Chapter 80 She needs to be taught a lesson!
Take advantage of the chaos to leave Xiagu!
Once the idea popped into her head, it grew wildly like weeds, quickly taking over Dai Li's entire mind.
It seems there couldn't be a better time. When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits; she wants to be the fisherman.
However, another question remained. Dai Li glanced quickly at the tightly closed door and lowered her voice, "Zhouzhou, can you leave the Qinglian Sect at will?"
Qin Yanzhou was still wearing a mask, so Dai Li couldn't see his expression, but she saw his eyes slowly lower.
Dai Li's heart skipped a beat.
No way...
Just as she was about to ask for more details, the young man spoke up, “I can leave. If nothing unexpected happens, a major conflict will break out between the North and Sizhou in the coming days. Mother, we can take advantage of the chaos to leave and head south to Yuzhou.”
Dai Li felt a little more at ease.
Yes, we can go. Zhouzhou will go south with her.
Dai Li asked, "Going to Yuzhou? Is Yuzhou more peaceful? How does it compare to Chang'an?"
The capital city should be much better than other places; otherwise, how can the monarch save face?
However, with warlords vying for power and ministers being strong while rulers are weak, it's possible that there are indeed places safer than Chang'an.
Qin Yanzhou explained, “The governor of Yuzhou is indecisive and content with his own corner of the country, and has rarely clashed with other provinces. He has a son who is skilled in both literature and martial arts and has extraordinary strength. Whenever there is an irreconcilable conflict with other powerful rulers, this second son is the one who leads the troops into battle.”
Dai Li understood. It turned out that the governor of Yuzhou was a conservative and peacemaker, but because he had a capable son, he was not a pushover.
They belong to the type who think, "I'm easy to talk to, but if you really bully me, I'm not powerless to fight back."
Dai Li: "Okay, then let's go to Yuzhou."
"Mom, this is a human skin mask. I'll teach you how to use it." Qin Yanzhou took out a small bag from his pocket.
There were many things in the bag, and Dai Li recognized one of them: fish glue. She had always heard that fish glue was one of the raw materials for disguise, and now it seemed that it was indeed true.
Qin Yanzhou seemed very busy. He didn't stay long. After carefully teaching Dai Li how to use the human skin mask, he said, "The next time I come to see you will be when we leave. Please wait for me."
Dai Li agreed.
Qin Yanzhou left.
Dai Li sat in the chair, still holding the small cloth bag in her hand, feeling as if she had forgotten to say something.
She stared blankly at the small cloth bag for a moment, but still couldn't remember. So Dai Li simply stopped thinking about it and focused on fiddling with the fish maw in her hands.
Since we've decided to travel far, there's a lot to prepare besides disguise.
Clothes, travel expenses, gifts...
Oh, right, pass it on!
Although her story has been revised, it still sounds the same as the surname "He". If she were to use this story to spread her message outside the city gates, she might be stopped.
Dai Li fell into deep thought.
*
"...This is outrageous!" Xie Yuanxiu kicked over the table in front of him. His nostrils flared and his eyes were bloodshot, clearly furious.
“Third Young Master, please calm down.” A trusted aide tried to persuade him, “That Marquis of Wu’an has been arrogant for a long time. Pride comes before a fall, and he will eventually pay the price for his recklessness and arrogance.”
Xie Yuanxiu took a deep breath. "You're right."
He turned to his trusted aide and asked, "How was the city patrol today?"
After a moment's hesitation, the confidant said, "It's not very optimistic. Nine out of ten teams have encountered interception, all of them deliberately caused trouble by the northerners. The remaining team has visited several major post stations in the county again, following Mr. Diting's new approach, but still found nothing."
Xie Yuanxiu remained expressionless. "What are the casualties?"
A trusted confidant reported: "Ten died, fifteen were seriously injured, and more than thirty were slightly injured."
Xie Yuanxiu clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked. "Qin, Shao, Zong!"
