Chapter 31 "Me" and the Chaos
After Yun Qian left, apart from Tao Yao occasionally visiting, Qin Song had no one to talk to. The new maid was even more timid than Yun Qian, and whatever she said always came out with a look of utter shock.
Of course, the most grueling thing was that the private tutor, Master Shen, was even stricter than her senior year homeroom teacher. Despite his advanced age, he seemed tireless, spending all day and night either eating or teaching. Qin Song lived a terrifying life of studying as soon as she opened her eyes.
She's so tired every day that she falls asleep as soon as she closes her eyes. Unless a man with eight-pack abs is lying naked in her bed, she can't muster any energy.
Winter days seem to pass exceptionally quickly; after a few days of flickering sunlight, it was the day before Qin Daoji was to depart for Yunzhou.
During the meal that day, Qin Daoji told Qin Song a piece of news that he had long foreseen.
"We won't go to the private school today. Pack your books and study materials, and we'll head to Yunzhou together tomorrow."
Qin Song paused slightly as he picked up some food, but quickly resumed his normal movements.
She had already noticed that Qin Daoji had recently made her a lot of new clothes and added a lot of daily necessities. He instructed Zhao Bo to pack them all and put them in the carriage. He had long planned to take her with him to take up his post in Yunzhou.
She asked, "Then will I still be able to attend my private school?"
Qin Daoji put down his chopsticks. “Mr. Shen has agreed to go north with us. Our studies must not be neglected.”
This surprised Qin Song for a moment. The Master was over seventy years old, and the end of the year was approaching, yet he still went north with him.
The reason why Qin Daoji opened a private school for her is actually quite simple: Qin Song's reputation has recently suffered, and the emperor has reprimanded Qin Daoji for his lax family education, which has led to Qin Song's moral depravity and vulgar behavior. Qin Daoji took the opportunity to propose reopening the private school.
To outsiders, this was simply Qin Daoji's way of finding an excuse to postpone the wedding because he was unhappy with his daughter's marriage being manipulated.
After all, which family teaches their daughters to study the Four Books and Five Classics? However, girls' education is very limited, and they can graduate in a year or two. Studying the Four Books and Five Classics is different; they can study for ten or eight years without any problem.
Qin Song vaguely sensed that her father was playing a grand game, but she figured outsiders would only laugh at him for doing useless work, and no one would believe that she, a woman, could really achieve anything.
Even if one acquires knowledge and skills, there is nowhere to apply them.
However, the more she studied, the more shrewd she became. With her departure for Yunzhou imminent, she was determined to cling to Lu Youchuan as a lifeline, leaving herself a way out.
Since she happened to be off school today, she went to the Censorate.
Since the Qin residence was unsealed, Lu Youchuan has not appeared again, and there has been no news of Li Yu either. Only Tao Qingyang, who patrols the area every day, can catch a glimpse of her under some pretext.
But before she could reach the Censorate, she was stopped: "Miss Qin, the Princess requests your presence."
He was the eldest princess's male lover, the one who forced her to take the medicine last time. Oh yes, she still owed the eldest princess a favor.
The male concubine stood in front of an expensive restaurant, turning sideways and opening his arms towards the inside.
Qin Song looked inside, but did not see his master in the noisy hall.
She looked up at the building again and saw the princess leaning against another male concubine, looking down at her through the open, latticed wooden window.
Their eyes met, and the princess smiled sweetly, indicating that she meant no harm.
Qin Song went out today with about ten guards and servants, and since it was broad daylight, she wasn't worried about what the princess could do to her. She could just ask her about the doubts in her heart.
She calmly went upstairs.
The male concubine led her into the room where the princess was. As soon as the door was opened, a fragrance wafted out. The room was decorated with bright red gauze and red vines, indicating that this was a place where the princess often stayed.
"Greetings, Princess." Qin Song entered and bowed.
"Miss Qin is going to see Imperial Censor Lu?" Elder Gong asked, standing by the window.
Was the eldest princess here for Lu Youchuan?
Then there's nothing to worry about.
She can seduce men, but she doesn't want to compete for them.
If the princess came for Lu Youchuan, she would definitely get as far away as possible and would never offend any powerful or influential person for the sake of a man.
