Chapter 178

Dai Li stayed in the latrine, pricking up her ears to listen to the movements outside.

This area was a compound where concubines lived. The Prefect had issued an order to gather everyone, and they all followed the order and walked out. With a large number of women, the sound of footsteps, whispers, and the clinking of accessories intertwined like a hymn.

The "song" went from high to low, and the flock of flowers went away.

Dai Li waited patiently for a moment until it was completely quiet outside before she peeked out.

Sure enough, there was no one.

She hesitated, wondering if she should go back to Luohua Courtyard. This place was not far from Luohua Courtyard, and it would only take a short walk to sneak back.

But if she popped her head out now, what if she was bumped into? That would be really bad, and it might backfire.

Thinking of this, Dai Li decided to stay a little longer.

The distinguished guest the steward mentioned was probably Qin Changgeng. If he couldn't find anyone, he would definitely leave. It was just a matter of time, and she just had to wait.

Although she had made up her mind, for some reason, Dai Li felt increasingly uneasy. Negative emotions seemed tangible, as if turning into sharp chirps exploding in her ears, making her breathe rapidly and her blood flow accelerate.

Her meridians throbbed, clamoring for her to leave quickly.

Dai Li steadied her mind and decided to trust her sixth sense, just as she believed Zhou Zhou was still alive when she first arrived here.

Pushing the door open a crack, Dai Li peeked out secretly. Well, it was still empty.

She gently pushed the door open and slipped out. Dai Li knew that once she left, she had to return to Luohua Courtyard as quickly as possible, so she ran out.

Her heartbeat was deafening, and Dai Li, who was so nervous that her ears were ringing, didn't hear the footsteps.

The latrine was filthy, so it was set in a corner. There were only two ways out of here: north or west. And Luohua Courtyard was in the north.

Dai Li naturally rushed north, but after running only two or three steps, she suddenly heard a sharp shout like a thunderclap.

"Dai Li!"

That familiar male voice was stern and cold, like a dragon soaring and a tiger roaring, startling Dai Li so much that her hairs stood on end and her hair almost stood up. She didn't look over there, but subconsciously sped up and rushed forward.

Qin Shaozong was already suppressing his anger, and seeing this, it was as if a knife had been plunged into his heart, spreading fine and dense pain. He stiffened for a moment, and then his anger flared up three feet high, and he lunged forward in one step to catch her.

He was in his prime, used to rolling on the battlefield, and never slacked off in his daily morning exercises. Plus, he was much taller than Dai Li, so catching her, who didn't exercise much, was a piece of cake.

Xiao Tong, who was leading the way, and Huang Shichang and others who were accompanying them, watched in astonishment as Qin Shaozong took a few steps forward, like a goshawk fighting a rabbit, quickly, ruthlessly, and accurately grabbed the woman in green, and hoisted her onto his shoulder neatly.

"Qin, Grand Commandant Qin?" Huang Shichang couldn't even speak clearly.

The other party didn't give him any look, carrying the woman with a scar on her cheek and walking quickly outside.

Xiao Tong was stunned, only feeling that something had shattered with a "bang". It turned out that the noblemen in Chang'an had such peculiar tastes, preferring the incomplete over the whole!

Bai Jianping came back to his senses and said to Huang Shichang, who was still dazed, "Prefect Huang, the Marquis has something to attend to and must take his leave first. Let's gather another day."

There was no explanation for just now, nor did he say when "another day" would be. This polite remark only revealed one piece of information: they were leaving.

When Dai Li was first caught and hoisted up, she was terrified. Her abdomen pressed against the man's solid shoulder. Driven by the instinct to survive after losing her balance, her arms subconsciously wrapped around his neck, and her legs instinctively struggled.

Unexpectedly, just as she kicked, she was spanked on the buttocks.

"Behave yourself!" Qin Shaozong was full of anger.

Although he had quickly taken a few steps, turned the corner, and left the sight of Huang Shichang and others, being spanked in broad daylight made Dai Li's cheeks turn red with blood. "Put me down, I'll walk by myself."

Qin Shaozong turned a deaf ear.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Dai Li became anxious. Just because that short stretch of road was deserted didn't mean there would be no one behind them, so she softened her tone and said to him, "Qin Changgeng, carrying me like this makes my stomach uncomfortable."

The man stopped and put Dai Li down without saying a word.

Just as Dai Li breathed a sigh of relief, her feet left the ground again. Only this time, instead of being hoisted onto his shoulder, she was carried in his arms.

Just now, Dai Li couldn't see Qin Shaozong's face, but now that she was turned to the front, she saw it clearly. He probably hadn't groomed himself carefully for a long time. The stubble on his jaw wasn't shaved clean, making him look a bit rougher than usual.

