Qin Shaozong's movements were so terrifyingly violent that even the heavy red sandalwood desk in front of him shook.
"What did you say? Qin San and Madam parted ways? When did this happen?" Qin Shaozong's face was as dark as water. "Tell me everything in detail, Xun He, without missing a single thing!"
The heavy pressure rolled over them like a wave. Xun He and the person beside him were both deeply shaken, and whatever sleepiness they had left dissipated completely.
The Marquis was a good superior who cared for his subordinates. In the past, when they rushed back on horseback, they could go rest after delivering their letters. Given how much the Marquis valued the mistress, he wasn't surprised that they would be summoned for questioning later.
But this was... too fast, wasn't it?
His mind raced, but outwardly Xun He dared not be negligent. He hurriedly recounted the important events that occurred along the way after Dai Li left Chang'an.
He started from when they left the city, saying that Dai Li was in no hurry and the procession moved very slowly. Then he mentioned that Yan San sent a letter later, vaguely mentioning an incident with the Shi family and urgently summoning Shi Rongyue back. He also said that Dai Li still had a desire to travel, so she split the procession in two. Half of the troops rushed back to the north, while the remaining half accompanied Dai Li to travel eastward...
The veins on Qin Shaozong's forehead throbbed. He didn't finish listening. As soon as he heard "split the troops," he couldn't help but scold angrily, "Nonsense!"
Xun He's breath hitched. While feeling terrified, he was also filled with doubts.
Something was wrong. Why was the Marquis's reaction so strong? After the messenger from the north brought Commandant Yan's letter, he clearly received the mistress's order to head to Chang'an.
Could it be that the Marquis didn't know about this?
Where did things go wrong? Did the messenger meet with an accident on the way, so the Marquis in Chang'an never received the letter?
Thinking this, Xun He asked, "Marquis, before heading east, the mistress sent a messenger to Chang'an. Did you not receive the letter?"
Qin Shaozong's face was ashen.
Of course not!
This stack of letters from home today was the first communication since she left.
The reason he felt something was off was entirely because her handwriting was different from usual, which made him suspicious and prompted him to summon the messenger for details. And this inquiry revealed something terrible: she had actually parted ways with Qi Nian, and even planned to go sightseeing afterwards!
Qin Shaozong didn't answer, but seeing his face, Xun He already knew the answer. His heart thumped, and he couldn't even speak clearly. "M-Marquis, could it be..."
Xun He didn't dare say what followed "could it be."
The fire in Qin Shaozong's heart soared, but at the same time, something slowly sank.
The letters looked thick, but in reality, there were only two and a half pages. As for the messenger who claimed to be heading to Chang'an, he was nowhere to be found. Whether he met with an accident on the way or if such a person never existed was hard to say.
There was also the parting of ways midway. Four hundred people were split in half, leaving only two hundred by her side. Xun He also said she happily prepared to go sightseeing.
Heading east, sightseeing?
Heh, would they take a boat later?
Perhaps because of past experiences, and more than once, Qin Shaozong keenly sensed a different atmosphere. "What happened next? Keep talking."
Xun He swallowed hard, wanting his fellow messenger to report. He had started it, so it should be someone else's turn now. He couldn't bear all the thunderous wrath alone!
However, when he stealthily glanced sideways, Xun He was shocked. He didn't know if his comrade beside him was scared or for some other reason, but the man was actually spacing out.
"Xun He." A heavy voice pressed down from above.
Xun He cursed his bad luck inwardly and hurriedly answered to report the rest.
As Qin Shaozong expected, Dai Li's "preparation" for sightseeing became "in progress."
Not only was she taking the waterway, but she also split the original two hundred people again. Some took the land route, while less than fifty people accompanied her.
Qin Shaozong suddenly asked, "Did Bai Jianping write a letter to me?"
Xun He actually knew about this. Back then, he was the one who found the paper for Platoon Leader Bai to write the letter. "Yes..."
But before he could finish, the heavy sandalwood desk not far away was violently kicked over by the man. The inkstone and unused paper on the desk either crashed to the ground or fluttered in the air.
It was a complete mess.
Qin Shaozong's eyes glinted sharply, as if shooting fire.
The seemingly thick and quite bluffing letters from home; the complete lack of mention in the letters about Qin San and her heading east; the supposedly dispatched but missing messenger; Bai Jianping's vanished letter; the second splitting of troops after the first; and finally, the less than fifty accompanying people...