She pondered a reason to cover it up, but the eldest princess spoke again: "Unfortunately, a dozen days ago, General Tao reported that the Prince of Lin'an was bullying men and women and killing innocent people indiscriminately, causing public resentment to boil over. Father Emperor sent Imperial Censor Lu to Lin'an overnight, and he won't be back for a while."
I see. No wonder I haven't seen you for so long.
Unable to discern the princess's intentions, Qin Song dared not respond rashly. Fortunately, the princess did not wait for her reply.
"Sit down." The eldest princess strolled back from the window, sat down at the table, and personally poured Qin Song a cup of tea.
Qin Song sat down, picked up the cup of tea and took a sip, "Thank you for saving me at the Winter Solstice Banquet, Princess."
The eldest princess also picked up her cup and drank tea, saying, "I don't need to express my gratitude verbally."
Qin Song silently put down her teacup. "The Princess is in a high position and has no shortcomings. I don't know what I have that could catch the Princess's eye."
The eldest princess smiled and said, "You have Imperial Censor Lu and General Tao in your hands, and Junior Chamberlain Li is also vying for your attention."
Qin Song was taken aback; as expected, she had come to see her because of a man.
However, her statement was inaccurate.
She hadn't tried any of the three, so they didn't count as hers.
She frankly replied, "Your Highness flatters me; they have no relation to me."
The princess stared at her intently, then suddenly covered her mouth in surprise, “General Tao said in front of all the officials that you two, a lone man and a lone woman, spent the night together. I thought you had tasted all kinds of pleasures. And Imperial Censor Lu, I used three times the dose of aphrodisiac and sent assassins to drive you out of the capital, yet you still couldn’t have any fun?”
...To be precise, I also tasted some of the flavors.
Qin Song suddenly realized that Lu Youchuan had been drugged that night, no wonder he was so alluring.
But what she's more concerned about now is: "Were the men in black at the Winter Solstice banquet sent by the Princess?"
The eldest princess raised an eyebrow and nodded, making no attempt to conceal her despicable act of sending men to hunt them down.
"However, I only sent one group of assassins to stop you from returning to your residence. As far as I know, there are two groups of people chasing you. It seems that I am not the only one eyeing this fat sheep, Imperial Censor Lu."
"Why did the eldest princess do this? And why did she tell me?"
"I told you I wanted to be your friend."
The eldest princess suddenly stood up, walked around behind Qin Song, placed her soft hands on her shoulders and back, bent down and whispered in her ear, "I have seen the memorial from Imperial Censor Lu accusing Miss Qin of harassing a court official. I think we are the same kind of people. If Miss Qin wants Imperial Censor Lu, then of course I will grant your wish."
this……
Qin Song was embarrassed; even with someone's help, she still didn't get to eat any.
"Didn't the Eldest Princess also want Imperial Censor Lu?"
"So what? I don't lack men, I only lack friends. Miss Qin, would you like to be my friend?"
This way of making friends is like a child sharing candy.
Qin Song remained noncommittal, but flattered, "To be honest, I greatly admire the Princess."
Which aspect are you referring to?
Qin Song didn't speak directly, but glanced at the two male concubines behind her.
The princess suddenly burst into laughter, beckoned to one of her male favorites, and he leaned in and, as if no one else was around, French kissed her. "Like this?"
This scene is too lewd; she wouldn't dare do this in front of others.
She coughed and said, "This humble woman has a few questions for the Princess."
The eldest princess sat back down in her original seat and gestured for her to speak.
Qin Song asked, "What does the Princess consider to be a suitable female protagonist in a storybook?"
"Storybooks?"
The eldest princess smiled faintly and said, "I don't have time to read those things, but your choice of words is very subtle. Why is the main character always represented by the word 'male'? You have to add the word 'female' to make it clear that you are not talking about the protagonist defaulted to in the book. This is enough to prove that the world in your story is based on the rules of men. In that case, what standard is there for a woman to be qualified? There are only two outcomes: to conform or to resist. Of course, the foundation of all this must be to live."
Qin Song suddenly realized, and she was stunned for a long time.
"If the eldest princess were the protagonist of this world, what would you do?"
The princess's carefree smile faded slightly, and a hint of murderous intent seemed to flash in her eyes, but it vanished in an instant, and she returned to her indifferent demeanor.
