Chapter 70 with Tao
As Chunhe dried Qin Song's hair, she remained worried, "Miss, what if General Tao really intends to imprison you?"
Qin Song remained calm and composed, looking in the mirror, and casually replied, "No need for anything, just accept the facts."
Chunhe was stunned, unable to figure out Qin Song's thoughts, but her tone was relaxed and not at all like she was joking, leaving Chunhe wondering where to begin her questions.
Just as Qin Song was helped to put on his outer robe, Tao Qingyang personally brought in the meal.
"Are you hungry, little sister A-Song?" Tao Qingyang brought the food to the table, carefully arranged the dishes, and then went to entice Qin Song over.
The delicate aroma of Jiangnan cuisine wafted throughout the house.
Qin Song walked to the table without any hesitation, stared at the food, and smiled amusedly: "General Tao, are you so free? You've even taken on the job of serving tea and water."
“Now that Danzhou has been recovered, there’s no rush. I will personally take care of Sister A-Song’s daily life from now on.” Tao Qingyang dismissed the servants, personally helped Qin Song to sit down, and then moved to the opposite seat, handing her chopsticks.
Qin Song took it casually and smiled leisurely: "Looking at it this way, being imprisoned doesn't seem so bad."
Tao Qingyang paused in his action of holding the spoon: "Imprisonment? How could I bear to imprison you? You can go wherever you want, but I will always stay with you."
Qin Song raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Accompany me? Aren't you going back to the capital to report for duty?"
"From now on, I will only report to you."
"Is General Tao trying to give me eternal infamy in advance?"
Tao Qingyang served Qin Song a bowl of soup, blew on it to cool it down, and then handed it to her: "No, I will be your most loyal minister."
Qin Song didn't take it. "That's great, but did you ask for my opinion before you started this rebellion for me?"
Tao Qingyang didn't retract her hand: "Don't you want to be the Empress anymore?"
"Of course I want to." This is the path her father paved for her with his life; how could she possibly give it up?
“But General Tao’s move is quite clever. Even if I become the Empress, wouldn’t you be the Regent?” Qin Song smiled but stared at him intently.
Tao Qingyang was stunned for a moment, not expecting her to think that way.
He stood up and placed the cooled soup in front of her, calmly explaining, "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, the Zhenbei Army will never disobey any of your orders, and all 300,000 troops will obey your command."
"Three hundred thousand troops at my command, are you asking me to rise up in rebellion?" Qin Song put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "But I have no intention of starting a major war."
She wanted to "follow the will of Heaven" and ascend to that position without bloodshed.
The food smelled delicious, and the small room was filled with a false sense of peace and harmony.
Neither of them spoke immediately. They both knew that no matter how the divine punishment in Yunzhou was resolved, or how the public opinion was used to cover up the turmoil, the killing of Gong Shiliang and Eunuch Gao had to be explained, otherwise it would be considered rebellion and treason.
With a massive army at her disposal, any unusual movement by Tao Qingyang would make her a target of public criticism, and she would inevitably be dragged into the mire.
The goddess-like prestige she painstakingly cultivated may very well vanish in an instant.
Tao Qingyang also put down his chopsticks and said with a smile, "That's alright, the throne has already changed hands."
"The throne has changed hands?" Qin Song asked in surprise, "What does that mean?"
"We just received news that the late emperor has suddenly passed away, and the eldest princess has successfully succeeded to the throne despite opposition."
Qin Song quickly regained his composure, even with a hint of smugness, "The eldest princess ascending the throne, truly, tsk tsk, heaven is helping me."
She rested her elbow on the table, propped her chin on her hand, leaned closer to Tao Qing, and smiled brightly, "General Tao, I accept you as my regent."
To be precise, she gladly accepted Tao Qingyang's army of over 300,000 men.
Tao Qingyang's heart suddenly raced. He was completely captivated by her smile and leaned forward, getting closer to her: "I only want to be your husband, oh no, I should be your empress."
"Empress?" Qin Song covered his mouth and chuckled. "Then you'll be in charge of my harem of three thousand women?"
A harem of three thousand?