Each incident was a small anchor point, outlining a speculation that made Qin Shaozong furious and unable to accept.
This fox was trying to escape again!
His brown eyes tightened, and his heart pounded as if it were going to explode. The veins connected to his heart twitched with pain, and his internal organs were violently pulled.
Anger, confusion, bewilderment, and a bitterness worse than medicinal soup mixed together, causing Qin Shaozong's vision to darken for a moment.
And just when Xun He thought he didn't even dare to breathe, someone spoke:
"Marquis, this subordinate has an important matter to report."
Xun He couldn't control his head-turning movement, staring dumbfounded at his comrade beside him.
No, brother, why are you so reckless? Stroking a tiger's whiskers won't end well!
The man braced himself and said, "Before I left, the mistress privately instructed me, saying that if I encountered your thunderous wrath after delivering the letter, I should tell you that she left a letter in the main bedroom. It contains the reasons, and she hopes you will read it carefully and think it over before making a decision."
Qin Shaozong strode forward and lifted the soldier, who had half-kneeled in fright, with one hand. "What else did she tell you?"
"N-nothing else. The mistress only instructed that. This subordinate recited it all the way here and didn't dare to miss a single word."
Qin Shaozong let go. "Where was the procession when you left?"
Xun He quickly reported a place name.
Qin Shaozong said in a deep voice, "Pass down my order. Have Qiao Wangfei immediately organize the East Platoon. I'm traveling light and far!"
The two received the order and exited the room.
Once they left, Qin Shaozong scanned the room. The main bedroom was divided into an outer and inner room. The outer room had an incense table, a curio shelf, soft chairs, and small tables. A painting of a solitary fisherman in a straw cape on a cold river hung on the wall.
The inner room had a yellow rosewood openwork makeup case inlaid with gold and jade, placed next to a wooden clothes rack and chest. Deepest inside was a spacious and exquisite canopy bed, with carved patterns on its sturdy square posts.
Since she left, there were fewer items in the room, but many large furnishings remained.
Qin Shaozong went straight to the canopy bed and picked up Dai Li's pillow first. It was empty underneath. He continued to search other things, from the makeup case to the box for small items, and then to the wooden chest for clothes, but found nothing.
After a round of rummaging, Qin Shaozong calmed down a lot, but this calmness was only a shallow layer, like a large bowl inverted over the roaring flames, preventing them from rising higher once they reached the top.
With a furrowed brow, Qin Shaozong surveyed his surroundings again, paused at the heavy clothes chest for a moment, and finally suppressed his anger to lift it.
There really was a letter pressed under the clothes chest. Qin Shaozong laughed out of extreme anger. Such a heavy chest, she actually went to the trouble of lifting it just to hide a letter.
With a "bang," the heavy chest was casually dropped. Qin Shaozong bent over to pick up the letter, and only when he grabbed it did he realize it wasn't one letter.
It was two.
One letter was addressed "To Qinian," and the other "To Changgeng."
With a cold expression, Qin Shaozong took the letter addressed to him and broke the wax seal.
To Changgeng, wishing you peace in recent days:
Seeing these words is like seeing me in person. You have the ambition to transform into a dragon, and in the future, you will surely bring peace to the world. As the saying goes, those high up in the temples of the court worry for their people; you have a compassionate heart, and I have never doubted that the common people will eventually see the end of their suffering.
For the public, I am deeply joyful; for us personally, I am deeply worried.
I have realized that there seem to be opposing forces behind Zhou Zhou and Qinian, like the tip of a needle against an awn of wheat, neither willing to yield. Reading the historical records and reflecting on the past and present, I see that the disasters of succession struggles inevitably lead to siblings slaughtering each other and the peril of the ancestral temple. I cannot help but feel heartbroken and must remain vigilant.
You and I have been married for nearly a year, and our family has been harmonious. I originally wished to grow old with you and share the cold winters of our lives together.
However, we are husband and wife, but also parents. Zhou Zhou is my own flesh and blood, and I also treat Qinian as my own son. It is not my wish to see either of them fall in battle in the future. To prevent a future internal strife that would implicate our family and the destiny of the state, after much deep thought, I have painfully drafted this letter of separation, so that we may part ways and find our own peace.
I will write only this much for now and will not go into further detail.
I humbly pray that from now on, the nation will be peaceful, our descendants will be safe, all your wishes will be fulfilled, and all your paths will be smooth.
