Chapter 71 Her Accountability with Qin Shaozong is Unresolved
As a city beyond the formidable pass, many merchants found the main road leading into the pass too narrow and would instead take the Jiujiejin route directly.
Summer is rainy, and a light drizzle is falling right now. But the rain hasn't dampened the enthusiasm of the boats around Jiujiejin at all.
The boatman was enthusiastically soliciting customers, and pedestrians who wanted to board the boat tried to bargain for a discount of one or two copper coins.
A tall, slender figure wearing a straw raincoat nimbly jumped off the donkey cart, tossed the fare to the driver, and headed towards the boats moored on the shore without looking back.
In another donkey cart behind, some people immediately followed, while the boatman glanced over and quietly moved the boat.
There were quite a few people at the ferry crossing in the early morning. Qin Yanzhou glanced around and identified a group of boats heading west based on the direction of the bows. He then randomly picked one with fewer people and boarded it.
"Go to Jinlinjin, set off immediately." Qin Yanzhou didn't even ask the price, and simply tossed over a money pouch.
The boatman took the heavy money bag and immediately beamed with joy. He stopped accepting other passengers and eagerly invited him onto the boat.
The ship sets sail.
The ship headed west, and as it set off, several other ships behind it also left the shore.
*
Sizhou, Tianshui County.
"Have you heard? The Eternal Mother could not bear to see us farmers suffer, so she sent down a divine decree and bestowed a divine object upon the divine messenger."
"I've heard about it. It's similar to a straight-shafted plow, but much less strenuous. I've heard that it only requires the strength of one ox to pull the plow, so the ox saved can be used to plow other fields."
"The church issued a notice calling on believers to go to the temple to worship and give thanks on the first day of the lunar month."
"We must express our gratitude. Our hen just laid a clutch of eggs, and we took the eggs over on the first day of the lunar month."
“Chicken eggs won’t do. The sect issued a notice before that goods don’t circulate in the upper realm, only money is accepted. Go and sell the chicken eggs to get money, and then donate it to the ancestral temple. By the way, my son has saved up quite a bit of betrothal gifts. Anyway, he won’t get married until the year after next, so I’ll use his betrothal gifts to pay respects to the Eternal Mother first.”
"Doesn't the church say that donations should be made according to one's means to express goodwill? Are you really going to touch your son's betrothal gifts?"
“I’m his father, why can’t I touch him? We can save up for it later.”
...
Dai Li stood by the street, listening to the two people passing by talking in hushed tones, lost in thought.
She hadn't expected the Qinglian Sect to spread the word about the curved plow through a "divine decree." And it must be said, the Qinglian Sect, with its followers spread across the land, certainly had many clever individuals within its ranks.
The curved plow can't bring money, but by promoting it, it can bring prestige and further attract commoners from the lower classes.
And listen to what they say: on the first day of the lunar month, they'll gather believers to worship at the temple? Then, besides the believers, I imagine the "divine messengers" they're talking about will also be there.
"Madam?" the embroiderer beside her asked.
Dai Li snapped out of her reverie and asked her directly, "I just heard that there's a ceremony on the first day of the lunar month. Will you be participating?"
The embroiderer nodded. "I will be in charge. Is Madam interested?"
A flash of lightning streaked through Dai Li's mind, and then, like a piece of driftwood half-buried underwater, an invisible hand pulled out the buried part of a bold plan.
Suddenly, the driftwood rose upwards and finally emerged from the water with a "plop".
"I've never seen this before, and I'm really interested." Dai Li could hear her heart pounding wildly. "On the first day of the month, may I go to the temple with you?"
The embroiderer nodded, "We set off the day before the first day of the month. There would be no one in the mansion at that time, as we were going to take the madam with us anyway."
Dai Li smiled and said she was looking forward to it.
The group then turned into a cosmetics shop. The shop sold a wide variety of products, including face cream, lip rouge, floral decorations, black ointment, and powder and rice flour for all budgets.
Just in the category of face creams, there are peach blossom rouge, safflower rouge, apricot blossom rouge, hibiscus rouge, and so on.
