Chapter 139

"What was that sound? Nianxia, did you just hear a loud crash?" Bipo turned her head to look at Nianxia.

She didn't need an answer; just by looking at Nianxia's expression, Bipo knew that the sound wasn't her imagination.

On a wedding night, a sudden loud crash coming from the bedchamber was highly unusual no matter how you thought about it.

Could something have happened?

"I should go ask." Nianxia felt uneasy. She took small steps forward until she reached the front of the main chamber. "My Lord, Madam, do you require your servant's assistance?"

"Step back," a hoarse male voice commanded from inside the room.

Nianxia lowered her head and was just about to retreat when she suddenly heard another loud bang from inside.

The sound was exceptionally loud, like some heavy wooden frame smashing onto the floor. It could be heard clearly even through the doors, making Nianxia shudder in fright.

Bipo tugged at Nianxia, signaling her to leave first.

Once they had walked a distance away, Bipo finally said, "The Lord has spoken. No matter what, we must not disturb them tonight."

Nianxia's face was full of worry. "But two such loud noises in a row sound terribly frightening. Could the Lord and Madam... have gotten into a fight?"

"Impossible!" Bipo immediately denied it. "We have followed Madam for nearly a year, and we have both seen everything that has happened during this time. If Madam wanted the stars in the sky, the Lord would probably pluck them down for her. They finally married and became husband and wife, and tonight is their wedding night. The Lord is too overjoyed to even think about fighting her!"

The worry on Nianxia's face turned into confusion. "Then what was that just now? It can't be that the Lord and Madam got so carried away that they knocked over the ornaments in the room."

Bipo blinked. "That's not impossible."

Nianxia coughed lightly. "We might find out the details when the Lord calls for water."

The two girls gradually blushed as they looked at each other.

Inside the main courtyard's bedchamber.

As Dai Li was pinned by the waist and lying on the bed, she still couldn't help but turn her head to stare at the carved wooden bed rail on the floor.

That pitiful carved bed rail had first been yanked down, then deemed a nuisance by its master, and finally took a kick, being unhesitatingly booted to the floor.

"It's over, it's over..." Dai Li's mind was buzzing.

Her chin was caught by long, rough fingers and turned back around. This time, it was Qin Shaozong's turn to look down at her from above. From his angle, he could see the white waves parting, slowly revealing the tiger-shaped jade carving originally hidden deep within the peaks.

The belt had been removed, and the two lapels of her inner garment were opened wider. The edge of the clothes, embroidered with auspicious clouds, pressed perfectly against her vivid beauty, half-hidden and half-exposed.

The man stared unblinkingly, the fiery lust in his eyes almost overflowing, but his tone was quite serious. "Inspector Dai despises the court's rules, abuses illegal punishments, and acts recklessly as an envoy. According to our dynasty's new laws, those who trample on propriety and law shall receive five hundred lashes."

Dai Li's heart and eyes were entirely focused on the broken bed rail; she had no mind to listen to his nonsense. She immediately kicked her legs. "Qin Changgeng, get up first."

But he swiftly raised his right hand, firmly gripping that fair, long leg, and said to himself, "The guilty official, Dai, shows no repentance. She shall first be punished with one strike."

A strike originally meant beating with a wooden board. But as Qin Shaozong's words fell, he simply raised his hand and gave a light smack.

White waves fluttered, and the half-covered inner garment slipped down completely, unable to conceal the trembling crimson, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

Dai Li, eyes wide open: "..."

"Confess truthfully at once, who taught you to abuse illegal punishments?" he scolded.

Seeing her just looking at him, Qin Shaozong raised his hand and picked out the tiger jade carving tied with a black string, a wicked smile on his face. "A nobody like me loves to take away what others love most. Since you cherish this gift from your husband so much, I insist on snatching it away."

Dai Li: "..."

With that said, he reached out with three fingers to grab, but he didn't grab the tiger-shaped mutton-fat jade; instead, he took hold of something else.

Dai Li had known he wanted to act wickedly and intended to guard against him. She hurriedly raised her hand to cover herself, but she was a step too late, only managing to cover the back of his hand.

The curve of Qin Shaozong's lips deepened. His palms were full of thick calluses, and at this moment, he rubbed and squeezed with the pads of his fingers, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Inspector Dai, still won't confess?"

Dai Li's entire body trembled uncontrollably. She let out a soft moan, her cheeks flushing red, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering with tears, as if the moisture would fall with just a blink.

