Chapter 47 Sharing the Same Moon Across the World
When Dai Li woke up the next day, looking at the marks all over her body, she had the illusion that she had accidentally stepped into a pool of paint.
Or perhaps, it was chewed by a dog.
The bed was a mess. The brocade quilt had been soaked and then dried, leaving that spot dry and hard, quite different from the other soft areas.
And these incongruous places are everywhere, from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed.
Dai Li's face turned ugly. This person really just pulled up his pants and left, not caring about anything afterwards.
It wasn't that he ignored it; he wanted to do it again that morning. Dai Li vaguely remembered that, half-asleep and unable to bear it any longer, she gave him an elbow.
She got up and slowly put on her trousers and undergarment. Just as Dai Li was pondering what to do with the tatami mat, there was a knock on the door.
Knock lightly once, then push the door open and go in.
It is Nianxia and Bibo.
"Madam, why did you get up by yourself?" Nianxia hurriedly stepped forward.
Dai Li stared at the two women, completely frozen, her ears turning bright red. She belatedly realized that something incredibly embarrassing had happened last night.
This side room is connected to a wing room and a small side room for servants, with a small door on both the left and right sides. However, the small doors are thin and only serve to block the view, not to block any sound at all.
After all, the original intention of setting up the small side room was so that the master could easily summon the servants in the side room by simply calling out when he got up at night.
Dai Li couldn't help but quickly recall last night.
Qin Shaozong came before she fell asleep, then went to take a bath and came back. In the middle of the trip, he asked Xia Bipo and the others if they had left from the small side room.
It seems there isn't one.
They had nowhere else to live after leaving this place.
Dai Li's head was practically steaming.
She could accept sleeping with Qin Shaozong; they were both adults, and there was no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed about it. But as a modern person, Dai Li couldn't possibly treat her maids like tools, like women in ancient times, allowing them to listen to her every move and even watch her without any restraint.
What did Qin Shaozong say last night?
That's too much! He was so excited that he spoke without restraint, saying all sorts of crude things.
What did she say last night? It seems she was forced to agree to quite a lot.
Dai Li: "..."
"Madam?" Nianxia blinked her round eyes, puzzled.
Both pairs of eyes in front of her were filled with doubt, but there was no embarrassment. Dai Li pinched her brow, feeling helpless again at the difference between ancient and modern times. "Don't worry about the bed for now. Nian Xia, prepare a bucket of water for me. I want to take a bath. Bi Po, could you please go to the county and buy me some things?"
Biper: "What would you like to buy, Madam?"
Dai Li said seriously, "Go to the pharmacy and buy me five doses of contraceptive medicine."
Dai Li knew that Ding Lianxi had a lot of medicinal herbs, and if she sent someone to get them, they would most likely be able to. However, if she wanted to return to the staff seat later, it was not advisable to let him handle such matters.
Bibo paused for a moment, then said nothing, simply nodded in agreement, took the money, and went to do it.
The water was boiled quickly. Dai Li sat in the wooden stool, the hot water soaking her skin, soothing her nerves, and the taut string gradually relaxed.
The alliance between the North and Qingzhou has been formed, and Qin Shaozong will not stay in Guoyun County for long. As long as he goes on another expedition, he must abide by the rules he set for himself until the end of the campaign.
After taking a thorough bath, Dai Li found that Nian Xia had already cleaned the bed.
The brocade quilt was replaced with a new one, and the pillowcase of the brocade pillow was also removed. Her upper garment and lower skirt, which had been scattered all over the floor, were placed in a small bamboo basket. It was all very neat and tidy.
Dai Li: "..."
Nianxia remained calm. "Madam, the kitchen has prepared breakfast. Shall I bring it to you?"
"Thank you for your trouble." Dai Li sighed. Since things have come to this, let's have some breakfast first.
*
Yanzhou, Gaoling County, Fan Prefecture.
"Pingwei, is Quanjie here?" A pretty young woman dressed in a light green silk shirt with flying birds stood at the entrance of the courtyard, peeking inside.
She was not tall, but had a beautiful figure, long eyebrows, and phoenix eyes with slightly upturned corners that gave her a sharp look. The sunlight reflected off the gold hairpins in her hair, creating an aura of wealth and luxury, making it clear at a glance that she was a young lady raised with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Pingwei's smile froze for a moment in the courtyard, then quickly returned to its previous elegance. "What brings you here, Eighth Miss, to see Quanjie?"
