get a formula or antidote out of them."
He had his own interrogation methods in the North, and apart from those specially trained to be assassins, ordinary people could not withstand such torture.
Dai Li suddenly realized, "This really works!"
This matter should be addressed sooner rather than later. Although Zhouzhou tricked Diting into going on another mission, lies have an expiration date, especially since his son might be a key member inside.
Over time, this can easily arouse suspicion.
Dai Li eagerly lifted the carriage curtain and called out to the young man who was not far from the carriage, "Zhou Zhou, come here for a moment."
Qin Yanzhou turned around upon hearing the sound and saw his mother calling, so he spurred his horse over.
The carriage curtains were rolled up, and Qin Yanzhou, riding on horseback, was considerably taller. His gaze went down through the carriage window, and he could just see his mother's hand being held.
The large, dark hand, with its five fingers spread, inserted itself between the white fingers, interlocking with the other's ten fingers, firmly holding it in its own hand.
It's really an eyesore.
Qin Yanzhou shifted his gaze away expressionlessly, but his eyes softened when he looked at Dai Li. "Mother, what's wrong?"
Unable to free her hands, Dai Li turned to the side with her hands behind her back to look at her son. "Zhouzhou, do you know the developer of the miracle drug? What's his name, and where is he?"
She was anxious and asked three questions in one breath.
Qin Yanzhou paused, instantly guessing what would happen next. He didn't ask anything else, but simply recalled, "People in the sect usually use code names instead of their real names. The person who makes medicine is called Saint Hand. I often saw him when I was still in the sect, but after I went to the Fan family, I never saw him again."
Dai Li's heart skipped a beat.
I didn't see him after going to the Fan residence?
The son has been living in the Fan family for seven years, so the last time he saw the master was seven years ago.
Qin Yanzhou continued, "The Holy Hand is a gaunt old man with a narrow face, half-white hair, thick lips, and long ears. His appearance is ordinary, no different from any other old man. As for the location, the Qinglian Sect has countless strongholds, and the Six Paths are busy with affairs, so they rarely stay in one place for long. The few times I saw the Holy Hand, it was when he came to pay his respects on the orders of the Six Paths."
Dai Li asked in surprise, "Six Paths? The Holy Hand obeys his orders, who is he?"
"Liu Dao is the uncle of Di Ting and Bai Xiang, and he is the current leader of the Qinglian Sect," Qin Yanzhou said.
Dai Li frowned.
Di Ting looked to be in his early twenties, but he already had a large entourage and quite a presence in the sect. She had thought he was someone important, but she never expected him to be a "prince".
“It’s difficult to handle things if you don’t stay in one place for long,” Dai Li murmured.
"What's so difficult about it?" a lazy voice came from behind.
Dai Li turned around. "Isn't it difficult? They're using guerrilla warfare."
Qin Shaozong used some force to make Dai Li, who was clinging to the car window, sit up straight in her seat. He looked directly at the young man outside the window and said, "After we get back to Xiagu this afternoon, you should list out all the Qinglian Sect strongholds that you know so far. I'll send someone there immediately."
Any old man who matches the description, regardless of whether he's a master or not, should be arrested first.
Qin Yanzhou: "Not all of our strongholds are in the North and Yanzhou."
Qin Shaozong chuckled lightly, "So what? It's just arresting a few people. It's not like we're attacking their governor's mansion. Are you saying the other governors will declare war on me because of this?"
His arrogant and disdainful demeanor was undeniably reasonable.
Especially now that Yanzhou has just suffered a defeat, the northern regions are riding high and unstoppable. Anyone with a brain wouldn't confront them head-on at this critical juncture.
Qin Yanzhou remained silent, unable to find a rebuttal.
"It's settled then." Qin Shaozong made the final decision. After saying this, he raised his long arm and lowered the rolled-up carriage curtain, separating the inside of the carriage from the outside.
Dai Li: "..."
After a day of travel, Dai Li returned to Xia Gu at the end of Shen Shi (3-5 PM).
Upon returning, Dai Li's feelings were quite complicated, but her sighs lasted for less than a quarter of an hour before she forgot all about her melancholy.
