Chapter 46

The night was deep and still. Thousands of households in the commandery had long extinguished their lamps and fallen asleep. Yet, in a side room of a certain grand residence, candlelight flickered, casting a dim, hazy glow that filled the chamber.

Qin Shaozong walked to the bedside and picked up the small mulberry-bark paper booklet resting there. Seeing his movement, Dai Li snapped back to attention. She instinctively reached out to take it back, but her hand stopped halfway and withdrew.

It was unnecessary.

There was no need to hide or conceal it. She was simply burning with anxiety, wishing she could find Zhouzhou tomorrow. Perhaps it was for the best that Qin Shaozong knew now. Maybe he also felt the investigation team was understaffed and would assign more people to her...

However, Dai Li didn't expect that after flipping through a couple of pages, he remarked, "Madam's handwriting is quite distinctive."

Dai Li was stunned, belatedly realizing she had written in the booklet using simplified characters.

He had seen them.

Qin Shaozong flipped through the remaining pages. From beginning to end, it was all written in a strange script he had never seen before, though he could occasionally make out one or two characters.

If it were just a few scattered odd characters, one could explain it away as a personal creation for encryption. But several full pages like this... it seemed less like an invention and more like a script that already existed...

Many things were already beyond clear explanation. Dai Li simply stated, "These are simplified characters. Everyone where I come from uses them."

"Simplified characters." He repeated the three words, then suddenly chuckled softly. "Rather interesting."

Dai Li's eyes shifted craftily. "If my lord wishes to learn, perhaps I could—"

Thud. The booklet was tossed onto the small cabinet.

"We can discuss that later. Right now, there are more important matters." With a casual tug, the loosely tied belt at his waist came undone.

The body of a general in his prime was tall, robust, and powerfully built. The lines and contours of his chest and back were solid and flowing. The lamplight from the side spilled over him, giving his deep-toned skin a hue like molten amber or golden honey. An intensely aggressive wildness emanated from him, the potent aura of his hormones seeming to boil the very air around them.

Then, like a fierce tiger breaking free from its cage, a vast shadow engulfed her.

Lips and teeth met. At first, it could still be considered a contest. Dai Li attempted to use softness to overcome strength, to make the man who now had her cornered against the headboard of the bed slow his pace.

But she soon found it utterly useless. He was uncontrollable, acting entirely according to his own whims, running wild.

Learning from past experience, Qin Shaozong initially cupped Dai Li's jaw with his palm, his long fingers pressing lightly against her snow-white skin, just outside her teeth.

He invaded and plundered wantonly, like a starved and savage tiger who, after a long and perilous journey, had finally arrived at a sumptuous feast meant for him alone.

Their breaths, one urgent, one deep, mingled together. The scorching heat seemed to fill her entire mouth, choking Dai Li until her eyes glistened with unshed tears and the tip of her chin began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was as if tiny sparks had been lit within the very marrow of her bones. As his assault grew fiercer, the flames traveled through her bloodstream, setting her entire body ablaze. Her apricot-colored belt was hooked and pulled loose; the embroidered belly-wrap adorned with peonies of the same color came undone as well.

A rough, grating sensation traveled up her waist, following the curve of her side like a wind carrying embers, igniting a prairie fire wherever it passed. When it reached the summit, his hand opened wide, then closed tight again.

A muffled moan escaped Dai Li's nose.

He was far from docile; in fact, he was creating havoc—alternating between tightening and loosening his grip, and at times, with deliberate mischief, using the thick calluses on his fingers to tease, twist, and pluck.

A wave of electric sensation crashed over her. Moaning, Dai Li tried to curl into herself, but with him in front and the solid bedboard behind, the space left for her was pitifully small.

Her fair fingers, clutching at his shoulder blades, tightened incessantly. Her neatly trimmed, rounded nails left several faint red trails on his taut shoulders. The slight sting only fueled his excitement further, causing the thick, dark muscles of his shoulders and back to ripple slightly.

Soft flesh, like the ripe fullness of a lychee, spilled from between his long fingers—a translucent, gleaming white so bright it dazzled the eyes, like luminous pearls glowing in the faint candlelight.

At that moment, a small bird with folded wings alighted on the windowsill. It blinked its beady black eyes, peering curiously into the room.

Strange noises drifted out from within, sounding like a tiger in the jungle crouched by a pond, lapping up water with its tongue. The little bird hopped a couple of steps closer, but was suddenly startled by a sharp, muffled sob that arose. It hurriedly flapped its tiny wings and flew away.

Inside the dim bed curtains.

As if satisfied she wouldn't try her old trick again, Qin Shaozong released his grip on her jaw. Then he pressed down on her and kissed her fiercely once more, not pulling back slightly until whimpering sounds of surrender rose from her throat.

Qin Shaozong gazed at the woman lying on the brocade quilt. Her full, lovely lips and cheeks were now flushed a deep rouge. Her eyes shimmered with watery light, holding a pool of captivating, dazed confusion that could drown a man.

Threads of a subtle, dark fragrance drifted within the curtain, brushing past his nose, skimming over his intensely excited, humming nerves. It was like pouring honeyed oil onto a raging fire, igniting a shocking greed.

He leaned down again, this time finding her plump earlobe. Nuzzling against that delicate skin, he deliberately let his hot breath wash into her ear canal.

"Qin Changgeng, you can't do this..."