"Third Young Master, Master Diting has arrived," a servant announced.
It took Xie Yuanxiu a long time to calm down.
When Di Ting entered, he saw Xie Yuanxiu standing in the main hall, with the table overturned, teacups broken, and tea spilled all over the floor.
The place was a complete mess.
Di Ting stopped in front of the pile of fragments. "The summer sun is blazing and the air is dry. It seems that even the Third Young Master is still furious. However, I have a plan to put out the fire. I wonder if the Third Young Master would like to hear it?"
Xie Yuanxiu's eyes lit up. "What brilliant plan do you have, sir? Please tell me, I am all ears."
Di Ting made a little joke, "The hall is in such a mess, there's probably no place for the Third Young Master to wash his ears."
Xie Yuanxiu understood the implied meaning from the sound of the zither, and said, "This way, please. Let's go to the study to discuss this in detail."
Inside the study.
After the servants served tea and left, Xie Yuanxiu eagerly asked, "May I ask how you intend to put out the fire, sir?"
"The Marquis of Wu'an arrived in Xia Valley the day before yesterday afternoon. It has been a little over a day since then. The time is not very long, but it has been enough for him to spread the news and let the whole city know that people from the North have come to Xia Valley," Di heard.
Xie Yuanxiu was only interested in hearing brilliant ideas and didn't think much of it, "So what?"
"Haven't you noticed that she hasn't made a move yet?" Di Ting laughed.
Xie Yuanxiu's words were like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling all his anxiety and invigorating him. "You mean, she doesn't want to go back!"
Yes, if she wanted to go back, she would have returned to Marquis Wu'an's side the moment she heard the news. But now that the news has been circulating for so long, there's still no movement.
She probably doesn't want to go back!
Di Ting recalled a past event: "A few months ago, she met Marquis Wu'an in Nankang County. She was used by him to set a trap and deceive the governor of Nankang County. Dissatisfied with Marquis Wu'an, she used a trick to get rid of her personal maid and escaped to Taiping County by boat alone. Now, several months have passed, and it seems that the beauty has not changed her mind."
Xie Yuanxiu felt refreshed and his mind and body were filled with another kind of bold and ambitious words.
He didn't get to know her properly, which left her with no other choice. If she had realized his good qualities, she would have chosen him over the Marquis of Wu'an.
Di Ting continued, "Neither you nor Marquis Wu'an have heavy troops around you right now. Prefect Gao You is a key figure. We must win him over."
Xie Yuanxiu frowned. "That's easy to say, but it's not so easy. Gao You is an official in Yanzhou, so he will definitely obey the orders of Marquis Wu'an. Who told him that Yanzhou has changed hands?"
"Third Young Master, you are mistaken."
Di Ting laughed, "Whether Yanzhou will be ruled by the Qin or the Nangong families is still uncertain. Marquis Wu'an only brought about two hundred men to Xia Valley this time. Who can deny that this is a good opportunity? As long as Marquis Wu'an dies, the north will be in chaos, and Qingzhou will definitely take advantage of the chaos to seize a piece of the north. At that time, Qingzhou will probably only be able to take care of the east of Yanzhou, and the west..."
"The west belongs to Sizhou!" Xie Yuanxiu exclaimed excitedly.
The boundaries between the states were established in the past, but given the current situation, who dares to say that they will always remain so?
“Gao You is the governor of Yanzhou, and it is true that he is temporarily under the command of Marquis Wu’an. But has he ever thought that Yanzhou is only so big, and the number of counties is already fixed? There is not enough time to divide up Beidi and Qingzhou, so why would there be room for a mere Gao You?” Di Ting said slowly.
Xie Yuanxiu was stunned, as if struck by a sudden realization.
Yes, there are only so many important official positions, so they'll definitely replace them with their own people. Gao You, this "former official of the previous dynasty," certainly doesn't have many days left. Rather than sitting idly by and waiting to be obediently replaced, he might as well take a gamble!