Tao Qingyang immediately thought of the red marks on Qin Song's body, and the hateful faces of Lu Youchuan and Li Yu inexplicably appeared in his mind.
His smile vanished instantly, but he kept looking at Qin Song: "Sister Song, there are countless talented people in the Great Yu Dynasty. Many are waiting for an opportunity. If you are willing to choose them, they will not be inferior to Lu Youchuan, much less inferior to Li Yu. A new emperor brings a new court. Sister Song, don't you want to create a brand new country?"
Ha, that's obviously targeted.
Qin Song smiled slyly, "And what about you? Aren't you also a subject of the Great Yu?"
“I’m different; I’m more useful than them.”
He spoke very seriously, and Qin Song understood that he was referring to the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who held military power. However, Qin Song deliberately stared at him for a while longer.
Tao Qingyang was puzzled by her stare, but after a moment's thought, she suddenly added, "It's better in every way."
Forget it, she's already imprisoned, so I'd better not tease him.
The eldest princess has seized power, and she must act quickly to deal with it.
Qin Song looked away and didn't continue the topic. Instead, he said, "General Tao, you are reorganizing the army and going to the capital to report on your duties. I will accompany you."
The 300,000-strong army returned in triumph, their wolfish ambitions blatantly revealed.
However, Tao Qingyang didn't care at all what Qin Song's purpose was.
No matter what she plans to do, he will fight for her.
He couldn't wait to return to Beijing with her by his side.
Tao Qingyang agreed, and after finishing his meal, he happily went out.
Not long after he left, a commotion arose in the main hall, accompanied by sounds of soldiers threatening him.
"What happened?" Qin Song looked outside and asked Chunhe, who had gone to fetch the books for her.
Chunhe also glanced at it, feeling uneasy.
She put down her book and asked, "Miss, may I go to the front yard to take a look?"
Qin Song nodded, and Chunhe immediately stepped out the door.
Qin Song continued to look down at the map of Dayu Mountains and Rivers in her hand and the letter her father had left her, patiently waiting for Chunhe to report back.
Before half an incense stick's time had passed, Chunhe rushed back, "Miss, Master Shen is back, and there's also..."
Upon hearing the first part of the sentence, Qin Song was pleased for a moment. However, seeing Chunhe stammering and hesitant to continue, Qin Song frowned again. "What else?"
"Lord Lu and Young Master Lu have also arrived." Chunhe still didn't understand the ambiguous relationship between Qin Song, Lu Youchuan, and Li Yu, and dared not easily mention the two of them in front of her.
"I see."
Qin Song originally wanted to stand up and go out to greet her teacher, but after hearing what happened next, she sat back down with peace of mind and instructed Chunhe to find her paper and pen.
Chunhe obeyed and took the pen, but couldn't help asking in a low voice, "Miss, it seems like a fight is about to break out in the front yard. Aren't you going to take a look?"
"No need, Tao Qingyang can't stop them."
·
The front hall of the yamen had always been guarded by the elite Zhenbei Army. At this moment, the soldiers were in full armor and ready for battle, and the small position was tense.
"You dare to come back?" Tao Qingyang rotated his wrists and stretched his neck. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"
Lu Youchuan and Li Yu stood side by side opposite Tao Qingyang.
The two men stared straight ahead, their faces cold. They seemed to be on the same side, yet neither rejected nor accepted the other.
The three men, all of whom were handsome and tall, each possessed unique qualities, appearances, and abilities. They were outstanding individuals and the best young men of the Great Yu Dynasty. Even if they were not close friends, they had a working relationship and lived in peace.
Now, however, things have escalated to the point of physical altercations, even to the point of life and death.
There were several servants sweeping and cleaning in the yamen, but they were too frightened to approach the scene.
Lu Youchuan, who was never one to smile, frowned deeply and was seething with anger: "Tao Qingyang, go crazy if you want, but don't drag Asong into it."
"Ah Song?" Tao Qingyang sneered openly, slightly twirling the spear in his hand. "You're not worthy to call her that?! She is my fiancée."
