No one spoke. Daili looked at the scattered wood on the floor, exchanged a glance with Qin Shaozong who was standing among the pile of wood, and then turned to walk out without a word.
When she was touring the gardens this afternoon, she saw many courtyards in the manor. If the main courtyard was uninhabitable, there were plenty of other places to stay. She would move out for now.
However, before Daili could take a few steps, or even leave the outer room, her arm was firmly grasped by a large, dark hand.
Where are you going, Madam? he asked, pulling her back.
Daili was not as strong as him and was pulled back two steps. She had to turn her head to look at Qin Shaozong, her expression wooden. You and I had a disagreement over something, had a massive argument in the room, and parted on bad terms. I went to sleep alone in a separate courtyard of the manor, and the Marquis, burning with anger, took his frustration out on the bed. The conflict lasted for a few days, and only then...
No, he interrupted coldly.
As he said this, Qin Shaozong was still holding a piece of wood with mortise and tenon joints that had not yet been assembled.
He threw the piece of wood aside with a cold face. What kind of decency is it to sleep in separate rooms right after getting married? Besides, the massive argument you mentioned is purely fabricated. The bed is broken, and that's that. Why deceive ourselves?
This culprit actually dared to say she was deceiving herself. Daili choked on a breath.
But before Daili could say anything else, he guided her outside with his arm around her, speaking without any hesitation, You and I will sleep in the separate courtyard for tonight, and we will come back tomorrow morning when the bed is fixed.
You're going to fix it? Daili's tone was full of suspicion.
Qin Shaozong fell silent for a moment. I am busy with military affairs and probably won't have the time. I'll have two carpenters come to fix it.
Daili: ...
Qin Shaozong added, Rest assured, Madam. I will issue a gag order to ensure they don't say a word. I expect mere carpenters wouldn't dare disobey.
Since he refused to cooperate and wouldn't sleep in separate rooms, Daili had no choice. As things stood, she could only make do in the separate courtyard for one night. As for Nianxia and Bipo, Daili brought them along as well.
However, whether it was because she was not used to the bed or because that ominous premonition lingered, even with Qin Shaozong's repeated reassurances that everything was fine, Daili still didn't sleep soundly that night.
A dark cloud loomed over her heart; she felt that something was bound to happen.
...
The sun set and rose, and in the blink of an eye, a day passed.
The guard duty at the Marquis's manor operated on a shift system. Whether it was the personal guards or the core military generals, everyone had to take turns. The former had more frequent shifts, while the latter's were more spaced out.
And the shift change every day took place at noon.
Mo Yanyun came on duty at noon yesterday, and upon arriving, he happened to see a carpenter being called into the manor. It was rare for such outsiders to visit the manor, so Mo Yanyun immediately asked him why he was there.
The carpenter shook his head and said he didn't know, only mentioning that he was summoned by the Marquis and that the nobleman hadn't specified the details.
After checking the man's belongings, Mo Yanyun let him through.
Coincidentally, after finishing his patrol of the area, he ran into the carpenter leaving with his toolbox on his back. Mo Yanyun did a quick calculation and realized the man had only stayed in the manor for about thirty minutes.
Something wasn't right!
So he stopped the man and questioned him again.
However, the previously very cooperative carpenter now seemed to have been struck dumb. He just shook his head, saying the Marquis had issued a gag order, and refused to say another word.
Mo Yanyun immediately grew suspicious, but then he figured the man had only been in the manor for thirty minutes and the items he brought were standard, so he probably couldn't cause any trouble.
Let him go, then.
But the next morning, Mo Yanyun ran into the carpenter again. This time, the man did not come alone; he was accompanied by a fellow carpenter.
Mo Yanyun's suspicions arose once more. Just as he was about to question them carefully, Hu Bao, who was leading them, blocked all his words with a simple, The Marquis has given orders.
Watching their retreating figures, Mo Yanyun instinctively followed. By the time he snapped back to reality, he saw from a distance that they had entered the main courtyard, while Hu Bao stood guard at the entrance, surprisingly not following them in.
Mo Yanyun turned pale with shock. He darted forward, intending to rush in, but was swiftly stopped by Hu Bao.