Her hand suddenly tightened in response, her fingernails scratching a few red marks on the back of his dark hand.

Qin Shaozong feigned dissatisfaction. "I still can't get it out. Inspector Dai truly keeps her treasures tightly hidden. Very well, I shall just find another path."

He lowered his head.

Dai Li opened her mouth and gasped. Her thoughts were forced to drift away from the damaged bed rail and focus entirely on the present. "You unruly nobody indeed harbor treacherous intentions. I will definitely bring you to justice today."

His voice was muffled, as if he was eating something. "How dare you, Inspector Dai, turn the tables on me. Hiss, so you are a snake spirit in disguise, otherwise how could you entangle a person so tightly..."

The bright moon in the sky was covered by dark clouds, only to be slowly blown open by a belated wind. Nianxia and Bipo waited outside for an unknown amount of time before they finally heard the call for water from inside.

Both sides of the main chamber were connected to side rooms. Usually, one was used for bathing, and the other was for servants to rest so they could come to serve at any time.

But Dai Li didn't like having no private space, so at her request, Nianxia and Bipo lived in the side chambers further away, and they would be called from outside if needed.

However, that was before. Tonight was the grand wedding, naturally incomparable to ordinary times, so Nianxia and Bipo were on standby at all times.

When they heard the call for water, they hurried inside to prepare.

Two buckets of boiling water had already been prepared in the side room earlier. After being boiled, no cold water was added; they were simply covered with wooden lids.

Although quite some time had passed, given the large volume of water and the good insulation measures, the water was still very hot and difficult to use without adding cold water.

The two girls efficiently mixed in cold water to make it warm. Just as they were about to enter the inner chamber to do a simple tidying up as usual, they heard the male master say in a deep voice, "There is no need to enter the inner chamber."

Nianxia subconsciously looked toward the voice and saw the burly man standing at the connection between the inner and outer chambers, almost blocking most of the archway with his robust body.

At this moment, he merely draped a long robe over himself. The belt was tied very casually and loosely, revealing a large expanse of his firm chest. On his dark skin, there were a few faint scratch marks.

Even though his attire was informal, the majesty accumulated over the years was not diminished in the slightest. He possessed a powerful aura that high-spirited, impetuous young men could never match.

Nianxia didn't dare to look further and hurriedly lowered her head to comply.

Lying on the bed, Dai Li listened to Bipo and Nianxia enter and then leave. Panting softly, her attention drifted back to the broken carved bed rail on the floor.

Bipo and Nianxia hadn't entered the inner chamber this time, but what about next time? They couldn't be kept out forever, could they?

Beds of this era were mostly assembled using mortise and tenon joints. Now that the carved wooden rail of the bed edge was broken, repairing it would require completely dismantling the entire bed to replace that specific part.

Completely dismantling it meant the process would inevitably involve a lot of clinking and clanking. The noise would not be small, and as word spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred, wouldn't the whole estate know about it very soon?

Dai Li shuddered, her face burning fiercely.

Qin Shaozong returned at some unknown point. He reached out and scooped up the soft and limp Dai Li from the couch, carrying her to the side room. Seeing her distracted and flushed, he took the initiative to interpret it with a hundred percent subjectivity, "Is my wife still unsatisfied? Just in time, so am I. Why don't we have another round where we each lead an army and engage in a naval battle on the Huai River to see who is the victor?"

Dai Li: "... You've had enough."

But clearly, Qin Shaozong had not had enough. After the door to a new world was opened, he was extremely excited and successively gave Dai Li several different identities.

From a postal inspector to a commander, and then from a ruthless female spy to an innocent and romantic princess, he changed them one by one.

By the time Dai Li finally reverted to being herself, she let out a sigh of satisfaction and exhaustion, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

...

As the saying goes, "the spring chill can freeze the young," and the early spring mornings were indeed very cold. But the cold had its benefits, such as being perfect for sleeping.

Both of Qin Shaozong's parents had passed away, leaving no elders in the family. Therefore, Dai Li didn't have to get up early on the second day of her marriage to pay respects to her parents-in-law with her husband, like ordinary new brides.

With no one to rush her, she slept until she naturally woke up, completely free of any psychological burden.

Except...

Dai Li sat on the couch hugging the quilt, her scalp tingling as she looked at the carved wooden bed rail still lying on the floor.

And the other culprit was nowhere to be seen!