“Lord Gao is currently blinded by dark clouds and cannot see the future clearly. Third Young Master, invite him out and appeal to his emotions and reason with him. At worst, promise that if things don't work out, his whole family can go to Sizhou, and you can arrange another official position for him there. I think he will understand how to choose.” Di heard this.
Xie Yuanxiu was overjoyed. "What you say is true, sir. I will send someone to convey the message immediately."
Listen attentively and respond with a smile.
*
The teahouse, a private room on the second floor.
Compared to the prefectural governor's mansion, the people of the north have recently preferred to discuss matters in teahouses.
The teahouse is located in a bustling area, offering a wide view of the street. Not only does it avoid the eyes and ears of the Gao family, it is also a good place to observe the movements of the military patrols in the city.
"My lord, there is still no news." Mo Yanyun lowered his voice.
More than a day has passed since the news was released. Logically speaking, since the governor of Sizhou was openly searching for people first, any change in the wind direction in the city is enough to cause a heated discussion among the people.
There are many people discussing it, and a lot of people are paying attention to it, but Lady Dai is the only one not mentioned.
Mo Yanyun secretly raised her eyes.
His superior stood by the window, the sunlight falling on his sharply defined face, revealing not a trace of warmth, but only a chilling coldness and majesty.
"She's got a bad streak again." Qin Shaozong said coldly as he removed the cracked jade thumb ring.
She hadn't shown up, and now he understood perfectly well what was going on. That fox must have become wild again, determined to escape.
They need to be disciplined!
The jade thumb ring traced a beautiful arc in the air before landing precisely in a small bamboo trash can not far away. The impact upon landing was quite strong, shattering the already cracked jade thumb ring into countless pieces.
"My lord, what should we do now?" Mo Yanyun asked with a worried expression.
It wouldn't be good for them to be away from Bai Ri City for too long. Putting aside Qingzhou, this place is ultimately too close to Sizhou. Besides, they've already clashed with Xie San; what if the other side sends in a large force…
Qin Shaozong said, "Have Feng Feng and the others come over. Call them all, don't leave anyone out."
Mo Yanyun was taken aback, not understanding why, but he obediently went to pass on the order.
Half an hour later, all the high-ranking military officers arrived at the room.
Qin Shaozong's gaze swept over everyone.
The group of people who moved swiftly across the battlefield, their heads practically on their hips, suddenly felt a chill run down their spines under that suppressed, volatile gaze.
They stood up straight, and no one dared to speak.
"Have you told anyone else about the mother-son relationship between the lady and that boy?" Qin Shaozong asked at this moment.
“My lord, we did not deliberately publicize this matter. It’s just that after the young master became Mr. Nalan’s disciple, some people in the army must have guessed it,” Feng Feng said truthfully.
Qiao Wangfei nodded and added, "The guards on duty in the mansion all knew about it at the time. After all, the young master had been living in the main courtyard with Madam Dai, and the two of them had very similar features, so it was not hard to guess that they were related by blood. Later, after the young master's apprenticeship ceremony, a banquet was held in the army, and I heard some soldiers who knew about it mention it briefly."
Qin Shaozong then asked, "How many of the guards who knew the inside story came with me to Xia Valley this time?"
However, as soon as he finished asking the question, Qin Shaozong changed his mind, "Fine, pass on my order to all squads: from today onwards, it is strictly forbidden to discuss or spread the relationship between Madam and Qin Yanzhou. Anyone who violates this order will be punished according to military law!"
The group of people were taken aback.
Kuang Ye blinked his puppy-dog eyes and was the first to react: "My lord, do you suspect that the young master is a member of the Green Lotus Sect?"
The forces opposing them are now clear: one is Sizhou, and the other is the Qinglian Sect.
"It's not doubt, it's certainty." A resounding statement.
