Chapter 168

The brilliant afternoon sunlight poured into the room, illuminating the elegant house and making it even brighter. In the corner, a hollowed-out peony incense burner curled with fragrant smoke, adding a faint scent to the entire room.

Footsteps approached from outside.

Soon, a young man wearing a white robe and a scholar's cap stepped into the main room. At a glance, he saw the woman sitting by the desk. All the maidservants in the room had been dismissed, leaving only the two of them. Mother, you were looking for me?

Qin Yanzhou knelt on the other side of the desk.

Daili looked at her son across the desk, slightly dazed.

When she first sent him to school, he was just a nine-year-old child, carrying a cartoon backpack and a small water bottle around his neck. She hadn't expected him to grow up so quickly in the blink of an eye.

He was taller than her, with broader shoulders. The chubby baby fat from her memory had faded from his face, replaced by clear lines and sharp features.

But, there was no helping it; no matter how old Zhouzhou grew, he would always be a child in her heart.

Mother, did you not rest well last night? What is troubling you? Qin Yanzhou noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes.

Normally, his mother was radiant, even on the night they broke out of Chang'an city. When had she ever looked as haggard as a wilted peony like she did today?

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he sensed a deep unease radiating from her. This unease seemed to peak as the melancholy in her eyes deepened and the hesitation between her brows slowly turned into resolve.

Daili didn't answer his question. Instead, she asked softly, Zhouzhou, if I were to leave Qin Changgeng and the North, would you come with me?

Why... why would you ask that? Qin Yanzhou's pupils suddenly shrank, and he flew into a rage, no longer referring to Qin Shaozong as father. Did the Marquis of Wu'an make some sort of demand of you?

He thought of the palace banquet yesterday.

They received their titles together, but for the latter half of the banquet, men and women were seated separately. He had gone to the West Hall to dine with the other young masters. Their side hosted a feast in the name of celebration. The hall was filled with fine wine, dancing girls sang and danced, and many men gradually lost themselves in the alcohol.

After a few rounds of drinks, someone stepped forward with a cup to toast that man. The flattery and sycophancy were obvious, and some even took the opportunity of praising him to offer gifts.

The generous gifts varied, including aged fine wines, precious gems and jade, fine steeds, and scantily clad dancing girls...

Could it be that the man's refusal yesterday was just a superficial act to save face, while he was actually tempted, just waiting to go back and settle things with his mother before happily welcoming beautiful women into the manor?

Qin Yanzhou could only think of this reason.

The original agreement only had three clauses. Two involved the children, and one was to constrain the partner. If there was a problem with the children's education, signs would have appeared early on. Why wait until today?

That left only the first clause: the Marquis of Wu'an had a new lover, or perhaps he was itching to have one.

That was what provoked his mother to leave!

Daili hadn't expected Qin Yanzhou to react so strongly, and her mind couldn't keep up for a moment. What demand?

Qin Yanzhou had been burning with anger, but seeing Daili's pure confusion without a trace of grief or sorrow, his anger subsided by half. After he returned from the palace banquet yesterday, didn't he make a demand of you?

Daili's expression shifted slightly. She wasn't slow-witted. Thinking of her son's sudden fury followed by his careful probing, she suddenly remembered that divorce agreement.

Did Zhouzhou misunderstand?

Daili didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but her heart felt warm. Her expression softened. He didn't make any demands of me, and I don't want to leave because of that.

Qin Yanzhou was puzzled. Then why?

Daili looked out the window. The daylight was bright, and the leisurely chirping of birds drifted in. This manor was not located in a particularly secluded place, and the faint hustle and bustle from outside could still be heard.

The mortal world was bustling, and the years were peaceful.

Many thoughts flashed through Daili's mind one by one. She remembered Nalan Zhi suggesting yesterday that she ask for Zhouzhou's opinion.

Daili looked at the tall and straight young man in front of her and finally shook her head. No reason.

She had thought about it all night and felt that seeking out Nalan Zhi had been completely unnecessary. On this matter, as Zhouzhou's teacher, not only could he not give her any useful advice, but he would even interfere with her.

Look, this was what it meant to be a pawn in the game, forced to quietly and inevitably walk the predetermined path. Just as he himself had said, As a subordinate, one can only follow orders.

Moreover, Zhouzhou had knelt before her twice, not only breaking his usual silence but also kowtowing to her, all just to don armor and go to battle.

So did that question really have any meaning?

It didn't, and there was no need to ask, because she already knew the answer.

Mother...

Zhouzhou, you just need to answer me. If... I say if, I were to leave Qin Shaozong, would you come with me? Daili's voice was very soft.

Qin Yanzhou couldn't understand why, since his father hadn't done anything wrong, his mother still wanted to leave. Where exactly did things go wrong? Did something important happen recently that he didn't know about?

