Chapter 42: Tao and Li touched each other three times and hugged for a long time.
When Li Yu went outside the yamen, he saw Qin Song sitting on horseback, led by Tao Qingyang, heading towards the city gate.
There was no trace of Chenxing either before or after.
It must have been Tao Qingyang who deliberately sent Chen Xing away so that he could be alone with Song Niang!
Li Yu's hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, clenched into fists, as if he wanted nothing more than to give him a good beating.
He loosened his grip and was about to go forward when someone called out to him.
"Young Master of Ceremonies."
Li Yu stopped respectfully, turned around, bowed, and greeted, "Lord Qin."
Qin Daoji appeared behind Li Yu at some point, with two officials from the Ministry of Revenue standing beside him.
Qin Daoji must have just returned from the clinic. His face was calm as he inquired about official business: "How is the situation with the serious illness at the clinic?"
Li Yu couldn't help but glance towards the city gate before replying succinctly: "The number of patients with this serious illness is indeed increasing daily, but I believe it is not contagious. Few of the doctors and nurses attending to the patients in the clinic show signs of infection. I have been visiting the clinic for many days without any abnormalities. I have traced the behavior of most patients before the onset of the illness and have some clues, but I cannot draw any conclusions rashly. Allow me to investigate for a few more days, and I should be able to find the key."
Qin Daoji sighed and nodded thoughtfully, "This morning, Master Shen also made the same analysis. Young Master is young and promising; you've worked hard."
Li Yu felt immense joy, not because of her boss's approval, but because of her beloved's father's approval.
He respectfully cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "It is my duty as an official."
Qin Daoji remained frowning throughout. "This matter is urgent, and Junior Chamberlain will need to put in extra effort."
"Your humble servant will keep that in mind."
Qin Daoji sighed: "The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue went south to purchase medicinal herbs and has not yet returned. Today, I received a letter saying that the disease in the city has spread to the surrounding cities, and the price of medicinal herbs in various places has skyrocketed, even to the point of being extremely difficult to obtain. The national treasury is empty, and the Ministry of Revenue is struggling to allocate funds. If the source of the disease can be resolved as soon as possible, the chaos in the city can be easily resolved."
Li Yu felt the pressure mounting and nodded in agreement.
"father."
"Lord Qin."
At this moment, Qin Song and Tao Qingyang's voices rang out simultaneously.
Qin Daoji looked away, and Li Yu immediately turned back as well.
The beautiful girl with bright eyes and white teeth was about to dismount when the horse's back was too high. The person next to the horse naturally raised their right arm to help Qin Song down.
The delicate white of her hand landed on the black deerskin wristband of the young man in red. As she landed, his hand brushed against the girl's clothes and touched her soft hair!
She landed steadily on the ground, pushed his arm away, and their fingers touched!
Li Yu couldn't help but frown. This cunning rogue had even taken off his mask; he was clearly trying to seduce her!
"The esteemed officials are also here." Qin Song's voice came, and Li Yu finally snapped out of her thoughts.
He exchanged a cold glance with Tao Qingyang, whose eyes were dark and brooding, maintaining a calm facade.
After exchanging a few words of concern, Qin Daoji and his daughter strolled inside.
"It's good that General Tao is here as well. The year-end is in two days. Everyone should take a rest. I would appreciate it if you could all sit together in the back room to discuss the follow-up arrangements and make a plan as soon as possible."
Qin Daoji gave the order, and everyone responded and stopped.
Qin Song returned on horseback, smelling an unpleasant odor. She sniffed her sleeves and went back inside to wash up.
Everyone then went back to their rooms to rest.
Li Yu had already bathed and changed, so there was no need for her to go back to her room to prepare. As her beautiful figure left, Li Yu's gaze followed closely behind.
Qin Song's figure disappeared through the covered walkway, and he couldn't help but follow. But just as he turned the corner, a tall figure in red blocked his way.
"Young Master." Tao Qingyang put on his mask again, casually adjusting the wrist guards on his arm, and raised his eyes to reveal a pair of cold eyes. "If you take another step forward, I can't guarantee you'll be unharmed."
The imposing aura emanating from the soldiers loomed overhead.