Qin Shaozong's eyes were heavy. "Fan Tianshi and Xie Sizhou don't have a deep connection, and the two states have been at peace for many years. But several years ago, Fan Tianshi already had an ambiguous relationship with the Qinglian Sect. If I were the leader of the Qinglian Sect, I wouldn't be completely at ease with this ambivalent ally. It would be quite common to plant an inside agent in his residence."
I never expected the other party to be so ruthless, breaking the leg of a twelve-year-old child and leaving him at the gate of the Fan residence.
Qin Shaozong found out about these things later, and he didn't tell her. Back then, she would faint from crying just seeing the boy with a few more scars. If she knew that her son's leg had been deliberately broken, the whole mansion would probably be flooded with her tears.
She chose to flee the Green Lotus Sect back then, so naturally she wouldn't actively seek to align herself with them now.
However, if the Qinglian Sect finds out about her mother-son relationship, she will definitely be exploited and blackmailed by those with ulterior motives.
The group immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and readily agreed.
“My lord, I have heard a rumor about the Green Lotus Sect. Although I am not sure if it is true or not, I feel it is necessary to tell you.” It was Kuang Ye who spoke.
Unlike the others, Kuang Ye spent seven years in Bingzhou. And the governor of Bingzhou did not despise ghosts, gods, and Taoism as much as Qin Shaozong did, so he had more contact with these things than others.
Qin Shaozong: "What rumors?"
Kuang Ye: "I heard that the Qinglian Church bestows a divine medicine upon some important believers. Some people who take it feel refreshed, have increased strength, and can even prolong their lives. If they are injured, they will instantly forget the pain."
"Playing tricks," Qin Shaozong sneered. "If it could truly prolong life, the formula would have been offered to the late emperor or even earlier, Emperor Wu, to claim the position of Grand Preceptor. It wouldn't be available to us ordinary folks."
Kuang Ye shook his head. "My lord, the key point is not the benefits, but the drawbacks. I've heard that if this medicine is taken continuously for a course of treatment and then abruptly stopped, there is a risk of intestinal perforation and abdominal rot."
Qin Shaozong's mocking expression vanished instantly.
Everyone else was taken aback.
Is this really true?
"This isn't a miracle drug, it's clearly poison!"
"Kuang Ye, where did you get this information from?"
Amidst the chatter of the crowd opposite him, Kuang Ye shrugged and said, "As I said before, these are just rumors, and I don't know if they're true or not."
This teahouse was entirely booked by people from the north, and servants were not allowed to go up to the second floor. Now, there were hurried footsteps coming from outside, only their own guards.
"My lord, I have important matters to report."
The guards were summoned inside.
"My lord, you previously instructed us to keep a close eye on Lord Gao, and just now he secretly went out. He was dressed in hemp clothing, and didn't even take a carriage. He rode in an ordinary donkey cart used for transporting goods, exiting through a side gate and heading to a secluded winery in the city," the guard reported.
The crowd erupted in uproar.
"By acting so discreetly, he must be making sure that the person he met is not known to the Lord! If he did not meet Xie San or anyone from the Qinglian Sect, I will cut off my head and give it to him to sit on."
"You're quite the schemer, aren't you!"
“My lord, this Gao You is dishonest. You clearly hinted to him that if he had obeyed, he could have kept his position as governor. I didn’t expect him to dare to do this.”
"Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Fortunately, Your Excellency had the foresight to make other preparations in advance." "It's a pity that there was no one at the winery, so we don't know what they talked about."
The guard just now said, "We've left people near the tavern to keep an eye on Lord Gao's movements."
*
Wearing a straw hat, Gao You came out of the winery. He looked left and right before leaving, and only after seeing that there was nothing unusual did he quickly get on the donkey cart.
The donkey, having been whipped, trotted towards the prefectural governor's mansion.
When Gao You returned to his residence, it was already dark. He went to the backyard, intending to relax there, preoccupied with his own thoughts.