Fan Muqi frowned slightly and continued to peer inside. As she did so, the round pearl earrings on her ears caught the eye, clearly not ordinary. "If there's anything you need, just tell me if Quan Jie is here."
After saying this, she murmured, "Inu-Akuta shouldn't be here. If she were, we would have heard her voice by now. Pingwei, do you know where Inu-Akuta has gone?"
Pingwei was unaware of this.
People like them occasionally receive missions from their adoptive father, missions they must complete independently, some even requiring secrecy. Besides, his relationship with Inu-Akuta was already strained; how could they possibly share information?
Seeing that Fan Muqi was not getting an answer and was about to leave, Pingwei became anxious and blurted out: "Eighth Miss, you are of noble birth and incomparably precious, why should you lower yourself like this? That scoundrel Quan Jie is ungrateful. He didn't touch any of the things you sent him before. He put them all in a corner and pretended they didn't exist."
Fan Muqi's face flushed red, the kind of anger that comes from being exposed by an outsider for being rejected. "This is between me and Quan Jie, it's none of your business!"
Pingwei was stung by these words and felt even more uncomfortable.
Not to mention that the Eighth Lady's father was Fan Yanzhou, a powerful and influential figure, he also liked the Eighth Lady's appearance very much.
How could she have been so blind as to fall for Inu-Akuta?
The venomous fire in his heart churned, and Pingwei began to speak recklessly, "Eighth Miss, not to mention that Quan Jie's status is as lowly as mud, unworthy of your favor, the fact that he has other lovers outside is enough..."
"What did you say?" Fan Muqi exclaimed in shock, her voice rising considerably. "He has another lover outside? When did this happen?"
Pingwei avoided her gaze. "I've never seen his lover, but I guess she's a young woman who works as a doctor. Because the day Quanjie brought back medicine, besides the smell of the medicine, I also smelled a faint fragrance of a woman on him."
Fan Muqi glared fiercely at Pingwei, but her eyes kept turning red.
One of her personal maids comforted her, saying, "Pingwei is right. Young lady, you are of such high status, why lower yourself like this? The weather is nice today, why don't you go for a spring outing outside the city?"
Another personal maidservant quickly chimed in, "Or go find the young lady from the Li family and go fly kites with her..."
The moment she uttered the word "paper kite," her companion tugged at her sleeve, and the maid belatedly realized she had spoken out of turn.
Previously, the young lady had ordered Inu-Akuta to make kites for her. Now that she is flying the kites, wouldn't it be easy for her to be reminded of her by the sight of the kites?
Fan Muqi glared at the maid and turned to leave, but at that moment, a tall, slender figure emerged from the other end.
"Inu-gashi!" Fan Muqi's eyes lit up instantly. He had originally planned to go east, but he changed course and headed west, heading straight for him.
Pingwei nearly crushed his silver teeth.
Inu-Akuta paused for a moment, then continued forward.
Fan Muqi came to his side, walking alongside him, and asked as they walked, "Quan Jie, where did you go just now?"
Inu-Akuta: "Busy."
Fan Muqi scolded, "You're such a taciturn person. Will saying a few more words make you lose a piece of flesh?"
Dog Mustard remained silent.
Fan Muqi's initial excitement at seeing people faded, and then she remembered something else, "Quan Jie, do you have a lover outside?"
Inu-gaku remained silent and continued forward, offering no answer to the question. His silence infuriated Fan Muqi.
The pretty young woman immediately glared angrily and grabbed the sleeve of the person next to her. "You really have a lover? I won't allow it! You are a slave of the Fan family, I won't allow you to be with other people, do you hear me?!"
To make work easier, people at the bottom of society do not wear wide sleeves. They usually tie up the wide sleeves with a tunic, with the tunic reaching the forearm and the sleeves slightly bulging above the forearm. This is the area that Fan Muqi is grabbing now.
She grabbed him, and Quan Jie froze in place. His arm was bent at the elbow and extended outward, trying to prevent Fan Muqi from touching his waist and abdomen.
He turned to look at the young lady with her head full of gold hairpins, "Quan Jie is just a servant, not worth Eighth Miss's trouble and effort."