He looked straight ahead and walked on his own, not looking at her, but the lines on his jaw were as clear as a blade, and his muscles were taut. The heavy majesty and sharpness suppressed his anger, like thunder rumbling on the Black Sea, about to strike but not yet striking.

How could Dai Li not know that he was extremely angry? It was just that they were still outside, so he hadn't settled the score with her yet.

The melancholy and panic in her heart were hard to stop, but she couldn't deny that when the male voice calling her name fell, the uncertainty and hesitation about drifting in the future were all blown away by the wind, disappearing completely.

The dust settled.

By the time Dai Li came back to her senses, Qin Shaozong had reached the front courtyard of the Huang Residence. His horse was pacing leisurely in the front courtyard, occasionally destroying Prefect Huang's flowers and plants.

Seeing its master striding over, Chijiao trotted over to meet him.

Qin Shaozong put Dai Li on the horse's back, and then neatly mounted the horse and sat behind her. He controlled the reins with one hand, and his other large hand tightly gripped the slender waist of the woman in his arms. It was unknown whether he was afraid she would fall off the horse or unwilling to let her run away without a word again.

The main gate of the Huang Residence was wide open, with only two soldiers guarding the left and right to prevent the horses from running out. Now it was convenient for Qin Shaozong to leave.

Chijiao was squeezed lightly on the belly and immediately ran out of the residence.

Qin Shaozong had been staying in the posthouse these days. He declined the residences given by the major households in the commandery and just waved his hand to rent a posthouse as a place to stay.

The posthouse was not far from the Huang Residence, and they didn't have to pass through the busy market. Chijiao galloped with all four hooves. To Dai Li, it seemed that the horse had reached its destination in the blink of an eye.

The heat source against her back left. Seeing that he had dismounted, Dai Li grabbed the saddle with both hands and wanted to use the momentum to get down. However, before she could move, her waist tightened. He held her waist and carried her down, walking quickly into the posthouse like the wind.

"Marquis." Seeing his superior return carrying a woman, the soldier was startled at first, and when he saw who it was, he couldn't help but be overjoyed.

The mistress had been found! They finally didn't have to soak in the ice cellar every day.

The wooden stairs of the posthouse were stomped heavily, making a thumping sound, urgent and heavy, and Dai Li's heart was surging.

"Qin Changgeng..." she tried to call him.

But the man completely ignored her. Just like when he picked her up in the Huang Residence, he looked straight ahead and didn't even glance at her.

Qin Shaozong carried her up the three flights of stairs in one breath without stopping. Kicking open the door, he walked straight in and threw Dai Li onto the couch.

A dark shadow like a dark cloud loomed over her. Before Dai Li could raise her eyes, her chin was pinched and lifted by three fingers like pliers.

Their eyes finally met.

Dai Li saw the new white hair at his temples and the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, which seemed deeper than in her memory.

And inside this dimly lit tent, those bloodshot brown eyes resembled a swirling lake, ready to pull someone into their depths at any moment.

"Did you let the words I said back in Nanyang County go in one ear and out the other, Madam?" Though he was looking at Dai Li, every word seemed to be squeezed through his clenched teeth, as if he wanted nothing more than to tear her to pieces.

Nanyang County was the place where she had been caught during her journey south, the second time she had left him.

"If you dare run away again, I'll break your son's legs!"

"I won't beat Qin Yanzhou... But if you dare run away again, we'll have another one, and when he grows up, I'll break both his legs."

Those words drifted across time and space to echo in her mind.

Dai Li's pupils contracted, and she shook her head in panic. "No, Qin Changgeng, don't hit..."

"I told you, even if you run to the ends of the earth..."

The two voices overlapped, then both came to a halt.

After a moment of stunned silence, the veins on Qin Shaozong's forehead throbbed violently; he had clearly recalled those other two sentences as well.

His anger surged even higher, far surpassing what he had initially felt. Yet, it was not merely anger; his chest ached terribly, as if a pot of boiling oil had been poured right over his heart, burning through his flesh. The very core of his heart seemed to blister under the scalding heat, only for those blisters to be violently pierced by sharp needles.

Dai Li knew this boded ill. She noticed his rapid breathing and the bulging veins on his large hand gripping the edge of the bed. He was clenching his fist with such excessive force that his long, well-defined knuckles were turning completely white.

He was furious; it seemed that nothing she could say right now would be appropriate.

Dai Li decided not to say anything at all. Trembling, she reached out and wrapped her arms around the man's neck. Seeing that he did not resist, she leaned in and kissed him. At first, it was just a light peck, like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water to leave a mark, before she pulled back to look at him.

Qin Shaozong remained expressionless, though the emotions swirling in his eyes were deeply complex. It was hard to tell if it was pure fury or something else entirely—it was as potent as aged wine and as uncontrollable as a raging fire. On the surface, however, his expression was icy, clearly suppressing his wrath.