Hu Bao, what are you doing? Didn't you see the two of them go in? How can outsiders be allowed to casually enter an important place like the main courtyard? The Madam has so much precious jewelry. If anything is lost, who can bear the responsibility? Even if we take a step back and don't talk about jewelry, there are clothes. What if they have sticky fingers... Mo Yanyun said anxiously.
He loved to drink and visit brothels, so to some extent, he was well-acquainted with the baser instincts of men.
Mo Yanyun didn't specify what he meant by sticky fingers. But as a fellow man, how could Hu Bao not understand after the hint was dropped.
Hu Bao hesitated, his tone no longer as firm as before. But this is an order directly from the Marquis. He told me to escort the two carpenters to the main courtyard, wait outside for them to come out, and then escort them out of the manor. I am not allowed to enter the main room at any point and must only wait outside.
Mo Yanyun: Is there anyone else in the room?
Hu Bao shook his head, saying he didn't know, adding that the Marquis hadn't mentioned it. He truly hadn't gone inside, obediently stopping in front of the courtyard, so naturally, he didn't know.
Mo Yanyun had a sudden flash of inspiration. The Marquis only told you to wait in the front yard, but he didn't forbid me from entering. I'll call out from the door or take a quick peek inside. If there's a reliable overseer in the room, I'll come right out.
Hu Bao's brows knotted.
But in terms of military rank, Mo Yanyun was higher than him. So, after dropping those words, he strode inside.
Hey, Lao Mo, wait...
Just as he reached the door of the main room, Mo Yanyun heard a few clanging sounds coming from inside.
It was normal for carpenters to make noise while repairing things, so he didn't think much of it. Convinced that the Madam wasn't inside, Mo Yanyun called out casually, Is there anyone else in the room besides the carpenters?
But there was no answer.
Mo Yanyun called out again, but still, no one answered.
This was strange!
Could it be that only the carpenters were inside?
He stepped inside, unsurprisingly finding the outer room with its open doors completely empty. Upon passing through the moon gate into the inner room, Mo Yanyun saw the two carpenters, as well as Bipo standing not far from them.
Bipo was covering her ears with her hands to block out the annoying banging sounds. Her eyes were fixed on the two men nearby, dutifully acting as the overseer.
Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a tall, dark shadow. Bipo quickly turned her head, the words My Lord barely escaping her lips before getting stuck in her throat.
She looked at Mo Yanyun in astonishment, while the latter stared in shock at the bed that was smashed to pieces on the floor.
No one spoke, but Mo Yanyun, as if poked in the backside by a needle, suddenly turned and left.
He came in a hurry and left in a hurry, not leaving a single word behind.
Outside, Hu Bao saw Mo Yanyun rushing out less than a moment after going in, his expression extremely bizarre. Driven by curiosity, he asked, What happened?
As if finding an outlet to vent, Mo Yanyun first drew in a sharp breath with a hiss, then gestured with both hands. Hu Bao, can you even imagine? Such a massive bed, completely shattered into pieces! I heard the Marquis and the Madam slept in the separate courtyard last night. It seems this bed was broken on their very wedding night...
Hu Bao's expression gradually synchronized with Mo Yanyun's.
Mo Yanyun drew in another sharp breath. Everyone knows the Marquis keeps a close eye on the Madam, but I didn't expect him to be so... well, eager. As soon as he made her a woman of the Qin family, he couldn't wait to ignite that dry wood with a blazing fire.
"No, I can't hold it in anymore. I have to talk to Old Bai and the others, tighten their skins a bit, so they show a hundred and twenty percent respect from now on." Mo Yanyun turned and left.
Hu Bao's sluggish brain took a long time to slowly turn over. Remembering the solemnity when their superiors assigned the task, he suddenly shuddered. "Oh no!"
But Mo Yanyun was tall and walked fast, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
*
Dai Li and Qin Shaozong were in the study, each at a long desk piled high with documents. The former's desk held information on fertilizers, while the latter's held confidential reports from various provinces.
The matter of the fertile soil was solely Dai Li's responsibility, which included not only composting but also the subsequent distribution of the fertilizer.
Yuyang Commandery had nine counties under its jurisdiction, with a total population of over four hundred thousand. Even though Dai Li had led people to collect materials and compost without a day's rest last winter, producing several bags of fertilizer almost daily.
A single fertilizer bag weighed at least several tons, enough for dozens of acres of farmland. But spread across the nine counties of Yuyang, the fertilizer was still far from enough.
