"Brother Zhongle, a little white dog!"
Shi Rongyue looked at the puppy in Qin Yanzhou's hands, her eyes shining as brightly as the golden sun in the sky.
Qin Yanzhou set the little furball down and gently rubbed its head until it whimpered softly. "Just now at the market, there was an old man selling puppies. I remembered what I promised you before, so I picked one out. See if you like it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a crisp "I like it!" rang out from opposite him. The young man smiled imperceptibly and patted the puppy's round bottom, signaling the little white dog to walk forward.
The little furball seemed to understand human nature. It really did step forward on its short little legs, wagging its tail like a propeller as it trotted eagerly toward Shi Rongyue.
It was about two months old, with a round head and round body. Its eyes were dark and bright, and its fur was as white as snow, save for the very tip of its tail, which was stained with a touch of ink-black.
Because he gave it to her, Shi Rongyue already liked it. Now, having her fingers licked by the little puppy that ran over to her, her affection for it grew so intense it nearly overflowed.
"It's so adorable. It will definitely be the most excellent dog in the future." Shi Rongyue picked up the furball and rubbed her cheek against its head. "Brother Zhongle, I'm not good at coming up with names, and since you brought it back, why don't you go ahead and name it?"
Two pairs of eyes looked at him simultaneously. One pair was as black as an inkstone, while the other was as bright as amber. Both were round and possessed a similar, pure innocence.
Qin Yanzhou frowned in deep thought. Shi Rongyue couldn't help but hold her breath slightly, a stray lock of hair standing up on her head as she waited in anticipation.
After a long while, the young man said, "It's white, so how about we call it Xiaobai?"
Shi Rongyue: "..."
Seeing her remain silent, Qin Yanzhou guessed she might not like the name. Looking at the puppy's still-wagging tail, he corrected himself, "Its tail is black, so Little Black Tail would be fitting too."
Shi Rongyue: "..."
Choosing the lesser of two evils, Shi Rongyue struggled for a moment. "Actually, Xiaobai is quite good. Let's just call it Xiaobai."
Qin Yanzhou nodded. "Yes, Xiaobai is indeed quite good."
After watching the puppy for a little while longer, Qin Yanzhou, who still had studies to attend to, left Shi Rongyue's courtyard.
As soon as he was gone, Shi Rongyue immediately covered the furball's ears and gave them a rub. "Be a good baby, don't listen to what Brother Zhongle just said."
After saying this, she paused, released one hand, and only covered one of the dog's ears. "Well, you should still listen to half of it. When he calls you Xiaobai in the future, you have to respond to him."
"Woof." The puppy wagged its tail.
"Hmm, what should Xiaobai's real name be?" Shi Rongyue held the puppy in her arms, squeezing its chubby little paws as she fell into deep thought.
About half a quarter of an hour later, the young girl suddenly lifted the furball high in the air. "I've got it, we'll call you Boqi! Legend has it that Boqi can devour the ghosts and monsters that cause nightmares. By giving you to me, he has gifted me sweet dreams from now on."
"Woof, woof."
*
After returning from the market, Dai Li went straight back to her room, dug out a map, and spread it open.
The Sizhou army had been attacked from both the front and the rear by the Qing-Bei allied forces and was almost entirely wiped out. The ambushing troops from Xuzhou had also been outflanked by the Northern army, who had received the intelligence; Li Lishen died in battle, half the routed army fled, and with the Xuzhou army's granaries burned, the remaining Xuzhou survivors became fish on a chopping block.
Dai Li stared at Chang'an on the map, her gaze heavy.
Given Qin Changgeng's combat prowess, this city definitely wouldn't be able to hold out for long. And once Chang'an was occupied, Yongzhou, including Chang'an, would naturally all fall to the North.
It could be said that now, apart from the southern provinces of Jingzhou and Yizhou... oh, and Qingzhou, the map of the world had basically been pieced together by Qin Changgeng.
However, the young Emperor of Great Yan was still alive. If Qin Changgeng wanted to be legitimate, he absolutely could not do something like the Sima family did, killing the emperor in the streets. Otherwise, for Liu of Jingzhou, who also held heavy military power, it would be like someone handing him a pillow just as he was dozing off—giving him a perfectly justifiable reason to launch a campaign.
Dai Li was glad she had "woken up" early, because although Qin Shaozong seemed only one step away from that position, this step would not be an easy one to take.
She still had time and room to maneuver.
The woman's fingertips tapped rhythmically against the desk as her thoughts peeled back layer by layer, pondering the future.