Respectfully yours, Daili.
Qin Shaozong panted heavily. It was as if he had swallowed a gust of salty, damp wind that scraped against his throat again and again. His limbs and bones were similarly seized by this icy emotion, as if he had plunged into an ice cave.
Until...
His gaze inadvertently moved downward, and he noticed a slight indentation at the very bottom of the letter.
The originally smooth paper had a very shallow little pit, seemingly caused by a water stain that had dried. Because the paper was not torn, this small, shallow pit was not obvious; a careless person would never have noticed it.
Qin Shaozong paused, staring at it for a long while. Then, without hesitation, he opened the letter Daili had left for Qin Qinian. The two letters were similar in length, but the one she wrote to Qin Qinian consisted mainly of instructions and advice.
He read it quickly and then carefully felt the letter paper from top to bottom. This sheet of paper was perfectly smooth, with no small pits or wrinkles of any kind.
The tall and imposing man held the letter, his head lowered. His face was not very clear in the room where the sunlight was gradually dimming. The fury and other emotions radiating from him seemed to have settled down compared to just a moment ago, making his mood difficult to fathom.
Tucking the two letters into his robe, Qin Shaozong strode outside. Just as he stepped out of the main courtyard, he saw Nalan Zhi and Cui Shengping approaching together. Both men were walking hurriedly with solemn expressions.
"My Lord," the two men bowed and cupped their hands toward Qin Shaozong.
Qin Shaozong stopped and said expressionlessly, "Wugong, Haiqing, you have come at the perfect time. I need to leave Chang'an for a few days. I leave all matters within Chang'an in your capable hands."
Hearing Qin Shaozong say he was leaving, Nalan Zhi and Cui Shengping showed no surprise on their faces. In fact, that was exactly why they had come.
Cui Shengping hurriedly said, "You must not, My Lord. The Yu clan is finally showing signs of relenting. How can you leave at a time like this?"
Qin Shaozong sneered, "Courtesy before force. Reasoning with them is just giving them a bit of face. If the Yu clan still dares to put on airs, the worst we have to do is find a random excuse to uproot them completely, treating it as another instance of killing the chicken to warn the monkeys. Besides, living on piles of money in Chang'an all these years and colluding with the Wang and Dong clans, how could they not have committed deeds like sucking the fat of the people and tearing apart bones for firewood? Do they really think they are something special?"
After reaching middle age, the arrogance of Qin Shaozong's youth had been reined in significantly. The truly piercing sharpness, cold pride, and disdain seemed to have slowly faded with the passage of time. Aside from the occasional unforgiving remark, he was mostly steady and tolerant at other times.
It had been a long time since he had shown such overt aggressiveness on the surface like today.
Cui Shengping hastily advised, "My Lord, it is true that killing the chicken to warn the monkeys is useful. But this action must be measured. If we repeat this old trick time and time again, I fear you will earn a reputation for being bloodthirsty. If it causes panic among the prominent families of Chang'an and forces them to band closely together, it will be very disadvantageous for our future endeavors."
"My mind is made up. Haiqing, you need not advise me further," Qin Shaozong said, his gaze sweeping over him coldly. "If you feel you lack the ability to handle the upcoming situation, you may seek a pointer or two from Wugong or Zhang Quanshu next door."
Cui Shengping's heart was greatly shaken, his thoughts extremely complicated, and he was momentarily left speechless.
Leaving those words behind, Qin Shaozong walked past the two men and left without looking back.
On the outskirts of Chang'an.
After receiving his orders, Qiao Wangfei swiftly assembled the troops. As soon as Qin Shaozong arrived, they quickly followed him and galloped toward the east.
A thousand miles away, Wuwen County.
Wuwen County was the third small county Daili had arrived at after traveling by water.
In the first small county, which was also the place where they split their forces again, Daili hired seven armed escorts. The second small county did have an escort agency, but unfortunately, they were busy with other tasks, leaving no one available for hire.
Continuing eastward for a stretch, Daili searched for an escort agency again after arriving in Wuwen County.
Not long ago, they managed to hire some people.
They hired eight martial artists, which, added to the previous seven, made a total of fifteen people, exactly the number originally planned.
Qin Yanzhou walked up beside Daili and whispered, "Mother, among the eight newly hired escorts, the one with dark hair on the corner of his mouth is not very honest. I think I caught a familiar scent from him. This person might be a believer."
Daili replied, "Then the fish has taken the bait."