"Fiancée?" Li Yu sneered without any attempt to hide his sarcasm. "General Tao is truly delusional. His engagement to you is nothing more than a way to use you. It's laughable that you flaunt it in front of all the civil and military officials. Does General Tao really think Songniang will let you manipulate her?"
"So what if you're being used?" Tao Qingyang wasn't angry, because he knew perfectly well that their marriage was a form of exploitation. "It's pathetic that you've even lost your usefulness."
Tao Qingyang was extremely arrogant, and Li Yu and Lu Youchuan were well aware that the military force he held was the basis for his high and mighty position.
Lu Youchuan saw right through him, saying, "General Tao is so pleased to be used. It seems that A Song's heart has never belonged to you. The person she wants to marry is always me."
Li Yu retorted, "She will absolutely not give up on me either."
The situation between the three was completely frozen. The soldiers surrounding the front hall were unsure of their expressions, while the servants cleaning in the distance were so frightened that they dared not even breathe. The invisible smoke of battle was almost suffocating them.
Three young high-ranking officials, for the sake of a woman, spoke with such shocking words and fierce accusations that they treated them as if they were family. Who would dare to listen to such words?
Their minds were filled with all sorts of love and hate, but in reality, they didn't dare to move their fingers that were holding brooms and rags, for fear of being caught in the crossfire and suffering innocently.
But their curiosity and desire to watch the spectacle made them unable to resist turning their eyes to see how the so-called legitimate fiancé would react.
The red-clad youth's once elegant and composed features turned sinister, his eyes filled with ruthlessness. He immediately pointed his gun at the two men's throats: "Hmph, shameless! What do you have to fight me with? I have plenty of time, and I can easily cut off your heads."
With a sharp blade pressed against his throat, Lu Youchuan did not flinch, even raising his hand to grab the cold tip of the gun: "You're still so impulsive! Don't you want to know what we have to offer?"
"What bargaining chips do you have?" Tao Qingyang deliberately twirled the gun handle, piercing Lu Youchuan's palm, and said with disdain, "That's right, you are a second-rank official of the Li Dynasty. Do you think your mouth can persuade the person on the dragon throne to abdicate in favor of Asong?"
He gave Lu Youchuan a disdainful look, then glanced at Li Yu with disgust: "And you, the Junior Chamberlain who assists the Crown Prince, do you think you can make my wife the new Crown Prince?"
Li Yu met his gaze with equal disgust: "The former crown prince is still alive. Song Niang needs him. I can help her deal with him."
Lu Youchuan was always taciturn and even less willing to argue with a madman: "Xue Ci's family is in my hands."
So this is their bargaining chip; it's certainly not worth a thousand troops.
However, Tao Qingyang understood that both the Crown Prince and Xue Ci were crucial to Qin Song, and he could not act impulsively.
As he was slightly taken aback, an aged voice came from outside the door:
"General Tao, you have defended the frontier and made great contributions. You should be respected by all the people. What are you doing now? You are acting like a mercenary, harming your colleagues, and imprisoning Lord Qin's orphaned daughter. These are all serious crimes. Do you want to let the Tao family and the entire Zhenbei Army bear the infamy of treason?"
Master Shen rushed over and, upon seeing the scene in the hall, became so agitated that he almost lost his footing. Li Yu quickly turned around and supported him, ensuring he was alright.
Tao Qing looked up at Master Shen, still not retracting his spear, but his gaze was very respectful. "Master Shen, you misunderstand. I have not restricted A Song's freedom, nor have I prevented Master Shen from seeing A Song, it's just—"
He paused, his gaze hardening as he swept over Lu Youchuan and Li Yu, who were flanking Master Shen. "A-Song is my fiancée. It's against the rules for her to meet with another man in private, don't you think, Mr. Shen?"
Master Shen sighed and said seriously, "Alright, General Tao, don't you know Song'er's goal? She can't belong to any of you. Now that the Eldest Princess has ascended the throne, the Great Yu is going through a turbulent time. Song'er must reunite with the Crown Prince as soon as possible. If you truly respect Song'er, then hurry up and go south with her. You must be quick."
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