"What is my wife thinking about?" Someone suddenly spoke from beside her.
Dai Li was so startled she jolted entirely, her hairs standing on end. If she had a large, fluffy tail behind her, it would definitely have puffed up as if she had been electrocuted.
"Did I scare you?" Qin Shaozong hadn't expected her to have such a big reaction. He asked with a smile, "What bad ideas is my wife scheming up now?"
He was only teasing and had said it completely casually, but it made Dai Li's heart pound with fear.
Admitting it was absolutely out of the question, so Dai Li quickly turned the tables. "What nonsense are you saying? I was purely scared by you. How come you didn't make a sound when you came in?"
"It is clearly because my wife was too absorbed in looking at the map, yet it becomes my fault." Qin Shaozong patted her back as if smoothing down her fur. "Have you grown tired of staying in Wugang and are anxious to enter the capital?"
"A small county has its own local customs and charm. This place is quite nice, I am in no rush." In truth, she was wishing she could stay in Wugang a bit longer, hoping Qin Changgeng's pace would slow down.
However, Dai Li's calculations fell through, because she heard the man beside her say, "In a month at most, you will accompany me to the capital."
A crash of thunder echoed in Dai Li's heart. "So fast? You can wipe out the Yuzhou army in just a month? Right, I heard earlier that Liu of Jingzhou was also heading to the capital. Now that you and Chancellor Dong are fighting fiercely, why hasn't he appeared?"
Qin Shaozong looked at the map, a cold, dark gleam in his narrow eyes. "That fellow Liu Zhan is quite cunning. He was the second to declare he was marching on the capital, yet he was also the one dragging his feet. Previously, he sat on the mountain to watch the tigers fight, hoping to pick up a ready-made victory, but after finding it difficult to intervene, he simply retreated back to Yizhou."
Dai Li looked thoughtful.
The terrain around Guanzhong was protected by the Qinling Mountains, circling it like a dragon, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. If the troop movement was improper, it would be very easy to get blocked in the gorges. Stuck in a dilemma with no way forward or back, there was indeed a chance of the entire army being annihilated.
"Once Chang'an is pacified, you should still have quite a few things to wrap up, right?" Dai Li probed. "For example, appeasing the young emperor and the courtiers..."
She mentioned appeasing the young emperor.
Qin Shaozong shifted his gaze back to her and chuckled softly. "Haste makes waste; focusing on small gains ruins great endeavors. Some things still need to be planned out slowly and steadily."
Dai Li was not surprised.
As expected, he had never thought of killing the young emperor.
Dai Li added, "Qin Changgeng, this year is the first year we are using fertilizer to assist with farming. I want to spend this golden autumn in Yuyang."
Qin Shaozong looked at Dai Li without speaking.
Dai Li knew that his failure to agree immediately meant he was unwilling, so she continued, "After you march into Chang'an, the situation in the imperial court will inevitably undergo major changes. The prominent families of Chang'an have, after all, been entrenched in that treasured land for over a hundred years and have deep roots. Even if you have an army in your hands, since you want to proceed slowly to preserve your reputation, you can't just take drastic, sweeping actions. Back and forth, it will take a few months at the very least. I cannot wait that long."
Qin Shaozong's gaze was heavy.
He knew she was right. To properly sort out the territory of Chang'an using a mix of tough and gentle measures, it simply couldn't be done without spending time and energy.
"It is still early until autumn. We will discuss this matter later," Qin Shaozong said in a deep voice.
Dai Li had finally brought it up, so naturally she wanted to strike while the iron was hot. Unwilling to "discuss it later," she immediately said, "It's not early. It's already July, summer is half over, and it will take another month for you to finish things here. That means by the time the war ends and the dust settles, it will be August. From Chang'an back to Yuyang, even riding fast, it will take about a month."
Qin Shaozong replied, "Then we'll discuss it after the dust settles."
In other words, not now. He wasn't going to talk about it now.
Dai Li was slightly choked by his response.
At this time, the sun was setting in the west, and a large swath of brilliant afterglow slanted into the room, making his forehead look even fuller and his features deeper. However, when his usually sharp and authoritative brown eyes looked at her, they were still as fiery as ever.
For a moment, Dai Li wanted to ask him why he allowed the strategists to take sides. What did he think Zhouzhou was? Had he really considered Zhouzhou's future?
A barrage of words rushed to her throat, but Dai Li couldn't utter a single one.