Ruan was Gao You's beloved concubine. She was a Yangzhou "slender horse" given to him by someone in his early years, and he doted on her. Over the past ten years, they had two sons and a daughter.
Delicious dishes and a pot of fine wine were laid out on the table, but Gao You was troubled and ate very little, trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
Ms. Nguyen kept mixing him drinks and asked him why he was so agitated.
Gao You, feeling tipsy, suddenly felt an urge to confide in someone, but instead of directly stating the situation, he used a metaphorical approach.
"...So what my husband means is that there are two shop owners who want to hire you as the manager. But the former is a newcomer you haven't met before, and the two of them took over the shop you used to work for; while the latter is a familiar neighboring owner who wants to secretly acquire the current shop in your name," said Madam Ruan.
Gao You nodded drunkenly, "That's right. If it were you, what would you think?"
"I come from humble origins and don't understand grand principles, but I always remember one saying: 'People strive to rise higher, and water flows downhill.' Good days are earned through one's own efforts, and one should not miss any opportunity to make things better! Just like back then, when I fell in love with my husband at first sight, I used all my charm to persuade him to keep me."
Where Gao You couldn't see, his beloved concubine's eyes were filled with a strange glint.
-----------------------
Author's note: New ideas pop into my head when I'm under a lot of pressure [laughing and crying emoji]
Lights on - New pre-orders:
Transmigrated as a Demonic Concubine Who Brings Disaster to the Country
Xie Wangye inherited the small country from his father and spent his life on the battlefield, conquering various countries, pacifying the world, unifying the country, and finally creating a prosperous and peaceful era.
Before Xie Wangye could fully appreciate this prosperous era, he woke up to find that he had... become his ancestor.
Duke Jingheng, the fifth-generation descendant of Duke Jingtai, was a tyrannical and oppressive ruler. He was infatuated with the beautiful and charming Xia Ji, who emptied his harem, built palaces, neglected the state, and killed loyal officials, causing the already devastated Jing state to suffer further damage.
In the summer of the 35th year of Jianqing, the capital of Jing State was captured by Yi State. Duke Huan of Jing fled with his concubine Xia Ji and his eldest son. His eldest son died on the way to exile.
Listening to the sounds of war outside, Xie Wangye suddenly realized that he had arrived in the summer of the 35th year of Jianqing.
Well, the Jing Kingdom is currently experiencing a catastrophe that nearly led to its demise.
There happened to be a boy crying like a piglet next to him, who must be the Crown Prince. Xie Wangye picked him up with one hand and was about to call his subordinates to retreat and avoid the brunt of the attack.
A vixen? Ha! Women only hinder his ambitions. Not to mention that Xia Ji is a scourge to the country and its people, deserving of death. If he were to encounter her, he would surely cut her into eight pieces to appease the people's anger.
She's lucky now, let her fend for herself!
Before he even left the palace, Xie Wangye shuddered.
No, his branch is not the eldest son's bloodline. His great-great-grandfather was the second son of Duke Jingheng and the demon concubine Xia Ji.
The eldest son is born, but the second son has not yet been born.
If the demon queen dies, neither he, his father, his grandfather, nor anyone else will be born.
Xie Wangye: "..."
*
After surgeon Xia Fu suddenly dies on duty, she finds herself in an unfamiliar dynasty.
The palace was magnificent, filled with countless jewels and jade. The maids addressed her as "Madam" and treated her with utmost respect.
Good news: It seems I'm dressed as an upper-class nobleman who doesn't have to suffer.
Bad news: Fifteen minutes later, the army attacked the city, and it seemed the country was about to perish.
Before Xia Fu could decide where to escape, her palace gate was kicked open, and a menacing man with a dark face strode in, picked her up, and ran.
Xia Fu: "?"
...
#Ha, it's all for my past self#
#Oops, the code doesn't match, seems like I'm not a fellow traveler from another time#
#My father and mother are still acting strangely today#
#My father keeps asking me how he used to please my mother#
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