And leave? Leave here, and go where?

Did his father know she wanted to leave?

Question after question followed, making Qin Yanzhou's head split with pain. Many faces flashed through his mind: his father's, his teacher's, his younger brother's, and also... a girl holding the little dog Xiaobai, smiling as sweetly as malt sugar.

But in the end, all the faces faded away, leaving only the person in front of him the clearest.

Qin Yanzhou's complex emotions gradually smoothed out, and his gaze became firm. Of course I will go with you. Mother, are you unhappy living here?

Daili's vision suddenly blurred, and tears filled her eyes.

With those achievements of hers, even if Qi Nian was the ultimate victor in the battle for the throne, it would guarantee her a life of luxury in the future.

She knew exactly what the decision to leave meant. It meant that Qin Shaozong's future glory would have nothing to do with her, that the days of living a privileged life would be gone, that she would live a very frugal life for the rest of her days, and that she would be going against her ideal of helping the world when successful.

But none of this outweighed her child's life.

And this act, which she didn't know if it could be defined as self-sacrifice, no longer mattered when she heard her child's concern.

Yes, I'm unhappy. I worry every day, Daili answered.

Seeing the cloud of sorrow over her face, Qin Yanzhou asked in confusion, What are you worried about?

Round and round, they returned to the root cause.

Daili smiled bitterly and shook her head, not mentioning a word about the reason. Zhouzhou, just treat what I just told you as a secret between us mother and son. Don't mention it to anyone.

Qin Yanzhou nodded and agreed, his thoughts turning a few corners at the same time. It seemed his father didn't know about this, and from his mother's tone, once his father found out, he definitely wouldn't let her leave.

The young man slowly lowered his eyes.

...

Walking out of the main courtyard, Qin Yanzhou looked back. His dark eyes took in a small portrait where time had settled many people and events.

A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and left.

*

Brother Zhongle? Shi Rongyue looked in surprise at Qin Yanzhou, who had come looking for her on his own initiative.

Xiaobai, who had been circling at her feet, recognized him. It let out a woof and trotted over happily.

It was still very young, a tiny little ball. Its fur was puffed up, making its legs look especially short. When it ran over, it looked like its chassis was scraping the ground as it hovered along.

Qin Yanzhou leaned over and scooped up the puppy, holding it in his arms. He first rubbed the dog's head a couple of times, petting it until its little tail wagged fast enough to fan up a breeze. Then, he bounced it in his hands a couple of times and evaluated seriously, "Xiaobai has gotten heavier."

Shi Rongyue was delighted. "Of course he's heavier. Un... Xiaobai eats very hard, having several meals a day!"

Xiaobai barked twice, lifting his little head high as if filled with pride.

After playing with the dog for a while longer, Qin Yanzhou finally put Xiaobai down. "Rongrong, regarding the palace banquet yesterday, there are some things I want to ask you about."

Shi Rongyue was surprised. "What is it?"

Qin Yanzhou asked, "During the banquet, did my mother encounter anything unusual or anyone specific?"

Shi Rongyue subconsciously shook her head. "I don't think so. Second Aunt was sitting right next to me yesterday. Many people at the banquet tried to strike up a conversation with her, but they all kept their boundaries and only offered praises..."

"No, wait, there was one thing that was rather unusual." As she spoke, she suddenly corrected herself. "Halfway through, Second Aunt left the table to use the restroom. After she came back, she suddenly asked the people around about two noble ladies and described their appearances. The others naturally told her everything they knew. It turned out that one of them was the sister-in-law of the Shangfang Director, and the other was the wife of the Grand Minister of Works."

Qin Yanzhou pressed further, "What happened next?"

"There were quite a few nosy people at the time. After all, Second Aunt hadn't paid much attention to anyone since entering the banquet, so they all asked for the reason. Second Aunt said that those two gossiped too much, and said nothing else after that," Shi Rongyue said.

Qin Yanzhou furrowed his long eyebrows tightly.

He understood his mother. She had always been a gentle and dignified woman. Unless she was severely offended, she would never embarrass others in public.

Those two must have said something...

Shi Rongyue couldn't bear to see his brows locked in a frown. Just as she was getting anxious, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck her. "That's right! Brother Zhongle, I remember Nianxia was following Second Aunt at the time. If you want to know what those two said, perhaps you can go ask Nianxia."

Hearing this, the young man smoothed his brows. "Thank you, Rongrong."

*

Having made up her mind to leave with her son, Dai Li began to prepare. Nianxia and Bipo were great helpers, but unfortunately, she couldn't take them along. She had to pack up quietly by herself.

However, compared to that, what was more important right now was getting Qin Shaozong to relent and let her return to Yuyang first.