She and Qin Shaozong were a blended family, and the affairs and children of ordinary reorganized families were very sensitive, let alone the fact that Qin Changgeng was only one step away from supreme power over the world.
In order to inherit that position, there were many throughout history who killed their brothers. Even brothers born of the same mother could only helplessly sigh, "We are born of the same root, why are we in such a hurry to fry each other?"; not to mention those without blood ties...
She knew Qin Shaozong liked her, but Dai Li wasn't sure how much this "like" amounted to. Because to this day, her fundamental interests had never seemed to clash with his.
What if there was a conflict? Would he still be the same? If the final outcome went against her wishes, could she and Zhouzhou still retreat unscathed?
Dai Li had no answers.
She was also afraid to pierce that layer of paper and personally uncover that answer.
"Madam?"
The hair by her ear was tucked behind it, and the man's thickly callused fingers brushed against her fair earlobe.
It tickled a little, and Dai Li snapped back to reality. Knowing this man's sharp gaze, she figured he might have noticed her abnormality just now, so she could only say, "Alright, let's not talk about it for now."
*
Inside Chang'an City.
"...You bastard, you managed to turn such a great situation into a precarious one! As long as the manifesto has been issued, you've suffered that many defeats. I ask you, what face do you have to continue being the General of the Chariots and Cavalry? In my opinion, even pulling a half-crippled soldier from the army would be more useful than you." Dong Zhou pointed at Qiu Tong's nose, scolding him thoroughly.
Qiu Tong lowered his head, the veins on his neck bulging and then subsiding. "In the victory or defeat of an army, strategy is key; many calculations lead to victory, few calculations lead to defeat. Your subordinate acted according to Libationer Zheng's method, and after that surnamed Zheng's high-sounding talk, several provincial governors praised him greatly. But who could have foreseen that this person was only good on paper, an embroidered pillow, and his ability to deceive people was top-notch."
In fact, it wasn't just a few provincial governors. At that time, Dong Zhou himself had praised Zheng Yizhi highly. Now Qiu Tong only mentioned Li Lishen and others, saying nothing about Dong Zhou, effectively removing him from the situation.
Dong Zhou paused slightly, his anger shifting. "Where is Zheng Yizhi? Tell him to roll over here and see me."
After a long while, Zheng Yizhi, whose hands and feet were soft, was brought in by the guards. As soon as the guards on both sides let go, he seemed to know what awaited him and directly went soft on the ground, "Chancellor Dong, spare my life..."
Dong Zhou caught the man and scolded him fiercely again, finally saying coldly, "Libationer Zheng is a mediocre talent who ruined the country and delayed military opportunities, allowing treacherous villains to run rampant. Men, drag him out and behead him as a public warning!"
Zheng Yizhi felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. Seeing the soldiers coming to drag him away, he hurriedly said, "Chancellor Dong, there is someone else who delayed military opportunities! Those strategies I had earlier were all heard from a friend. It was him, he caused our imperial army's great defeat and caused Governor Li of Xuzhou to die in battle."
Dong Zhou laughed in extreme anger. "Absurd, do you think you can escape death by randomly making up a nonexistent person?"
"Your servant wouldn't dare." Zheng Yizhi prostrated himself on the ground. "It's just that he is as deeply sinful as your servant, and on this road to the Yellow Springs, the two of us should naturally go together to apologize to Governor Li of Xuzhou."
He spoke with utmost sincerity and even blurted out an address in one breath, insisting that the person lived there, begging Dong Zhou to send troops to capture him.
Seeing him speak so firmly, Dong Zhou sent someone to take a trip as he wished. However, when the guards returned, they claimed the house was empty.
"No one? Impossible!" Zheng Yizhi reacted strongly, murmuring, "He once said he came to the capital to seek refuge with relatives and would settle here in the future. How could..."
The soldier coldly interrupted, "Your subordinate asked the neighbors, and they all said that family moved away about ten days ago."
Zheng Yizhi's pupils contracted.
Ten days ago, that was the day Governor Li of Xuzhou suffered his new defeat.
Dong Zhou couldn't be bothered to say more to him and waved his hand. "Take him down and behead him."
*
Qin Shaozong's prediction was very accurate. He said that Dai Li would be able to accompany him into the capital in at most a month. This was not wrong at all. When the month was almost up, the Yuzhou army suffered a crushing defeat at Hengshui Ford, and the rebel Jiang's head was severed.
Thus, this lightning-fast, vigorous anti-rebel campaign came to an end.
