Chapter 13 Ningzhou,
It was freezing cold outside, but inside the bridal tent it was so hot that one just wanted to escape.
Lingyi crawled forward two steps on her knees, but was quickly pulled back by someone grabbing her waist. His hot chest pressed against her back, and drops of sweat fell from his chin onto the back of her neck.
She still wanted to save herself, reaching out to grab the bed curtains. With his movement, the pink gauze, unable to bear the weight, fell down, enveloping the two of them in this absurd, dangerous, enchanting, and chaotic dream, a night of turmoil.
When Lingyi woke up the next day, half of the gauze curtain was hanging on the ground, and the other half was covering their intertwined bodies.
Lingyi suddenly opened her eyes wide. This was the first time she had ever woken up when Qin Lie was still in bed.
He had one arm around her, his eyes closed, fast asleep. Lingyi was stunned for a moment before tiptoeing out of bed.
Qin Lie rarely slept for so long, so he must have caught a chill yesterday. However, he woke up feeling refreshed today, probably because he sweated a lot last night, which healed himself.
The princess's residence now provides him with his clothes, and he only calls the palace servants in to serve him after he has bathed and changed.
After a leisurely breakfast, the palace servants served her chewing gum—another of the princess's particular preferences.
Qin Lie took it expressionlessly, put it in his mouth and chewed it a couple of times. It smelled of peaches, just like the taste in her mouth last night.
"Where is the princess?" he asked.
Mingzhu said, "The princess is outside... enjoying the scenery. I will go and call her back right away."
Qin Lie didn't miss the pause in her words and stepped out.
To be fair, Lingyi truly wanted to be a princess whose words and actions were exemplary for women, but the longer she was away from the capital, the weaker this thought became. Alas, life in the princess's residence was too comfortable, and the palace servants were too lively.
Just like now, she really did come here just to enjoy the snow. Although there is snow in the capital in winter, it is usually a thin layer, unlike here where the snow blanket is thicker than her calves. Moreover, the snow in the palace is cleared away early to avoid inconveniencing the nobles, unlike here where everything is covered in white, which is not only a feast for the eyes but also very convenient for having a snowball fight!
Yes, a snowball fight.
She swore she had simply wanted to enjoy the snow at first, but when she reached the lakeside, several palace maids and eunuchs were throwing snowballs at each other, and one of them landed right at her feet. She was hardly a dignified mistress, and the maids and eunuchs not only weren't afraid of her, but even invited her to join in.
Even princesses need to "share the joy with the people," and Lingyi rolled up her sleeves and left the stage with great enthusiasm.
She was happy at first, but the palace maids and eunuchs didn't dare to really hit her. After playing for a while, she got bored, so she found her own amusement—she lay down in the snow and buried herself.
The fox fur cloak and boots melted as soon as the snow touched them, so you didn't feel cold lying in the snow.
Ling Yi was lying there with her eyes half-closed, grinning foolishly, when suddenly she felt a dark cloud looming over her, and her vision darkened considerably. When she opened her eyes, she saw Qin Lie looking down at her with no expression on his face.
She immediately sat up, and with Pearl's help, she cleared her throat twice to cover up her mistake: "I... I just tripped and fell."
Qin Lie raised an eyebrow slightly, neither confirming nor denying, clearly disbelieving.
He turned and left with a cold face, while Lingyi followed behind guiltily.
She realized how absurd her situation had been; the more she lacked something, the more she wanted to compensate for it. Since she couldn't manage it at night, she dressed up during the day, still wanting to project a more dignified princess-like presence in front of her husband.
She glared angrily at Pearl, who was standing to the side—why didn't the prince consort tell her he was coming?!
Pearl felt wronged—even Granny Zhao trembled in fear before the Prince Consort, so what could she do if he gestured for her to be quiet? Didn't she see all the eunuchs cowering on the ground in terror?!
These useless lackeys!
While inwardly grumbling, Lingyi followed Qin Lie step by step, and before she knew it, they arrived at the tree.
Qin Lie suddenly raised his foot and kicked the tree trunk hard. The thick snow on the branches fell down with a rustling sound, hitting Ling Yi squarely. She lay face down in the snow, her head covered in white snow, and snow water flowed down her neck and into her clothes. She cried out in surprise from the cold.