“I’m happy to do it, that’s none of your business. I’m asking you, do you have a lover outside?” Fan Muqi was worried that he wouldn’t answer, so he whispered, “If you answer me honestly, I can continue to keep your secret.”
The demon mask reflected a cold light in the sunlight, and the eyes behind it held no emotion.
It was just calm, a stillness as profound as death.
"No." He only said two words.
Fan Muqi was immediately delighted and laughed as Ping Wei stared in disbelief, "Okay, I believe you. By the way, Quan Jie, can you make me another kite? The one you made last time was slightly torn by Li San's clumsy hands."
Quan Jie raised his arm, breaking free from the other person's hand that was pulling at his sleeve, and continued walking forward. "Eighth Miss Shen Zheng has sent a servant to fetch the kite."
“No, I’m free today, I want to watch you do it.” Fan Muqi followed closely behind.
The people who served Fan Muqi closely followed her into the simple courtyard.
"Inu-Akuta, why aren't you using the things I gave you?"
“Your place is really shabby, Inu-gaku. How about I talk to my father and ask him to find you a better place to live?”
"No need, this place is fine."
...
After working for most of the hour, the new kite was finished. Holding the kite, Fan Muqi left reluctantly.
As soon as the group of young women left, the courtyard fell silent. If it weren't for the lingering faint scent of perfume in the air, the simple courtyard would have seemed as if no women had ever visited it.
Ignoring Pingwei's venomous gaze, Quan Jie turned and went back to his room.
Time passed slowly, the sun rose and set, and as the last ray of light disappeared, the earth was shrouded in a heavy darkness.
As dusk approached, Quan Jie went out again, this time not just wandering around the mansion. He left the Fan residence and, just in time for curfew, arrived at a post station in the prefecture, where he booked a room.
After nightfall, Inu-Akuta removed the demon mask from his face and then climbed over the wall of the post station. After curfew, patrols were set up throughout the county, and anyone caught still wandering outside was imprisoned.
A tall, slender figure deftly evaded all the patrols, heading south to a residence. Behind a wall where he stopped stood a tree, lush and verdant in summer, and the tree in this residence was no exception.
The young man listened quietly for a moment, and after confirming that he had heard, he took two steps back and then rushed forward in one swift motion.
He jumped, using his black boots to push off the wall for leverage, and at the same time, he grabbed the edge of the wall above him, using the strength of his arms to climb up and flip over.
After landing, Inu-Akuta quickly climbed up the tree without stopping.
The owner of this mansion is surnamed Fang, and his public identity is that of a wealthy merchant. However, behind the scenes, he is a spy for the Dong family of Yongzhou.
Using a map provided by someone else, Quan Jie successfully found the servants' quarters. A quarter of an hour later, a servant dressed in the Fang family's attire emerged from there.
A few days ago, the Fang couple had a fight over a mistress. In a fit of anger, the mistress took her young son and returned to her parents' home. Now, only Fang Shangjia remains in the household. It is said that he went out drinking with friends today and returned home drunk.
At this time, the lights in the main house were still on, indicating that the people inside were not yet resting.
Inuyasha paused for a moment, then finally pushed the door to the main room open a crack.
A strong smell of alcohol wafted out instantly.
The room was quiet and silent. Inuyasha remembered the servant carrying a basin of water that he had avoided on the way, and he knew what was going on. He quickly pushed open the door and went inside.
The smell of alcohol in the room was even stronger. After turning into the inner room, Quan Jie saw a plump body lying on the couch. Fang Shangjia had changed into clean undergarments, and there were damp marks on his shoulders and neck. A teacup was thoughtfully placed on the small cabinet next to the couch.
If there's anything to be desired, it's probably the small puddle of vomit beside the tatami mat.
Fang Shangjia vomited after getting drunk.
Most of the servants who had just left went to get cleaning tools.
With a blank expression, Inuyasha drew his knife, the gleaming tip aimed at the opponent's heart, and brought it down sharply.
A splash of bright red blood landed on the canopy with a "whoosh." Inuyasha casually flicked his sword, about to sheathe it and leave, when he suddenly heard footsteps.
"When you see your father later, Zhouzhou, you'll be with him... Who are you?!"
The scattered thoughts of the dog-like creature were brought back in an instant, but it was too late.
The woman saw the blood-stained, unsheathed knife in Inuyasha's hand, and also saw the large pool of blood flowing down from the couch behind him.