Therefore, how to allocate it was a matter that allowed for no carelessness.
However, at this moment, Dai Li's attention was not on the desk. She looked at the two people Qin Shaozong had called into the study.
One tall and one short. The taller young man wore a jade crown and a white robe. His features were handsome and refined, his gaze restrained, and he stood as straight as a pine tree.
The slightly shorter youth beside him had not yet come of age. His long hair was half-tied with a red ribbon, complementing his black and red martial attire and slightly relaxed stance. His rebellious aura was impossible to suppress.
Qin Shaozong sat behind the desk, looking at the tall and short pair. His expression was not particularly gentle; it even carried an undeniable, commanding majesty. "Your mother and I are now married, and from now on we are husband and wife. Since you two have paid your respects and changed how you address her, we are a family from now on."
His gaze swept over the two. "In the future, you are brothers, branches of the same tree, and both my sons. I will treat you equally. If you earn merit, you will be rewarded; if you make mistakes, you will be punished. There will be no exceptions."
Dai Li lowered her eyes, listening to Qin Shaozong beside her shift the topic to inquire about their studies.
He first had them speak for themselves, and then he asked questions.
Staring at the open document on the desk, Dai Li didn't take in a single word. It took a long while before she looked up again, just in time to see Qin Qinian saying with a bitter face, "Father, it's really not that I'm not working hard. It's just that those words seem to dance..."
"Bastard!" Qin Shaozong slammed the table. "You don't even know how to change your excuse. Every time it's that they're dancing. Let's see if you look like you're dancing when I whip you in a moment!"
The tiger-shaped brush rest on the desk jumped at the impact, then fell over on its side with a clatter.
Qin Qinian wilted. "Father, I'm really not lying. Those words really don't sit still."
Seeing his lack of repentance, Qin Shaozong burned with anger. "How difficult is it for a child from a poor family to seek a famous teacher? You boy, you don't know how blessed you are. Not to mention the young masters of other families in the commandery at your age, even those ten years younger wouldn't make so many typos."
Dark clouds gathered over Qin Qinian's head, and he wilted even more, like a little cabbage rotting in the field.
Seeing him merely wallow in dejection without the slightest sign of rousing himself, the veins on Qin Shaozong's forehead bulged. He was about to scold him again when he suddenly felt his arm being patted twice.
Dai Li spoke gently to the man who turned his head to look at her: "Let me ask Qinian a few questions."
Qin Shaozong said nothing, only leaning back with a cold face.
Dai Li looked at Qin Qinian. "Qinian, since when did you start feeling that words dance?"
Qin Qinian was still dejected, but since Dai Li asked, he answered honestly: "A long time ago. Probably since I first started learning to read."
"When you say 'words dance,' does it mean that in your eyes, certain word shapes are inverted or reversed? If you don't point at them with your finger, do they easily skip lines? And when you pick up a pen to write, do you always have to think for a long time before you faintly remember the full appearance of some words?" Dai Li asked.
With every sentence she spoke, the youth perked up a little more.
Finally, Qin Qinian was astonished. "Mother, how did you know this? Could it be that you, like me, feel that words dance?"
Before today, he had never told her this, and presumably, his father's subordinates wouldn't speak ill of him outside. Unless she herself was the same and could empathize, how could she understand as soon as he spoke?
He had been saying this for over ten years, and neither his father nor his teachers understood.
Qin Shaozong turned his head to look at Dai Li, surprise in his eyes.
But he knew she didn't have those issues. She read books very smoothly; when she rummaged through books in his study in the past, she could finish one in two or three days.
"This condition of Qinian's has a specific term in my homeland. It's called dyslexia," Dai Li said, looking at Qin Shaozong. "You can simply understand it as a lack of coordination in a certain area of the brain that processes auditory and visual information, which triggers this disorder."
"A problem with the brain? Doesn't that mean he's an idiot?" Qin Shaozong said.
Qin Qinian choked.
Dai Li was exasperated. "How can you speak like that as a father? This is just a disorder; it doesn't mean there's a problem with his intelligence. On the contrary, many such people are very smart and have unique talents in other fields."
Qin Shaozong raised his long eyebrows.
Qin Qinian's eyes grew brighter and brighter. If he had a big tail behind him, he would definitely be wagging it hard enough to fan up a breeze.