Then look at the culprit, who had already slipped away and was laughing loudly at her disheveled appearance.
At lunchtime, compared to Lingyi's tense little face, Qin Lie was visibly in a much better mood.
Taking this opportunity, Granny Zhao said with a smile, "In a few days, the fifth day of next month will be the princess's sixteenth birthday. The princess is virtuous and does not want to trouble the people and waste money. It is enough for the family to have a simple meal together."
Granny Zhao felt that her words were perfect.
If a princess's birthday is celebrated in a grand manner, local officials should also present congratulatory gifts.
A family is having a simple meal together. What does it mean to be a family? The princess and the prince can't possibly not come.
Before Qin Lie could speak, a palace servant announced that Qin Xiaoshan had come looking for him, but had only eaten half of his meal before leaving in a hurry.
He didn't leave a single word.
This departure lasted for more than ten days. From that day on, Granny Zhao prepared for the Prince's Mansion to send congratulations on the princess's birthday. But when the day came, nothing arrived, which angered her so much that she was in a bad mood for several days. It wasn't until the princess's dowry finally arrived that she got busy again.
They checked the dowry list item by item, and nothing was missing, but many of the people in the dowry had changed.
In response, Qiu Min said that the journey was fraught with danger, many of the original dowry members died at the hands of bandits and the White Lotus Sect, and some succumbed to illness on the way due to the cold weather in the north, so they had to buy some new people locally to replace them.
Granny Zhao's gaze was sharp as she looked at Qiu Min.
Qiu Min's expression remained unchanged. "The journey has been fraught with peril, as you know, even we have faced countless difficulties. How much more so for those people, carrying so many carts. Their chances of survival are slim."
Zhao Mama was, after all, just a servant in the deep palace. Even though she felt something was unusual, she couldn't figure out the reason. But when she recalled the dangers of her journey, she was already seven or eight parts convinced.
Who would have thought that, apart from a few close attendants, the princess had had all her personal attendants replaced by the prince consort?
Qiu Min knew perfectly well that the princess had been in Jizhou for so many days, yet not only had the royal palace ignored her, but not a single local official had come to pay her respects.
This shows that the Qin family of Jizhou held absolute power, rendering imperial authority useless.
The fact that the prince consort didn't kill them wasn't necessarily because he was afraid of anyone, but simply to avoid trouble.
Qiu Min, having traveled extensively, possessed far more information than Zhao Mama, and each piece of information terrified him.
The prince consort is cunning and scheming; by allowing him to roam freely, he clearly feels secure and fearless.
They either knew he wouldn't tell the princess the truth, or even if he did, it would be useless.
When the princess entered Hebei, it was like a lamb entering a tiger's den. Fortunately, her husband still had some affection for her and hoped that she could get pregnant with his child soon, so that she might have a place to stand in the future. Otherwise, not to mention her, I'm afraid that those who followed her would not have a good ending either.
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Qin Lie was originally supposed to return in about ten days. He was going to the border area between Tongzhou and Ningzhou to handle matters related to the White Lotus Sect.
Having witnessed the madness and irrationality of those followers, he had people keep an eye on the White Lotus Sect's activities as soon as he left Tongzhou. He never expected to find traces of their activities so quickly at the border of Tongzhou and Ningzhou.
Qin Lie rushed over immediately; by then, three villages in Tongzhou had already fallen.
The magistrate of Tongchang County reported: "In the end, it's because of the continuous natural disasters in recent years. Grain prices have more than doubled compared to bumper years, making life difficult for the people. That's why they were bewitched by those charlatans and sorcerers. The White Lotus Sect claims to be saving the world and helping people, but in reality, it has a strict hierarchy. They worship the White Lotus Goddess as a holy woman, followed by the sect leader, the Grand Celestial Master, the Celestial Master, the libationer, and the priests. Each level exploits the followers, leaving the lower-level followers penniless, their families ruined, and their lives destroyed, while those in higher positions amass wealth and humiliate others at will. If there are libationers or priests who are fond of women, some followers even consider it an honor to offer their beautiful wives and daughters. I even tried to persuade the village heads and clan leaders of those followers, but the very next day, their corpses were thrown into the fields and ditches. Such fanaticism is truly shocking!"