"If you're talking about the protagonist, not the 'female' protagonist, then naturally I'll wreak havoc on this world. I want to be the master, not the 'protagonist'."
When Qin Song came out of the restaurant, she was in a daze. She felt that the Eldest Princess must be the protagonist of this world, and her thoughts seemed to far exceed her mind.
Be the master, not the "master" (or "public figure").
These words kept echoing in Qin Song's mind, and even after she set off for Yunzhou, she was still pondering their deeper meaning.
The journey from the capital to Yunzhou was long, and with many civil officials' families along the way, it took more than ten days to reach Yunzhou.
The carriage had a built-in heater and soft couch, so Qin Song didn't suffer much on the journey. Moreover, she was studying like crazy, reading during the day and taking short naps at night, so the journey didn't feel long.
"Miss, we've arrived in Yunzhou." A chubby little maidservant brought in some food, lifted the curtain, and said, "Young Master asked me to bring you fish soup. Please drink it while it's hot."
The delicious aroma wafted into her nostrils, and Qin Song was indeed hungry. She took the bowl and said, "Please thank the young master for me."
Shen Xing laughed heartily, "Every time I bring something to Miss Qin, she always tells me to thank the young master, but my young master said that Miss Qin doesn't need to thank him."
Qin Song carefully finished the soup, put the empty bowl back on the plate, and wiped his hands with a handkerchief. "But I've received a favor from the young master, so I have to say something."
After a moment's thought, Shen Xing said, "Miss, you can say something else. It seems the young master doesn't like to hear this."
What could she say? She couldn't very well tell this young lady to have her young master cleaned up and wait for her to favor him, could she?
Qin Song smiled slightly, did not respond, and continued to read with her head down.
The Emperor ordered the pacification of Yunzhou, with Grand Secretary Qin Daoji in charge, and the Zhenbei Army, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (which had no heir to assist) working together.
Therefore, Tao Qingyang and Li Yu were both among them.
Tao Qingyang and his sister rode tall horses, leading a troop of Zhenbei Army soldiers at the forefront. Qin Song's carriage followed closely behind Qin Daoji in the middle, while Li Yu's carriage lagged behind the civil officials, right next to the infantry.
Except for occasional breaks to rest, the three of them had no chance to even glance at each other. Even during breaks, Qin Song was placed in a corner and guarded by servants and maids. Apart from Master Shen checking his homework and Qin's father showing concern, no outsiders were allowed to get close to him.
Fortunately, Li Yu brought two maids, Chen Xing and Jiang Yue, who frequently brought Qin Song many things. Tao Yao also spent the night with Qin Song in her carriage, so the journey was not boring.
However, the road was littered with corpses of the starving, and every now and then a refugee would rush out and kneel down begging for some food.
Qin Song's relaxed mood vanished. Whenever she saw a young woman, she would take a second look, but none of them were familiar faces.
Half a day later, they finally entered Yunzhou City.
This place is unlike any other city we've passed through. Although there is noise inside, it's not noisy; in fact, it could be described as deathly still.
Qin Song pushed open the window and was so frightened by what he saw that he was speechless.
The city was so vast and lifeless, not a soul could be seen on the streets, and the ground was littered with junk and debris. Even the buildings that stood there exuded a sense of decay.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that many of the houses actually housed people who, as if by prior arrangement, were hiding by the windows, holding their breath and watching the situation outside, as if they regarded the people as bandits who had come to rob the city.
Tao Yao slowed down her journey, riding her horse alongside Qin Song's carriage.
After exchanging a glance with Qin Song, Tao Yao slammed her hand on Ma'anshan Mountain: "Damn it! When we left, this place was prosperous, but now it's turned into this!"
"Has this place been looted? I saw in His Majesty's edict that it only said a sudden outbreak of disease and a riot by the people, but this city is empty. Where are the people who could cause a riot? Where are the city's garrison? Where are the troops stationed here?"
Qin Song searched everywhere for any sign of government troops, and then glanced at the inner city gate ahead, but still couldn't find any officials.