"Madam, are you awake?" Nianxia's voice came from outside. But strangely, the other party didn't immediately come in.

"Nianxia, you and Bipo stay outside for now. Don't come in," Dai Li had to speak up.

She hadn't used servants for the past thirty-plus years. She had done everything personally that machines couldn't replace, so she wasn't out of practice when cleaning up now. She first put on her clothes and combed her hair, then put the dirty quilt and pillows into the wooden basket.

Once everything was neatly arranged, Dai Li finally looked directly at the carved bed edge that she had intentionally or unintentionally ignored just now.

This thing certainly couldn't be left here indefinitely.

Just as she tried to pick it up, Dai Li heard footsteps.

Steady and unhurried, as if he had a well-thought-out plan for everything.

Dai Li knew without looking that it was Qin Shaozong returning. And indeed, she didn't turn around, focusing entirely on picking up the carved sandalwood rail from the floor.

Sandalwood has a tight and hard texture, with a higher density than ordinary wood. Even though it had a hollowed-out design, such a large piece was still quite heavy.

A strong arm reached over from behind and easily took the carved wooden rail from Dai Li's hand. "Throw this away for now. I'll have someone come and fix the bed this afternoon."

It was a rather short sentence, but it trampled all over several of Dai Li's landmines.

"What do you mean throw it away? It cannot be thrown away." Dai Li firmly grasped the other end of the carved wooden rail to prevent him from taking it out.

Qin Shaozong raised an eyebrow. "Madam, the bed rail is broken and useless to keep. Why shouldn't we throw it away?"

The tips of Dai Li's ears kept turning red. "Throwing away a bed frame on the second day of our marriage? What would others think if they saw it?"

The Marquis's mansion had just been renovated, so this bed couldn't possibly have been faulty before. If it broke, it could only have broken on their wedding night.

She and Qin Shaozong were no longer young kids. Their children had come of age, married, or were running around everywhere.

To break the bed on the night these parents got married, just thinking about word getting out was embarrassing.

"Who cares what they think?" Qin Shaozong didn't mind at all. Seeing the red from the tips of Dai Li's ears spread to her face, he couldn't help but chuckle softly. "It is a good thing that the lord and the lady have a good relationship. Why hide it?"

He meant that he had absolutely no intention of hiding it.

Dai Li didn't have his thick skin. By now, her face was completely red, but this man was simply wicked, adding one last remark, "Inspector Dai, am I wrong?"

A rush of heat shot straight to the top of Dai Li's head, steaming her lotus-like jade face bright red. She endured and endured, but finally couldn't hold back and nudged him with her elbow. "I don't care. In short, outsiders cannot know about this. Qin Changgeng, put this carved bed edge back."

Qin Shaozong was puzzled. "Put it back? Madam, this item is broken. Putting it back is of no use."

"Just take a few ropes and tie it up to make do for now. We don't need to replace it with a new one yet." This was the most appropriate solution Dai Li could come up with.

If it's broken, let it be. Just leave it for a few months and figure out a way after the storm has passed.

Dai Li felt her method was very sound, but unexpectedly, he flatly denied it, "We cannot do that."

Firm, unquestionable, and at the same time, resonant.

Dai Li frowned. Just as she was about to ask why, she heard him continue, "Keeping a broken bed is unlucky and will affect our future marital relationship."

Dai Li was truly amused by his reasoning. "Keeping a broken bed is unlucky, but you breaking the bed last night was lucky? What kind of logic is that?"

He had a well-founded argument. "Last night was out of uncontrollable passion. Now that we've found something wrong and have the chance to correct it, why shouldn't we?"

Dai Li: "..."

She put on a stern face and called him by his surname and courtesy name again. "Qin Changgeng, you might not want face, but I do. I don't care; anyway, others cannot know about this, and you cannot let anyone come to fix it."

When she was expressionless, that sense of distance, like an unreachable peony on a high terrace, immediately emerged. It had absolutely no connection to her myriad of charms when she was teasing him last night.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment, as if the cold spring breeze had blown into the inner room.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Qin Shaozong clicked his tongue softly. "Fine, we won't let others know. Madam, your skin is really thinner than paper; you're afraid of it being pierced by the slightest rustle of leaves in the wind. Besides, their discussions would only be out of envy for us. What is there to worry about?"

Seeing him agree, Dai Li treated his latter words as wind past her ears. "Then put it back."