That man was extremely sharp; his ears would perk up at the slightest sign of trouble. Back when she fled from Nankang, she was still caught and brought back in this ancient era where finding someone was incredibly inconvenient.

She absolutely could not let him notice anything.

At dusk, the couple returned to their room together after finishing dinner. As soon as she got back, Dai Li rummaged through her box, found Qin Yunce's previous letter, and then took out the little booklet she had compiled with records on soil fertilization.

"Qin Changgeng, I am going back to Yuyang in a couple of days." Dai Li didn't ask if it was okay; instead, she brought up the old topic and directly told him she was going back.

Qin Shaozong paused his motion of pouring tea. "Back to Yuyang?"

Dai Li waved the letter paper in her hand at him, silently apologizing to Yunce in her heart. "Yes, I want to go back to Yuyang first. Yunce's marriage has finally shown some promise, so it's better to settle it early. Besides, if we set off recently, it will be exactly autumn when we return to Yuyang. After the harvest, a new round of composting needs to be done, and time cannot be delayed. Meanwhile, Chang'an is newly settled, and it wouldn't be right to have no person in charge here. You definitely have to stay here, so I thought about it, and it's best if we split up and go our separate ways."

The process of getting married in this era was very complicated. Unlike modern times where one could just go to the Civil Affairs Bureau, they had to go through the Three Letters and Six Rites before they could become husband and wife.

Qin Shaozong put down the teapot and said nothing.

Seeing him like this, Dai Li knew that the matter could be negotiated within today or tomorrow. If this man disagreed, he would absolutely reject it outright instead of keeping silent.

Dai Li continued, casually painting him a beautiful picture of the future. "Zhouzhou and I will go back to Yuyang first. You stay in Chang'an with Qinian and Rongrong. Once you finish handling the affairs in Chang'an, you can bring them north, and we can bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new spring together."

Perhaps moved by her last sentence, the man finally replied with an "Mm" after quite a long while.

Dai Li let out a breath. Just as the heavy stone in her heart fell, she heard Qin Shaozong say, "Madam, take Qinian and Rongrong along with you."

"That's not appropriate," Dai Li subconsciously refused.

Qin Shaozong raised his long eyebrows slightly. "Why is it not appropriate?"

Dai Li tried hard to find an excuse. "You are so busy in Chang'an, you should keep more people by your side who can share your burdens. Plus, Qinian's teacher, Mr. Cui, is still in Chang'an. If Qinian leaves with me, he won't be able to attend his future classes."

Qin Shaozong thought for a moment. "Then take Rongrong with you."

Dai Li hesitated. "Rongrong seems to be good friends with Sixth Miss Nangong next door. Along this journey, she finally has a girl playmate. If she goes back with me..."

"Hongying probably misses her. Let her go home early, and she can come back to play after the New Year." With just one sentence, Qin Shaozong blocked all the rest of Dai Li's words.

Parents missing their children eagerly was human nature.

Dai Li furrowed her delicate brows, instinctively feeling that this matter was a bit troublesome. She and Zhouzhou would leave on the way back to Yuyang, and the convoy would definitely have no peace because of it. She didn't want this matter to affect the other younger generation...

"You don't like Rongrong?" he suddenly asked.

Dai Li shook her head in astonishment. "Nothing of the sort. Rongrong is great, I don't dislike her."

Qin Shaozong narrowed his long, narrow eyes. "Then what was Madam thinking about just now?"

Being looked at with such a slightly contemplative gaze, Dai Li's hairs stood on end. She felt like she could hear her blood rushing through her veins. "Thinking about... things after the parting."

Qin Shaozong suddenly smiled, pulling her into his embrace with a chuckle. "Since the pain of parting is so unbearable to endure, why doesn't Madam go back a little later? Send a letter to Yan San regarding the fertilizer first. He has always been steady in his actions and is reliable."

He still didn't want her to leave first.

"No!" Dai Li turned her head away. But just as she spoke, her waist and the back of her knees tightened, her feet left the ground, and she was scooped up entirely.

"For the next few months, I will be sleeping alone in an empty, lonely chamber. I hope Madam can reward me in advance." Qin Shaozong carried her into the inner room.

With the parting already decided, Qin Shaozong was particularly fierce tonight, changing several positions in a row and still feeling it wasn't enough.

A fire burned in his eyes as he deeply gazed at the woman beneath him, her black hair scattered all over. Her dark eyelashes were half-wet and clumped together, and her flushed, jade-like face was radiantly beautiful. The bright lights of the inner room fell upon her flawless, creamy skin, seeming to illuminate the fine sheen of sweat.

Sweat beaded on the man's forehead. A drop rolled down his sharp, handsome face, and just as it was about to fall, it was wiped away by a soft, fair hand.