Tao Yao gripped the saddle tightly, gazing at the inner city gate ahead. "Danzhou has fallen, and the enemy is only a hundred li from Yunzhou. Those northern barbarians love to plunder and pillage. Yunzhou was already in danger. The Zhenbei Army lost its position because of spies colluding with the enemy, not because the Zhenbei Army was incompetent. But after we withdrew, His Majesty sent the inexperienced Chen Peizhi to guard the northern border! A complete and utterly useless piece of trash!"
Chen Peizhi?
In the past few days, Master Shen had been intentionally or unintentionally explaining the situation in the court to Qin Song, and she had also heard of Chen Peizhi.
The Great Yu Dynasty valued civil officials over military ones, resulting in a shortage of military generals and a high degree of suspicion towards them. Chen Peizhi was the son of the current emperor's maternal uncle, and was originally intended to be a civil official. However, he made repeated mistakes and was impeached multiple times by Lu Youchuan. He had no choice but to abandon his civil career and take up a military post as the deputy commander of the garrison. It is said that he won a battle and was then promoted to general.
This is his first time leading an expedition, taking over the defense of Yunzhou from the Zhenbei Army.
I never expected this scene.
When the procession arrived at the Yunzhou government office, the place was still desolate, with traces of a fire still visible. Only two listless yamen runners were sweeping up debris in the courtyard.
The two constables didn't recognize anyone else, but they knew Tao Qingyang well. They immediately dropped their brooms and rushed over with tears in their eyes, "General Tao?! It really is General Tao! We've finally been waiting for you to come back!"
The two knelt down, overjoyed and weeping, as if they had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.
Tao Qingyang did not respond, but slightly turned his body to give the main seat to Qin Daoji.
Qin Daoji's face was gloomy as he looked down at the two trembling yamen runners: "Are there only two of you in the yamen? Where is the prefect of Yunzhou? Tell him to come out and see me."
The two constables dared not raise their heads, but they knew from the imposing manner that these were no ordinary people. They lowered their heads even further and said, "Reporting, reporting to the lord, apart from the group of prisoners in the dungeon, there are only the two of us left in the entire yamen."
Another person followed up: "After the Northern Barbarians occupied Danzhou, they repeatedly invaded Yunzhou. At first, Tao... the Zhenbei Army rescued all the Danzhou people and settled them in the city, leaving three thousand soldiers to handle the aftermath. Thanks to these soldiers, Yunzhou City was kept peaceful for more than ten days. However, General Chen executed them all on the grounds of disobeying military orders. But the Northern Barbarians attacked even more frequently, and they were quite cunning. They could always find the weak points of our army, bypass the defenses time and time again, break through the city's defenses, and plunder extensively. When General Chen mobilized his troops and turned back, they seized the opportunity to withdraw their army."
The constable couldn't continue, so another person added: "And so, the people in the city were plundered and wiped out. Some were forced to flee, others were brutally murdered, and the government office was even burned down. The prefect was burned alive, and the prefect's wife and children were also massacred. The prefect accused General Chen of incompetence in leading his troops and submitted memorials many times, but never received a reply. The people in the city lived in constant fear, yet they had to continuously supply food to Chen's army, which eventually led to a riot."
Everyone present lowered their gazes, their demeanor solemn, their expressions deeply sorrowful, and not a single person uttered a sound.
Qin Daoji clenched his jaw muscles and let out a heavy sigh. "Where is Chen Peizhi now? And where is Prefect Xue Ci?"
"The northern barbarians launched another major attack last night. General Chen led his troops out of the city overnight and has not yet returned. Prefect... Prefect..."
The yamen runners stammered, exchanged glances, and then continued, "The Prefect has repeatedly submitted memorials to the Grand Secretariat, but they have all been ignored. However, General Chen's memorial was quickly approved. The Prefect suspects, suspects... that Chief Minister Qin has blocked the memorials, preventing news from Yunzhou from reaching the capital accurately. He had no choice but to secretly go to Lin'an to seek the help of the Left Censor-in-Chief, Lord Lu, who was sent to Lin'an to submit a memorial..."
The person behind him secretly glanced at Qin Daoji.
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Author's Note: Another plot chapter is coming, but it's inevitable. The female lead will make a name for herself in Yunzhou, and then the first and second "play" will take place there [heart emojis]! (The first "play" will be completed within 3 chapters) with two different male leads.
I've already been honest; I definitely won't include complicated plots in the next game!
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