There were so many items that several shelves needed to be set up.
Dai Li glanced quickly at the black ointment on the edge of the shelf, then grabbed the small basket provided by the shop and began her sweep.
I need this face cream, and I need that lip balm too. Like a shopping spree, I want one of each.
The embroiderer had never seen anyone buy things like this before, but recalling Dai Li's expensive shoes and dress, she realized that she was probably unrestrained when she was by the side of Marquis Wu'an.
Before leaving, the master only instructed her to keep an eye on people, and said nothing else. Now that the lady has only bought a few more things, it doesn't seem like a problem.
So the embroiderer remained silent.
Dai Li kept an eye on her surroundings out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that the embroiderer didn't speak, she reached out to a shelf and took the items from left to right.
When Dai Li placed the small jar on the far right into the small basket, her heart pounded like a drum, and for a moment she even hallucinated hearing a thumping sound hitting her eardrums.
Everything else is secondary; this box of black ointment is the most important.
After leaving the rouge shop, Dai Li went to other places, and it wasn't until nearly sunset that she and the embroiderer returned home.
They returned with a full load.
When Dai Li returned, she saw a carriage leaving the mansion. It was a horse-drawn carriage, and the man driving it was wearing a crown and was very strong; he also carried a knife.
This attire doesn't resemble that of a servant of an ordinary wealthy family; rather, it suggests someone from an official household.
"Madam?" the embroiderer called softly.
Dai Li lowered the curtain and spoke frankly, "That carriage just now looked like it belonged to the government. You'd better get on good terms with those people. Otherwise, if you fall from power one day, Qin Changgeng will definitely deal with me. After all, there was the Dragon Bone Waterwheel first, and then my disappearance. Now that the Curved Plow has appeared, he might think it's related to me."
These words were meant to be perfunctory, but when Qin Shaozong was mentioned, Dai Li's thoughts drifted a little.
If she manages to escape successfully this time, she will return to Yanzhou, but not directly to the Qin residence. She and Qin Shaozong are from different eras, and their views are destined to clash.
Their views on marriage and relationships alone are like ice and fire, destined to never mix. And since many unresolved issues are impossible to settle, it's better to simply leave them be.
Upon hearing this, the embroiderer smiled and said, "Madam, please rest assured, Sizhou is very safe."
Dai Li appeared indifferent, but her mind was racing.
Is Sizhou safe?
Why is it so safe? Is the governor of Sizhou one of their people?
Dai Li had no answer.
Having already eaten dinner outside, upon returning to the mansion, Dai Li dismissed the maids, claiming she was tired and wanted to rest.
The sky outside the window was already dark, and there was only a dim lamp in the room. The light was not bright, but that did not stop Dai Li from immediately rummaging through her spoils of the day after closing the door.
The face cream of this era was small, about half the size of an egg, and the box was very exquisite; you could easily hold three or four in one hand.
Dai Li took out the box of black ointment from the box, carefully scooped out a piece, and crushed it into granules, the same size as the black pills she had taken before.
There was once a trend of black lips among women, so black lip balm is actually a type of lip rouge. Lip rouge naturally contains oils to ensure that the lips don't feel dry when applied.
Now, Dai Li held the small black ball in her hand, chose a suitable distance from the fire, and began to roast it.
While grilling, they would occasionally blow a breath of artificial air.
About fifteen minutes later, Dai Li stopped.
After being exposed to wind and sun, the slightly soft black balls have become noticeably harder. Their surface has also solidified, and they no longer leave your hands black when you touch them.
Dai Li followed the same method and made two more black pills, making a total of three. It wasn't that she didn't want to make more, but she only had so much ointment left, and she had other uses for the rest.
Dai Li looked at her dirty fingers and dipped her fingertips into the teacup to wash them. After washing them thoroughly, the water in the cup turned black and murky.
Picking up her cup, Dai Li walked to the potted plant in the corner of the room and poured the dark water into the side against the wall.
The mud was grayish-yellow, and the black water poured on it didn't make a noticeable difference.