Dai Li leaned in to kiss him again, but this time, the kiss was much deeper.

After a few breaths of their lips and tongues entwining, those brown eyes flickered. Shedding his previous cold indifference, he suddenly reached out, wrapped his arms tightly around the woman's waist, and pulled her firmly against him, simultaneously deepening the kiss.

He kissed her fiercely, pouring into it all the frustration and anxiety of his days of travel, along with the blazing fury of learning she had left. The wildfire that had consumed him slowly condensed, turning into a deep, heavy quagmire that roared as it dragged Dai Li in and drowned her.

Dai Li felt a slight pain on the tip of her tongue; she even had the fleeting illusion of tasting blood.

The wet sounds of their kissing echoed, exceptionally clear in the quiet, undisturbed daylight.

Dai Li was trapped in the corner. In front of her was his burning chest, and on either side were his iron-like arms clamping her in place. His entire body was astonishingly hot, as if even his exhaled breath carried sparks, resembling a piece of red-hot iron that would sizzle and release a cloud of steam the moment it touched water.

The space in the corner of the bed was limited. Unable to move, Dai Li could only surrender to his thorough kiss.

When Qin Shaozong finally pulled back slightly, she did not even wait to catch her breath. "Qin Changgeng, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about this beforehand."

He sneered. "Saying this only after kissing me, trying to use a honey trap on me—is this your idea of an apology, Madam?"

Dai Li pretended not to hear this and continued, "You've already read the letter I left for you, haven't you?"

The veins on his forehead twitched, as if a surging anger was boiling beneath them. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a soft, fair hand gently caressed his cheek.

"Changgeng, please listen to me first."

The man paused, letting out only a cold scoff, but did nothing else.

Dai Li said softly, "If I had a choice, I truly wouldn't have wanted to leave. Since we married, you have done exceptionally well; you are an excellent husband. Our family is well-off, providing a life of luxury, and I am not so detached from the world that I can ignore all material comforts. Furthermore, the matter regarding the fertile lands hasn't completely concluded. How could I not want to see Yuyang's golden autumn with my own eyes this year?"

It was unclear which of her words had managed to soothe him, but Qin Shaozong's tone lost some of its initial ferocity. Still keeping a cold face, he asked, "Then why did you run, Madam?"

Dai Li slowly withdrew her hand. "That supreme throne in Chang'an will be yours sooner or later. If I don't leave, what will become of Zhou Zhou and Qinian in the future? Do you really expect me to just stand by and watch those two brothers reach the point of taking up arms against each other? Qin Changgeng, I cannot do that!"

Qin Shaozong was a man who responded well to a soft approach but resisted a hard one. After being caught by him, Dai Li had made up her mind to use gentleness to overcome his harshness, planning to slowly explain everything to him. Having weathered many storms in his life, he would surely understand her concerns.

However, now that she had truly been pushed into a corner with nowhere to retreat, Dai Li realized that everything was spiraling out of her control.

After all, she was not a precise machine and could not eliminate the interference of her own emotions, just as she had been unable to draft the Letter of Divorce for him in one smooth stroke.

All the late-night anxieties she had no one to confide in, the deep unease of not being trusted, and the profound confusion of endlessly tossing and turning while trying to guess the future—all of it erupted like an unstoppable flash flood in the face of his cold questioning.

"Nalan is clearly taking a stand for Zhou Zhou, openly competing against Master Cui. As their superior, do not give me that nonsense about this not being under your instruction. You kept the things you did in the dark from me, telling me absolutely nothing. I was left with no choice but to figure it out on my own."

Dai Li's emotions grew increasingly agitated. "Using history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of dynasties. The consequence of leaving those two brothers alone will inevitably lead to internal strife, making them sworn enemies! Even you, Qin Changgeng, will likely not meet a good end in the future. How can you expect me to stay? You left me absolutely no room to stay!"

In the past, when Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng vied for power, Emperor Taizong ultimately emerged victorious, resulting in his brother's defeat and death. At that time, Emperor Gaozu was directly placed under house arrest and forced to name his second son as the Crown Prince. Later, he became the Retired Emperor, allowing his second son to take the throne.

Of course, Dai Li did not believe that Qin Shaozong, a man who had spent half his life on the battlefield, was an exact parallel to the historical figures she knew.

But the saying remained true: "Using history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of dynasties." Even if events did not follow that exact historical trajectory without a single deviation, there would undoubtedly be similarities.

After all, that was the ultimate authority over the world, possessing an absolute and unreasoning power over life and death. Like turning stone into gold, whoever received its favor could experience a meteoric rise, elevating their entire clan alongside them. The same held true for life and death—if the ruler commanded a subject to die, the subject had no choice but to die.

In the face of such absolute power, how many people could truly keep their hearts as still as water and remain entirely unmoved?