"Why put it back when it's broken? We'll replace it." Qin Shaozong took the section of the carved bed edge, grasping one end with one hand. The veins on his arm suddenly bulged, and with a loud snap, the carved sandalwood was forcibly broken in half by his brute strength.

"Hey, wait..."

Snapping it once wasn't enough for Qin Shaozong. A few more snaps followed, and the carved wooden rail that had quite an artistic conception just moments ago was now a pile of scrap wood.

"This can be taken out now, right?" He looked up at her, teasing in his eyes.

Dai Li: "..."

Dai Li kept a wooden face. "Who told you to break it? Nianxia and the others will notice if a piece is missing."

"If a piece is missing, I'll just install one back." Seeing her open her mouth to speak, Qin Shaozong added, "If we don't let others install it, I'll fix it myself. Will that do?"

Dai Li looked at him suspiciously.

Every profession has its specialty. She believed he had the talent of a military commander and could lead thousands of troops, but as a carpenter...

He had never done that before, right!

Dai Li was deeply suspicious and felt an unspeakable sense of unease.

Qin Shaozong: "I already found a carpenter this morning. I originally planned to have him repair the bed after you woke up. Since Madam does not want others to know, I have no choice but to have the carpenter teach me a few tricks and then order him to keep his mouth shut."

Dai Li pursed her lips and soon revealed a smile. "My husband is mighty! As long as you step up, this trivial matter of fixing a bed will surely be easily accomplished."

Regardless of whether he could do it or not, she would praise him first to give him the motivation to work, preferably fixing the bed before tonight.

Qin Shaozong went to find the carpenter in high spirits.

After lunch, Dai Li took Nianxia and Bipo for a stroll around the Marquis's estate, giving Qin Shaozong space to fix the bed.

The Marquis's estate covered a vast area. Dai Li had only just married yesterday; before that, she had only visited once during the capping ceremony. However, she had taken a carriage directly to the ancestral hall back then and never had the chance to look around properly.

The estate possessed both the majestic grandeur of winding corridors and soaring eaves, as well as the gentle elegance of winding paths, small bridges, and flowing water.

It was now early spring. In the back garden, clusters of flowers were budding among the scattered rocks, as beautiful as a richly colored painting.

Dai Li spent the entire afternoon outside, thoroughly enjoying the sights. It wasn't until the sun began to set in the west that she reluctantly led her servants back.

However, they did not return to the main courtyard, but went to the main hall instead.

It was time for dinner. Normally, she and Qin Shaozong would dine with the younger generation. Only after the meal would they return to their respective courtyards.

When Dai Li arrived at the main hall, all the juniors, including Shi Rongyue, were present. The seat she usually occupied was still empty, and Qin Shaozong was nowhere to be seen.

Just as Dai Li took her seat, footsteps echoed from the side corridor. She turned her head, but the newcomer was not Qin Shaozong.

A guard bowed to Dai Li with cupped hands. Madam, the Marquis asked me to pass on a message. He says you and the young masters and misses should go ahead and eat dinner without waiting for him.

Dai Li's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained a normal expression, nodding and saying she understood.

Was an entire afternoon not enough for Qin Changgeng to fix the bed? Please, please let nothing have gone wrong...

Dai Li was absent-minded, barely hearing what the juniors said to her. After rushing through her meal, she set down her bowl and chopsticks and hurried back to the main courtyard.

However, upon reaching the entrance to the courtyard, Dai Li told Nianxia and Bipo, You two wait here for now, no need to come in, before walking in alone.

The lamps in the main room were lit, illuminating everything clearly in the darkening twilight.

Because of this, Dai Li could see that the spot where the bed used to be was now replaced by a floor covered in sandalwood. There were many wooden planks; some were fitted together with mortise and tenon joints, while others were not.

And amidst this scattered pile of wood that looked nothing like a bed, the tall, broad-shouldered man stood with a dark, displeased expression on his face.

Dai Li's vision went black.

It was over. Indeed, there was a specialization for every profession; she never should have trusted Qin Changgeng. This man had dismantled the bed, but looking at it now, he couldn't put it back together at all!

Dai Li could almost hear people whispering behind her back:

Hey, hey, did you hear about the Marquis of Wu'an's wedding? Oh, you haven't? Then you are really out of the loop! Let me tell you, I heard that the Marquis of Wu'an and his new bride were so incredibly passionate on their wedding night that they actually shattered the entire bed!