Qin Yanzhou was writing intently. Mulberry paper was spread out on the table, and the wolf-hair brush dipped in ink flowed smoothly across the paper, quickly listing place names one after another.
Dai Li stood aside, increasingly alarmed as she watched.
So much...
There were fewer strongholds in the north, but outside the north, they were densely packed, not necessarily within prefectures or counties, but also often outside cities. Each stronghold was like a thumbtack pinned to the map, yet they were also connected by invisible threads, forming a vast, spreading net.
After a long while, Qin Yanzhou finally put down his pen. "That's all I know. Mom, there's something I want to tell you."
"Hmm?" Dai Li's gaze was still on the paper.
She had previously looked at the atlas and roughly scanned the various states and counties, and now she discovered that most of these strongholds were concentrated near Yongzhou.
Yongzhou was the location of Chang'an.
"Mom, I want to join the Northern Army," Qin Yanzhou said.
Dai Li suddenly looked up, her face full of surprise. "Why does Zhouzhou suddenly want to join the army? Joining the army here is different from modern times. In the former, you really have to go to the battlefield. Moreover, medical conditions in this era are very backward. If you are injured on the battlefield, you may die if you get infected."
At first, she simply went along with her son's words, but the more she talked, the more worried Dai Li became, until finally she was frowning.
My son wants to join the army.
Having just left the Green Lotus Sect, he finished serving there and then joined the army to serve Qin Shaozong. What kind of mess is this!
I was a hundred times unwilling, but my child has grown up, and as a parent, I can no longer take care of everything for him like I did when he was a child.
Suppressing her frustration, Dai Li asked him, "Why does Zhouzhou have the idea of joining the army?"
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: "Is it because of me?"
Seeing the young man remain silent, Dai Li understood immediately and said anxiously, "Zhouzhou, my greatest wish is for you to be safe and sound. Swords have no eyes on the battlefield. If you accidentally get into an accident and lose an arm or a leg, how will your mother live the rest of her life?"
Qin Yanzhou's eyes were stubborn. "Mother, I've grown up. I'm a man now. It should be me protecting you. But now you have to worry about me because of those things. I'm an unfilial son. I can repay the favor from Marquis Wu'an myself. Doesn't he want to conquer the world? I can be his pawn."
"What kind of pawn are you going to be!" Dai Li rarely lost her temper. "Who gave you permission to risk your life for Qin Shaozong?"
...
there.
The battle came to an end after the Xuanxiao cavalry arrived at Xia Valley and wiped out a thousand cavalry and three thousand infantrymen from Sizhou in a surprise attack.
Prefect Gao You of Xiagu and Xie Yuanxiu, the third son of Xie Sizhou, had been hiding in a house on the north street of the city. After the Xuanxiao Cavalry took complete control of Xiagu County, they carried out a thorough investigation on the orders of Qin Shaozong.
With thousands of people searching the city at the same time, it didn't take long for them to reveal their true colors.
Qin Shaozong dealt a swift and decisive blow to Gao You, who had gone back on his word. He eradicated him completely, not even sparing Gao You's sons.
As for Xie Yuanxiu, Qin Shaozong personally broke three of his ribs and both his hands. He wasn't killed immediately; he was still useful.
After dealing with these matters, Qin Shaozong returned to the main courtyard, intending to have dinner with Dai Li. However, as soon as he entered, he heard a voice:
"Who gave you permission to work for Qin Shaozong?"
It was her voice.
She was very easy to get along with, speaking softly even to the most insignificant maids. In all the time he had known her, he had never seen her fly into a rage.
Now, that once gentle voice is now filled with surging anger, like water being boiled, about to overflow with scorching steam.
The guards standing beside the main courtyard didn't dare to breathe.
It was very noisy inside. They overheard a few words and even heard Lady Dai calling the Lord by his full name.
Calling someone by their full name, unless it is a superior addressing a subordinate, is considered disrespectful.
The guards wished they could plug their ears, but before the commotion inside had even subsided, the Lord arrived.
Qin Shaozong paused only slightly before striding inside as if he hadn't heard anything.