Li Yu was naturally not afraid of his threats, but his actions were indeed against the rules and could not affect Qin Song.
He asked in an unfriendly tone, "Why are you here?"
Tao Qingyang smiled dismissively, "Of course it's to see my fiancée. I should be asking you that."
Li Yu's face suddenly darkened. "Hmph, fiancée? Taking advantage of someone in distress, what a despicable act. But who doesn't know that Old Master Qin opened a private school for his beloved daughter and had no intention of accepting this marriage? In the end, General Tao will have nothing to show for it."
Tao Qingyang said, "What a coincidence. I am a petty person. If you, the Junior Chamberlain, cannot control yourself, don't blame me for not showing any camaraderie."
Li Yu was not afraid of his threats, but she was filled with resentment. Why should he be her fiancé?
But then he thought about it again and felt a little sorry for Tao Qingyang, because Songniang didn't care about him at all and was just occupying the title.
For Li Yu, titles were not important at all. As long as Song Niang was still willing to accept him, he was willing to live his whole life without a title.
Thinking this way, he no longer wanted to argue with him.
However, Tao Qingyang suddenly took a few steps closer to him, deliberately provoking him: "Oh, right, apart from being her fiancé, I am also her martial arts master, so it is perfectly reasonable for me to be close to her."
Li Yu's jealousy, which had just subsided, surged again; this was the thing that bothered him the most.
They had every reason to be together, and even intimate contact was unavoidable, but he was powerless to stop it.
Of course, he was unwilling to stop this. He hoped that Qin Song could improve her riding and archery skills and have the ability to protect herself, so that she would not be in such a dangerous situation as last time. However, he hoped even more that she would never have to take any risks again.
No matter what, he still felt uneasy looking at the arrogant person in front of him.
“A teacher for a day is a father for life. General Tao is the one you should keep your distance from.” Li Yu stared at him coldly, his blatant hostility undisguised.
Tao Qingyang smiled, "That would be even more fun, wouldn't it?"
"How despicable! Don't you care at all about Songniang's reputation?"
"Songniang? How dare you call me that?"
Tao Qingyang couldn't help but recall Qin Song's reaction last night. He showed no surprise when he saw him, but quickly looked disappointed, skillfully avoiding being discovered by those outside, and that box of bedding...
However, there are people outside, and all those items are new, so he probably can't do anything about it.
But for no reason, he couldn't suppress his anger and his sarcasm intensified: "Could it be that the Gong family has made a comeback and the Duke's mansion is still being harassed by the Lei family? Yet the Junior Chamberlain has turned his back on the Gong family's daughter and even seduced someone else's fiancée. Is this the behavior of the self-proclaimed gentleman, the Junior Chamberlain?"
Li Yu: "You're wrong. The Duke's Mansion got rid of the Lei family because I volunteered to go to Yunzhou. It has nothing to do with the Gong family."
Tao Qingyang: "That was because you were heartless first. You took the initiative to break off the engagement. Where does the Gong family's daughter put her face now?"
"My lords, the tables and chairs are set out. Please come in and discuss matters."
The two were locked in a fierce argument, their anger barely contained, when a constable from the back hall rushed in and broke up their quarrel.
The atmosphere was somewhat tense. The yamen runner who had suddenly barged in was bewildered. After thinking for a moment, he said nervously, "The end of the year is in two days. Lord Qin urgently needs to discuss the New Year's matters with you gentlemen. Please do not delay."
·
After Qin Song finished bathing, Chen Xing helped her dry her hair.
Looking in the mirror, Qin Song noticed that Shen Xing seemed somewhat displeased.
"What's wrong with you?" Qin Song stared at Chen Xing in the mirror.
Shen Xing pouted, "Miss, I think you and my young master are the best match."
Qin Song found her serious expression amusing. "Then why are you pouting?"
"You rode too fast and left me behind. When I came back, I ran into General Tao and my young master talking. I was so angry." Shen Xing awkwardly wiped Qin Song's hair, looking into the eyes of the beauty in the mirror.
"It was really wrong of me to leave our Chenxing behind. I apologize."