Qin Lie gripped the hilt of his sword and said, "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. It's probably too late to offer any advice now."
The magistrate said with shame, "That is true, but when the traces of the White Lotus Sect's activities were discovered, the village was already full of its followers. As the saying goes, the law does not punish the masses, and I really had no way to proceed, which is why I reported it."
In Qin Lie's case, there was no such thing as "the law does not punish the masses".
He tied the people from the three villages together, covered them with branches and dead leaves, and invited people from all around to watch.
These followers were very principled. They sat on the ground, holding lotus mudras, chanting incantations. Even young children were held in their mothers' arms and chanted along with them.
Qin Lie first instructed the county magistrate to persuade these followers that if they could break away from the White Lotus Sect and reveal the location of the priest, they could atone for their sins, and the imperial court could show leniency and spare their lives.
As expected, this was met with a barrage of curses.
They then asked the relatives and friends among the onlookers to persuade the followers, but the followers not only did not turn back, but also advised them that only the White Lotus Goddess could save people from suffering, and that if they disrespected the White Lotus Goddess, they would be possessed by evil spirits and die a terrible death.
Qin Lie sneered, "I'd like to see who will suffer a terrible death."
He waved his hand, and immediately soldiers came forward with buckets of tar, pouring them onto the branches and the people inside. He then gave the believers ample time to pray fervently before finally ordering the fire to be set.
Many years later, the people here still remember the fire, and the desperate screams and cries of the people caught in the flames.
They rolled on the ground, but there was fire everywhere, and nothing they did helped.
Many people tried to run out of the ring of fire to seek help, but the soldiers guarding outside forced them back into the Avici Hell with their spears.
The smell of burning hair and the aroma of roasted meat made many people nauseous at the mere smell of meat for six months.
They also remembered the general's mocking words when the fire was dying down and only charred corpses in various shapes remained.
"Even the White Lotus Goddess doesn't dare to show herself, so what's the point of trusting her?"
The fire terrified the local people who were already halfway to joining the religion. Not only did they stop joining, but they also took more than ten White Lotus followers who were preaching in nearby villages to the county government within two days.
Since the White Lotus Holy Mother could "save the world from fire and water," and since fire was used last time, it is only natural that water should be used this time.
A dozen or so people were thrown upside down into the icy river. They were pulled back after a short while, but they were all frozen solid. None of them survived.
The general was disappointed, the people were terrified, and the White Lotus Sect was furious.
They couldn't believe that someone could kill so many people without batting an eye; these people were just ordinary, law-abiding citizens before.
Those "miracles" of "turning stones into gold," "retrieving objects from thin air," and "putting hands into boiling oil" were utterly unconvincing in the face of hundreds of lives. Not only did Tongzhou become virtually unassailable, but even in Ningzhou, which borders Tongzhou, the followers began to waver.
Why doesn't the White Lotus Goddess come to save the followers?
Are they not devout enough?
No! Among them were people who knew them, and they were absolutely devout.
Is it that Lady White Lotus is unwilling to save them?
No! She could be saved simply by believing in the goddess; how could she refuse?
Is it that even the White Lotus Goddess can't save them?
No! The White Lotus Goddess is omnipotent, how could she not even be able to save someone from the clutches of a corrupt official?
Why? Why? Why?!
The people, who had just found some hope for their lives after enduring so much hardship, were soon plunged into distress and confusion again.
The death of a few hundred followers is insignificant, but this confusion will shake the foundation of the White Lotus Sect.
The local chief priest was a Confucian scholar who had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and considered himself "unappreciated." He hated all officials and believed that they were nothing more than incompetent people who rose to power through family connections and powerful backers.
Upon further inquiry, they discovered the enemy was none other than the emperor's son-in-law, the prince's eldest son, and the General Who Conquers the North!
Every title made him envious, and he immediately made a decision: to assassinate Qin Lie!
Once he dies, it will be the White Lotus Goddess's divine punishment, and all the current difficulties will be resolved!
His plan was perfect, exactly what Qin Lie wanted.