When Qin Shaozong widely issued the manifesto, his target was Governor Jiang of Yuzhou, and he did not include Dong Zhou in it. He positioned this powerful chancellor who controlled the court as a "loyal subject," not saying in the manifesto that he would kill him.
But how could Dong Zhou believe it? He knew that even if Qin Shaozong didn't kill him today, he might tomorrow. Therefore, when the Yuzhou army suffered a new defeat, he fled with his wife and children.
Qin Shaozong was not surprised by this and directly sent two teams of men in pursuit, wanting to see the person alive or a corpse if dead.
Dai Li didn't know the twists and turns of this; she only knew that today she was going to accompany Qin Shaozong into the capital again. The last time they entered the capital, they lived in a residence specially arranged by Dong Zhou, and several provincial governors lived together as neighbors.
Coming back this time, Qin Shaozong didn't move; he still returned here. And out of various considerations, Nangong Xiong also chose his original position, continuing to be neighbors with the people from the North.
Chang'an was still Chang'an, where wealthy families bought wine on the streets of Chang'an, and once a building was raised, it was a hundred feet high, with endless prosperity everywhere.
But this time, Dai Li's feelings were much deeper than before.
On the first day of her return, gold-painted visiting cards fluttered in like snowflakes, making the courtyard as crowded as a marketplace and the carriages as flowing as water. As soon as the sky brightened, people came to deliver gifts, and the people seeking an audience were as numerous as carp crossing the river, uninterrupted from dawn to dusk, often stopping only at the curfew.
Qin Shaozong didn't see any visitors. After resting for two days, he took Dai Li into the palace.
It wasn't a rash audience with the emperor. On the first day he entered Chang'an, he sent a message to the palace, bringing up the matter of Dai Li's enfeoffment again, and told Young Emperor Han that he would come over in two days.
Young Emperor Han took over the throne at the age of eight from the late emperor, who died suddenly from abusing pills. After ascending the throne, he held no real power, and the state affairs were jointly controlled by Empress Dowager Wang and Chancellor Dong.
Qin Shaozong's message was sent to Empress Dowager Wang rather than Young Emperor Han.
People are the knife and chopping block, I am the fish and meat. The fierce wolf has just left, and the vicious tiger comes again.
Never mind how Empress Dowager Wang flew into a rage in the depths of the palace upon receiving the missive, cursing Qin Shaozong for his wolfish ambitions and wishing him a gruesome death. On the surface, she swiftly dispatched edicts to the noble houses of Chang'an, inviting them to the palace banquet that would follow the investiture ceremony.
The schedule was perfectly clear: attend the morning court for the investiture, and hold the banquet in the afternoon.
...
Dai Li followed Qin Shaozong into the palace for the morning assembly. They rode in a carriage, driving straight through the majestic Sima Main Gate.
The Sima Main Gate was a passage reserved exclusively for the Emperor, or for feudal lords seeking an audience with the Son of Heaven. Ordinary officials attending court only ever used the East Gate; they were forbidden from taking the main entrance.
Even when entering through the East Gate, one was required to dismount, proceed on foot, and surrender their weapons before being allowed inside. Yet today, not only did Qin Shaozong pass through the main gate without unbuckling his sword, he also had no intention of stepping down to walk.
He and Nangong Xiong each commanded their own carriage, driving arrogantly through the palace gates until they reached the front plaza of the main hall.
Dai Li stood on the expansive plaza. The sky above was as clear and blue as water, the grounds stretching wide and flat on either side. Before her, the palace buildings towered majestically, and the solemn dignity of the imperial city washed over her.
This was the place of absolute, supreme power in all of Chang'an—no, in the entire world.
She suspected that, aside from Empress Dowager Wang, she was the first woman in the Great Yan dynasty to brazenly set foot in the front hall's domain.
"Madam," a low voice spoke beside her.
Dai Li turned to look at the man at her side.
He wore the tall crown of a military commander and a dark robe, a ring-pommel sword hanging from his waist. His towering, robust physique radiated an extraordinary, commanding presence.
What a magnificent traitor!
Dai Li then looked down at herself. Because of today's investiture, she was also dressed with utmost solemnity. Her long hair was swept into a high chignon, adorned with a golden step-shake and pearl hairpins. A necklace of pure crystal rested against her dark green, curved-hem robe. Jade pendants dangled from her waist, and her cloud-patterned upturned shoes, symbolizing a steady rise to power, peeked out from the front hem of her long skirt. She looked the very picture of demure elegance.
Ah, yes. What a magnificent traitor she was, too!