The woman who reached the cave entrance suddenly collapsed to the ground, her legs giving way. She stared intently at the people in the distance, while simultaneously pushing her young son, who hadn't yet entered the cave, with one hand, "Zhouzhou, run! Don't worry about your mother, you run!!"
The woman was prepared to die. She stumbled upon the murder scene, and the bloodstains on the perpetrator's knife were still there. At this moment, wouldn't it be easy for him to strike again?
Strangely, she saw an expression of extreme sadness on that bumpy, scarred face.
The woman looked again, only to see that the other person had already lowered his head, sheathed his knife, and climbed out of the window on the other side.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
...
A temporary post station.
A figure glided through the moonlight, nimbly scaling the outer wall and entering the inner chamber. Upon returning to his room, Inuyasha did not change his clothes or go to bed. Instead, he stood by the window, gazing quietly at the full moon in the sky.
Only when a dark cloud drifted in and obscured the full moon until it was no longer visible did Inuyasha turn and go back into his room. His eyes and face were submerged in darkness, and everything returned to calm.
Neither rivers drying up nor seas drying up nor rocks crumbling can stop the sun from rising again the next day.
As soon as Quan Jie returned to the Fan residence, he was summoned to the study by the guards.
"How about that guy surnamed Fang?" Fan Tianshi asked, sitting at a small table by the window, brewing tea.
Inu-Akuta: "Replying to my godfather, it has been taken care of."
Fan Tianshi smiled and said, "I trust you to handle things. Please have a seat."
Inu-Akuta walked over and sat down opposite him.
Fan Tianshi personally brewed tea for him. "Qin Shaozong has arrived in Guoyun County at the invitation of Nangong Xiong. This man is not a kind person. We cannot allow Qin and Nangong to form an alliance. Quan Jie, if you can handle things well the first time, you can definitely do it well the second time. Am I right, Father?"
The room fell silent, save for the gurgling sound of boiling water.
"My adoptive father suspects I killed Commandant Lü?" Quan Jie asked, his hoarse voice revealing little emotion.
Commandant Lü was the military officer who died in battle shortly after the alliance between Yan and Qing provinces was formed. Afterwards, Yan province claimed that Qing province was responsible, but Qing province denied it, leading to a stalemate and a rapid deterioration in relations between the two provinces.
Fan Tianshi stared intently at the person in front of him, trying to find some clues through those calm black eyes.
But no, those eyes were too still; looking into them seemed to reveal only a deathly emptiness.
Inu-gaku continued, "You did not give the order, and killing Commandant Lü would not benefit me. I beg my godfather to see the truth."
Fan Tianshi looked away, his disgust deepening. At the same time, the seed his son had planted in the study that night quickly took root and grew. Instead, a kind smile appeared on his face. "Someone came to me to report that the death of Commandant Lü was related to you. However, your godfather knows you are a loyal person, and I have not believed a single word of those false accusations."
Inu-Akuta: "Thank you for your trust, Father."
“However…” Fan Tianshi’s tone changed, “The method of framing someone is indeed ingenious, and it is perfect for breaking the alliance between the two sides. Quan Jie, you are highly skilled in martial arts. Your godfather will send some more people with you. This trip is to eliminate a high-ranking general in Qin Shaozong’s army and then frame Qingzhou. We must break the alliance between the North and Qingzhou.”
Inu-Akuta rose from his seat, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "Inu-Akuta obeys."
Fan Tianshi smiled. "This matter is of utmost importance. If the mission fails, you must not reveal that you are from Yanzhou. Just say that you are from Qingzhou. Even if Qin Shaozong wants to kill you, Nangong Xiong will not let you die to prove his innocence. You can then choose another opportunity to escape. Do you understand what your godfather is saying?"
Inu-Akuta nodded. "Inu-Akuta understands."
“You understand so quickly, you are indeed a clever person. Very good, your godfather has never seen you before.” Fan Tianshi lowered his eyes to pour himself some tea, concealing the ruthlessness in his eyes.
If it succeeds, leading to an alliance between the North and Qingzhou to break the deadlock, that would be ideal; if it fails...
My son has a point; this knife has been used for too long, it's become filthy. If this doesn't work out, we should take this opportunity to get rid of it.
-----------------------
Author's note: Requesting nutrient solution [shy]
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