Dai Li was so angry that she stood up from her seat. The mother and son stood by the window, creating a subtle confrontation. Just as she was about to speak again, a dark shadow caught her eye out of the corner of her eye.
She swallowed the words back down her throat and took a deep breath. "Let's talk about this later."
Qin Yanzhou remained silent.
They ate dinner around the table, and Dai Li ate in particular silence. She only spoke when Qin Shaozong asked if the location of the Qinglian Sect had been written down.
After the meal, the young man with the list of strongholds left with Qin Shaozong.
Dai Li watched the two figures leave, then pressed her temples in exasperation.
Qin Shaozong didn't return until it was time for him to go to sleep.
Gao You was dealt with today. His mansion has not yet been vacated, and Dai Li and her party are currently staying in a mansion that is listed for sale.
The main courtyard, shaped like the Chinese character "品" (pin), was not large. Qin Shaozong took Dai Li's few scattered and almost negligible belongings to the main house.
The meaning is clear: she's sleeping here tonight.
Dai Li didn't say anything; she stayed wherever he arranged, but she went to bed early that night. By the time Qin Shaozong returned, the lights in the room were already off.
He pushed open the door and went inside. He didn't turn on the light, but took off his clothes through the slightly ajar window.
Dai Li was sleeping inside. She opened her eyes when she heard the sound, but quickly closed them again in the darkness.
Qin Shaozong removed his inner garments, casually draped his belt and other items on the clothes rack, and then went to bed.
Summer nights are often hot and humid, and since the blankets were thin, Qin Shaozong didn't use one. He knew the woman beside him wasn't asleep because her breathing was uneven.
The man turned to the side, reached out and pulled the person next to him, along with the thin blanket covering her, into his arms.
The room was dark, with only a small natural moonlight lamp by the window. The moonlight shone inwards, becoming quite dim by the time it reached the bed.
Qin Shaozong, however, seemed to have eyes that could see in the dark. After pulling her close, he first kissed Dai Li's earlobe, then whispered in her ear, "That kid just told me that he wants to join the army."
Dai Li was caught off guard and fell into the stove. Before she could even push the large stove away, she heard this sentence.
Dai Li suddenly opened her eyes, "No!"
“He is your son, and it’s up to you, Madam. Without your approval, I guarantee no army in the North will dare to take him to the battlefield,” Qin Shaozong said.
Just as Dai Li breathed a sigh of relief, she heard him continue:
"But the fact that that kid was able to endure ten years on his own is enough to prove that he has a resilient character and is no ordinary person. Moreover, given his past experiences with the Green Lotus Sect and the Fan family, it would be difficult for him to live a life of conformity again."
Before Dai Li could get angry, Qin Shaozong added, "These past few days, I've noticed he's rather aloof. He's so young, yet he lives like a carefree old man, not easily communicating with others. Although discipline is strict in the army, camaraderie is the easiest thing to build. Madam is worried that swords and spears are indiscriminate on the battlefield, so why not place him in the rear of the army?"
Dai Li's eyes widened slightly.
The voice, close to her ear, continued, "Find him a leisurely job to keep him occupied, it doesn't matter how well he does it. It satisfies the boy's desire to join the army and puts your mind at ease. It's a win-win situation, and it will save you and your son from any unpleasantness. What do you think, Madam?"
The more Dai Li listened, the more she thought it was a good idea, and she realized that she had fallen into a misconception, equating joining the army with going to the battlefield.
There are many positions in the military. Even the cooks in the logistics department are soldiers, and those who serve as strategists like Nalan Zhi are also soldiers. You don't necessarily have to risk your life to fight on the front lines.
"Hey, this is great!" Dai Li was delighted, and the pent-up frustration that had been weighing on her chest all night gradually dissipated.
Hearing the ease in her voice, Qin Shaozong smiled and lightly kissed her temple. "Happy now?"
He had some stubble on his chin that felt prickly when he touched her. Dai Li turned her head away and reached out to push him away, saying, "It's hot, you sleep over there."
Qin Shaozong laughed in anger.
She just can't seem to shake her habit of abandoning those who have helped her.
Author's note: I'm here! [hugs]
I need nutrient solution! [shrug]
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