Shen Xing pouted: "This servant is not angry about this. It's that General Tao, he's so arrogant. Just because he's engaged to you, he actually used that to threaten our young master. But isn't it obvious that Lord Qin is not satisfied with your marriage to him at all? I really feel sorry for my young master."
This girl, she kept saying these words in her ear. If Qin Song didn't know Li Yu's character, she would have suspected that Li Yu had instructed her to sow discord.
However, she wasn't entirely right. Her father was not satisfied with her marriages to anyone; she was probably just a tool in his hands for seizing power.
As for how he seized it, she remained puzzled and had not seen through her father.
Qin Song smiled at her, but didn't rush to reply.
Shen Xing, however, was outspoken and continued to defend him: "My young master is just too good-natured, and he gets bullied by General Tao all the time. Miss, you're also good-natured. Today, General Tao took advantage of riding a horse to touch you three times, and... and..."
Seeing her hesitant expression, Qin Songxiao deliberately pressed, "What else?"
"I...I hugged you for a long time."
Qin Song chuckled. They were riding the same horse, and she was sitting in front of him.
Qin Song shook his head slightly, not wanting to explain to her. After all, if they knew more about her behavior, they would be very surprised.
However, she was slightly worried that Tao Qingyang's show of power in front of Li Yu might scare Li Yu away.
Just as she was thinking this, someone came in from outside the door.
Shen Xing was still indignant on behalf of her young master when Qin Song suddenly stood up and ran towards the door. Shen Xing, who had been holding up her handkerchief, was still in mid-air and hadn't even reacted yet.
Before anyone could knock, Qin Song stepped into the outer room and opened the door first. "Ayao, you're finally back."
The door was wide open, and in the hazy moonlight of the night, the person who came in was dressed in a bright red outfit, with armor on his chest, his black hair tied up high, and his posture upright.
Upon seeing Qin Song, her bright eyes lit up with a smile, making even the slight scar on her cheek shine.
Qin Song felt sorry for her, so she took her hand and led her inside, saying, "Quick, go get the medicine."
After giving instructions to Chen Xing, Qin Song helped Tao Yao into the inner room to sit down. "Your face is injured. Does it hurt? Do you have any other injuries?"
Tao Yao took the hand that was examining her cheek. "I'm fine, A-Song. I killed three northern barbarians on my way back. This little injury is nothing to worry about."
Hearing her speak so casually only made Qin Song angrier. "Did you come back alone? Be careful. Your safety is my biggest concern."
"Don't worry, I came back with Vice General Guo. Those northern barbarians seem to have disappeared after hiding in Danzhou City, which is very unusual. We came back to the city to discuss this matter with my brother."
Tao Yao casually wiped her face. At this moment, Chen Xing returned with water, and Qin Song personally wrung out a handkerchief and handed it to Tao Yao to wipe her face. "Those wretched northern barbarians, when will they ever stop!"
Tao Yao took the handkerchief and wiped her face while saying angrily, "If he doesn't shut up, I'll beat him until he does. By the way, Asong, where did you go the other day? I came looking for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere."
Uh… she should be asking about the night she and Lu Youchuan went to the post station. How should I put it? Qin Song casually replied, “I had something to do and went to the clinic. Did you come to see me because of something urgent?”
Tao Yao didn't press further, and said, "It's nothing. My brother's abdominal wound worsened at that time, and I was very anxious. I wanted to say goodbye to you and warn you not to risk going to steal food like last time. It's too dangerous!"
So that's how it is. Qin Song felt relieved.
After Tao Yao's facial wounds were treated, she pulled Qin Song again, "Ah Song, my brother and I are staying at Yuefu Inn tonight. Come with me. The soldiers in the army hunted a deer and are planning to have a drink together. The end of the year is approaching, and I can't come back to celebrate with you. Come with me tonight, and we'll celebrate early."
...Yuefu Inn? Isn't that the one Li Yu and she went to?
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Author's Note: Who will get the meat in the next chapter? [Eating popcorn]
——
I discovered a huge bug today: the official titles in Yunzhou and the capital are not in the same system. Xue Ci's official title should be Prefect. However, I dare not change many of the earlier chapters, for fear of being banned, so let's just leave it at that and have everyone have some fun. [pat on the head]
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