She took the cup back and examined it under the lamplight. She noticed that the inside of the cup was stained with black. Dai Li then picked up the teapot, added water, and thoroughly cleaned the inside.
There was no one else in the room except Dai Li.
She performed these actions very slowly, which contrasted sharply with her heartbeat; from the moment she pinched the little black ball, her heart rate never slowed down.
We must succeed in one fell swoop!
If she fails, let alone a second chance, her situation will definitely be worse than it is now.
Lying on the couch, Dai Li counted the days. There were still seven days until the first day of the month, leaving her only seven days to pull off this switcheroo.
...
The next day.
When I woke up, the sun was shining brightly outside the window, the flowers and leaves in the courtyard were covered with water droplets, and the stone bricks on the ground were damp, indicating that there had been a light rain before dawn.
Perhaps it was because Dai Li's large-scale shopping outside the mansion yesterday allowed the embroiderer to glimpse the daily life of the "Lord's Favored Concubine," that the other party took the initiative to ask about it after breakfast today.
"Madam, would you like to go out for a stroll today?" the embroiderer asked.
Dai Li thought for a moment, "Since you're called an embroiderer, are you exceptionally skilled at needlework?"
The embroiderer modestly replied, "I wouldn't call it amazing, it's barely passable."
"Can you coach me? I want to learn." Dai Li seemed to have become interested.
The embroiderer readily agreed, but after the maid brought the needle and thread, she asked casually, "I've heard that many families arrange for their daughters to learn needlework. Why haven't you learned it before, Madam?"
That's true.
Whether they were daughters of wealthy families or ordinary people, they all had to learn needlework from a young age. They embroidered wedding dresses and other clothes, and those from poorer families had to exchange their embroidery for money.
Dai Li: "I used to be lazy and thought that if something could be solved by spending money, why should I do it myself? My family also let me have my way."
If someone else had said these words, the embroiderer would have thought that the person was spoiled and ignorant.
But the face in front of her was so striking, as beautiful as spring flowers and as bright as the moon, and when she spoke in a nonchalant tone, things inexplicably became natural.
The embroiderer murmured, "...That's true."
While teaching Dai Li, she asked again, "Madam looks like she was raised in a water town. Is your ancestral home in Yangzhou?"
“Of course not, my ancestral home is Cangwu, Jiaozhou.” Dai Li used the same excuse again, and then said, “Are we going to pass through here? I feel like something’s not right, can you take a look?”
For the next four days, Dai Li sought out embroiderers to teach her needlework. She appeared calm and composed, but her anxiety grew with each passing day.
Four days have passed, and only three days remain. Time is running out, and she still hasn't found an opportunity.
She lived in this courtyard along with the embroiderer and two other maids. The three of them nominally served her, but in reality, they were also there to watch over her.
However, perhaps because she has been behaving well these days, one of the maids has been leaving from time to time, and it is unknown what she is busy with. In any case, she is no longer constantly by her side.
Dai Li waited anxiously for an opportunity, but time was running out. Just as she was hesitating about whether to try a different approach—
A turning point has arrived.
The turning point came on the fifth day.
That morning, when Dai Li got up, she found that one of her two maids was missing again. At the time, she didn't think much of it, assuming that the maid was just busy with her usual tasks and would be back in a little while.
But afterwards, Dai Li never saw the other person again.
After breakfast, she continued to learn needlework from the embroiderer. Around noon, someone came in a hurry and whispered to the embroiderer, "Embroiderer, the Third Young Master's carriage has arrived."
The governor of Sizhou was taken away by an illness not long ago. He passed away suddenly, leaving many things unfinished, and his three sons were left vying for power. The "third son" mentioned by the visitor was none other than Xie Yuanxiu, the governor's third son.
The room was quiet, and since Dai Li and the embroiderer were sitting close together, Dai Li heard the not-so-quiet whisper.
The embroiderer paused, put down her needlework, and said, "Madam, we have distinguished guests today. I will be back soon. If you need anything, please call Caoxiang to serve you."