Dai Li gave them an analogy. "It's like a wooden barrel. At first glance, a certain plank might be shorter, but in places you don't know, the missing wood from this short plank has been added to another plank, making other areas into long planks."
Qin Shaozong remained silent, reaching out to set the tiger-shaped brush rest upright, his long fingers stroking the tiger's back.
If someone else had said these words, he would have definitely thought they were spouting nonsense, making excuses for Qin San's foolishness.
But it happened to be her who said it personally.
Qin Shaozong asked, "Madam, is there a cure for this disorder you mentioned?"
Dai Li hesitated. Since he asked for a "cure," she could only say, "It is best to intervene in this disorder from childhood. The later the intervention, the weaker the effect. For someone of Qinian's age, it will be a protracted battle, and it might not be completely cured."
Qin Shaozong frowned.
Qin Qinian wasn't too disappointed; he was used to it after all these years.
He could eat, drink, run, and jump. He was thick-skinned and much sturdier than others. And now that someone understood him and didn't think he was lying, he was too happy to care.
"However, it's not impossible to alleviate. Practice more usually. While reading by yourself, have someone slowly read the contents of the book to you. Combine the two for training, and after a period of time, add writing to the mix. A three-pronged approach," Dai Li said.
Qin Qinian's expression changed slightly. "Mother, actually, I'm doing quite well right now..."
Qin Shaozong's anger flared up again. "You miss strokes and parts when you write, what's so good about that? Do as your mother says and have the teacher try this method."
Qin Qinian dawdled and agreed.
Qin Shaozong couldn't stand his unmotivated appearance; it made his eyes hurt to look at him, so he simply waved his hand to dismiss the two juniors.
After they left, Dai Li finally said, "With a father as domineering as you, and Qinian losing his mother at such a young age, it is a miracle his personality didn't turn out crooked."
Qin Shaozong did not like hearing this. "I am domineering?"
"Are you not?" Dai Li countered. "Your word is law, and you brook no defiance once you have made a decision. Tell me, if that isn't domineering, what is?"
Qin Shaozong looked away. "That boy Qin San was mostly raised by my parents in the past, and Hongying would also come back to see him from time to time. Yunce has a gentle temperament and is very protective of his younger siblings, and I also chose a tutor for his early education early on."
Dai Li roughly understood.
Despite his biological mother's early passing, Qin Qinian did not lack love.
He had kind grandparents, a doting aunt, gentle older siblings, a tutor to accompany and guide him, and moreover, Qin Shaozong, a father who had always been watching over him from behind.
"Tomorrow I will have Mi Yifan come over, and you, Madam, can talk to him about the ways to alleviate that disorder," Qin Shaozong said.
Dai Li agreed.
After finishing their affairs in the study, it unknowingly became time to eat.
The two left the study and headed to the main hall for their meal. On the way, Dai Li ran into Mo Yanyun.
The man bowed in greeting and stepped aside, all in one smooth motion.
Dai Li did not know if it was just her imagination, but she felt his gaze was slightly different from before; there seemed to be an indescribable sense of admiration and respect.
Dai Li: "?"
"Madam?" Qin Shaozong noticed she had suddenly stopped.
Dai Li's mind raced. "It is Commandant Mo on duty today. Could he have seen those two carpenters?"
Otherwise, why would Mo Yanyun have such an attitude?
"Absolutely impossible. I already sent Hu Bao to guard the entrance of the main courtyard. Besides, why would he go to the main courtyard for no reason?" Qin Shaozong saw she was still frowning. "Didn't you leave a maid in the room? If you are still worried, just ask her when we get back."
Dai Li thought about it and agreed.
However, after lunch, Dai Li was not able to return to the main courtyard right away. She and Qin Shaozong had their plans for the rest of the day disrupted by an express dispatch.
No, it was not just them. It would be more accurate to say that the entire core leadership of the Northern Territory was severely shaken by it.
This dispatch had gold-plated jade rollers on both sides, and the middle was made of the finest silk brocade. It came from the south, or more accurately, from the capital in Chang'an, an imperial decree issued personally by the young Emperor.
First, it highly praised Qin Shaozong's achievements in guarding the border, then commended Dai Li for promoting the keel waterwheel, and congratulated the two on their recent marriage. Finally, the imperial decree summoned Dai Li and Qin Yanzhou to Chang'an to receive their titles.