Qin Lie waited three days and finally captured the assassin. He forced the mastermind to reveal that he was the magistrate of Ningde County in Ningzhou. Then, he was "enraged" and led his troops south, capturing Ningde County that very night. He only wanted to vent his anger, but he didn't expect that Ningzhou officials would "protect each other," and troops from the three surrounding counties would come to their aid. How could the eldest son of the current prince consort, the General Who Conquers the North, tolerate such humiliation? He captured these counties in two or three days.
The prefects of these counties hurriedly and respectfully invited Qin Lie to the county seat, explaining that these counties had been controlled by the White Lotus Sect, who had killed the previous court officials and replaced them with priests. Now that the trouble had been eliminated, they asked the Prince Consort General to calm down and withdraw his troops immediately.
Qin Lie still didn't believe it: "If the White Lotus Sect is really so rampant, daring to kill even court officials, why is the prefect here today?"
The prefect smiled bitterly: "I had no choice but to pretend to join the sect and act as a snake in order to save my life..."
With a "thud," the sharp blade pierced his chest, blood spilling from his mouth. He looked incredulously at the inconspicuous, thin soldier behind him, "You..." He collapsed to the ground before he could finish a single word.
The thin soldier immediately knelt on the ground, bowed his head and said, "Reporting to the general, since this person claims to be a White Lotus demon, I was afraid that he would have malicious intentions and launch a surprise attack, so I killed him first. I hope the general will forgive me!"
The dark-faced man behind him, though completely bewildered, immediately knelt down: "General, please forgive me!"
Qin Lie left without saying a word, while the dark-faced man remained kneeling on the ground until the thin soldier told him to get up.
If Qin Hong were here, he would surely recognize that the dark-faced man and the thin soldier were from the same hometown who had fought for the position of centurion that day.
Old Man Hei stood up, still shaken: "Wooden Head! How could you be so bold as to kill someone in front of a general?"
Sun Yuebin, who was called "Wooden Head," retorted, "He's going to die anyway. If I don't kill him first, how will the general notice me? You should know that the titles of centurion and deputy commander earned in the recruit camp are all empty. Mere warriors are not worth mentioning. Only those who have done things for the general can be considered the general's people."
"Huh?" Old Man Hei didn't understand.
Sun Yuebin patted him on the shoulder: "You, you're a fool with a fool's luck, just enjoy the good life with me!"
Qin Lie left Ningzhou two days later, but left behind two thousand soldiers.
He also ordered Zhang Chaomin, the magistrate of Tongchang County, to come here temporarily to assume the position of prefect, and Sun Yuebin to be in charge of military affairs.
Therefore, when he returned to Jizhou, he was reprimanded by Qin Shiyan, the Prince of Dingbei. Jizhou was almost entirely under the Qin family's control, but Ningzhou was under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. Qin Lie had killed imperial officials and amassed troops in the border counties, which the imperial court would certainly not tolerate.
Qin Lie said, "When they sent people to kill my son, did they ever consider that he was a third-rank military officer in the imperial court? Besides, my son only killed members of the White Lotus Cult, and the troop buildup was only to prevent the White Lotus Cult from infiltrating my Jizhou territory from Ningzhou again."
Qin Shiyan had also heard that wherever the White Lotus Sect went, the people revered them, and even government offices had to give them a wide berth. He couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. Moreover, Qin Lie had only left behind two thousand new recruits, so he simply said, "Let it go this time. In the future, you must think twice before acting and not be so reckless again!"
Upon returning, he went straight to the prince's study. Qin Lie had just returned to his own courtyard and taken a sip of tea when Qin Xiaoshan came to report that the court was using the excuse that the heavy snow had blocked the roads and made it inconvenient to travel, and that the soldiers' New Year's rations and pay would be delayed again.
Although he was used to it, Qin Lie still couldn't help but sneer and ordered, "The few carts of things I brought back, apart from those for my grandmother and mother, should all be exchanged for rations and pay by Shen Pengyuan and distributed to the soldiers first."
Ningzhou was barren, but those fake county magistrates and real prefects amassed quite a few valuable items. The spoils of war were transported back in eight carts, and there were fifteen boxes of silver ingots worth only fifty-one taels each.
Qin Xiaoshan was about to go on his business when he was stopped by him: "Pick out a few presentable pieces of jewelry and bring them to me."
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