Dai Li felt as if she saw a ray of light breaking through the chaos of the sky, which stirred her heart. She tried to speak calmly, "Okay, go ahead and do what you need to do, don't worry about me. I think I've figured out some tricks these past few days, I'll try it out myself first."
The embroiderer smiled and agreed, then called over Caoxiang and gave her a few instructions, mainly to serve her efficiently.
After the embroiderer left, only Dai Li and Cao Xiang remained in the room.
Dai Li deliberately waited for a while before turning to look at Cao Xiang: "I'm suffering from summer heat. Go to the kitchen and make me a pot of mung bean and lily soup."
After saying this, Dai Li turned back and continued to embroider.
Cao Xiang hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing.
Dai Li pricked up her ears to listen for footsteps, and when she could no longer hear them, she immediately put down her needlework and went to look out the window.
Cao Xiang went out, and the courtyard was now empty.
Dai Li quickly took out a small brocade bag from the box, stuffed it into her pocket, and was about to go out, but she stopped as soon as she stepped out the door.
Oh right, I almost forgot something.
Dai Li quickly turned back and took a plush rabbit from under her pillow. Only after taking the little toy with her did she go out again.
The courtyard was shaped like the Chinese character "品" (pin). Dai Li lived in the largest room at the very back, the embroiderer was on the left, and the room on the right was where Cao Xiang and another maid lived together.
Dai Li came to the left and quickly pushed open the door.
Unsurprisingly, the door was unlocked.
After Dai Li went inside, she closed the door and immediately began looking for the embroiderer's small porcelain bottle.
Back on the ship, the other person took out a small porcelain bottle from their pocket, which they carried with them at the time. But Dai Li didn't think that even after she had "submitted" to the Qinglian Sect and told Di Ting about the curved plow, the embroiderer would still carry the medicine with her at all times.
After all, although the porcelain vase was small, it was quite heavy.
The embroiderer's room wasn't large, divided into an inner and outer section. As Dai Li went straight inside, her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
The outer room was decorated in a very ordinary way. There were paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls, incense burners and vases in the corner, low chairs next to a long table, and cups, teapots and saucers on the table. There were also several storage boxes.
It was nothing special, much the same as what Dai Li had.
Parting the beaded curtain, Dai Li entered the interior. Inside, there was a couch and several stacked chests and cabinets.
Dai Li, putting herself in the other's shoes, first lifted the pillow. Unfortunately, there was nothing under it. Disappointed, she put the pillow back in its place and then turned her attention to the bedside table.
"Crunch—"
The cabinet door opened, and Dai Li's pupils suddenly narrowed.
Found it!
But I couldn't find them all, because the cabinet was filled with medicine bottles.
They were arranged very neatly, and each bottle on the outside was different. Different colors, different patterns. You could say that apart from the shape of the bottle and the stopper on top, everything else was different.
It's obvious that each one represents a different medicine.
Dai Li was stunned.
so much?
She carefully recalled the pattern on the small porcelain bottle. It seemed to have a lotus flower on it. Wait, was it a lotus flower or a magnolia?
It looks like a lotus flower.
Dai Li's gaze settled on a small bottle with a lotus pattern. She quickly took it out, uncorked it, and poured out its contents.
The little black balls rolled out, and Dai Li picked one up and sniffed it carefully.
Yes, that's the taste!
Dai Li quickly took out three pills, then inserted three small black pills she had made herself into the bottle, and even shook it to mix them well. She neatly put the porcelain bottle back in its original position, even adjusting the angle to be exactly the same as before.
Dai Li closed the cabinet door and stood up.
Mission accomplished, retreat.
However, just as her joyful mood was beginning to emerge, like a tender bud in spring, Dai Li suddenly heard footsteps.
She was in the inner room, and the fact that she could hear footsteps meant that the person was very close.
As if echoing Dai Li's guess, she heard a "click" as the door opened.
At that moment, a thunderbolt exploded in Dai Li's mind.
Someone has come in.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Here I am, please give me some nutrient solution! [Sprinkling flowers]
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