Dai Li shuddered violently from his touch, desperately trying to turn away, but he pursued her until she was trapped once more in the corner of the bed. Even curled into a ball, she was forcefully unfolded, left to his mercies.

The window in the room wasn't shut completely. A breeze slipped in, causing the candle flames inside to flicker several times.

The light cast on the floor by the candles also wavered uncertainly between brightness and shadow. A stream of apricot-colored silk suddenly slipped from the bed, landing on the footstool beside it.

The wind died down, and the candlelight steadied. The apricot-colored trousers lay quietly on the footstool, forgotten.

Yanzhou, Gaoling Commandery, the Fan Residence.

In the deep of night, when most were already asleep, the study of the Fan Mansion remained brightly lit.

Fan Tianshi, along with his legitimate eldest and second sons, were gathered in the room, the three of them standing around a long table.

"Father, I never imagined Ganzhou and Xuzhou had such substantial resources!" Fan Tianshi's second son, Fan Zhongmin, exclaimed repeatedly while holding the gift list.

Not long before, a shipment of tribute from Xuzhou had been transported into Gaoling Commandery under cover of night and silently delivered to the Governor's mansion.

Currently, the Emperor of Great Yan was young and essentially a figurehead, having lost control over the various provinces. However, the provincial governors were not stingy with maintaining appearances.

Each year, they still presented gifts to the imperial court and delivered grain taxes, though exactly how much was skimmed off and how much ended up in their own pockets, only they themselves knew.

The route the tribute took to the capital wasn't hard to trace, as there were only so many official roads. And with the world growing increasingly chaotic and banditry rampant, whether these gifts successfully reached the capital depended entirely on one's own capability.

The eldest son, Fan Boliang, said, "That Quanjie is reliable in his work; his operations mostly succeed. By the way, Father, how many men did we lose this time?"

Fan Tianshi: "Three returned. One is basically useless now."

Fan Zhongmin clicked his tongue twice, his tone devoid of any pity. "Almost a complete wipeout. This Quanjie's life is uncommonly tough. I recall the last shipment from Qingzhou was also brought back by him. I just wonder how the subsequent cleanup went?"

"He has always been meticulous; it shouldn't be a problem," his elder brother, Fan Boliang, said calmly.

Their Fan family had deep roots; it wasn't that they lacked the silver, but they cared more about the significance represented by those goods. It was both to make that other prefecture appear more arrogant and overbearing before the imperial court and to conveniently frame another party.

When the east household's goods are lost, leave clues pointing to the west household as the thief, let the two families fight, and they would reap the benefits from the sidelines.

"Father, Quanjie is indeed a useful blade, but I always have an indescribable worry," Fan Boliang frowned. "Over these years, many matters have passed through his hands. He knows too much. If one day he betrays our Fan family, while it might not necessarily splash mud on us, it would still be considerable trouble."

Fan Zhongmin, seemingly reminded of something, also nodded angrily. "Father, this Quanjie is dishonest! Who knows what trick he used, he actually has Xiao Ba chasing after him. Could it be he's no longer satisfied with being a foster son and wants to become your son-in-law? Truly wishful thinking. A lowly slave with neither father nor mother, he should take a piss and look at his own reflection to see what he really is."

The Eighth Young Lady was their full-blooded sister, their only younger sister, and the two brothers had always been extremely protective of her.

"Father, have you considered changing to a different blade?" Fan Boliang whispered.

Fan Tianshi took the long gift list from his second son's hand, his eyes filled with deep reluctance and doubt. "Among the new orphans taken in these past few years, none have been particularly outstanding. Without Quanjie, no one can fill his position. Regarding Xiao Ba's matter, I have already warned him. I believe he feels ashamed of his own inadequacy and will act with more discretion in the future."

The two brothers wanted to say more, but Fan Tianshi changed the subject. "Qin Shaozong has come south. That fellow Nangong Xiong is truly reckless, actually inviting him here. It's easier to invite a god than to send him away. Hah, I'd like to see how Nangong Qingzhou will manage to conclude this in the end."

The name "Qin Shaozong" was like a massive rock thrown into a lake, stunning the Fan brothers for a moment.

Both knew that the Youzhou region originally had extremely poor terrain. In previous years, the northern kingdom repeatedly invaded, coupled with unrest in the southern prefectures, it could be said they were beset by enemies on all sides.

Yet, such a barren land had actually been revitalized. First, they absorbed fine horse breeds from the northern kingdom, then annexed territory from Bingzhou, and subsequently took control of Ying County nearby, which had salt lakes.

The former frontier marquis's capabilities were no longer limited to just guarding the borders...

"Father, just as you predicted, that northern merchant group selling saltpeter in the commandery is connected to the Qin clan," Fan Boliang said in a low voice.

"This Qin Shaozong is truly capable, actually managing to get such good things from the Hu merchants," Fan Zhongmin said, full of envy.

Fan Tianshi: "Not necessarily from the Hu merchants."

"Father?" Fan Zhongmin was surprised and doubtful.

But Fan Tianshi changed the topic again: "I recall Qin Shaozong has two sons and one daughter. Both sons are unmarried, their ages roughly matching Xiao Ba's."

"Father, are you thinking of marrying our sister to one of Qin Shaozong's sons?" Fan Zhongmin immediately looked conflicted. "But I remember the first two aren't his biological sons. The last biological one..."

Fan Zhongmin's expression was complicated. "He's the youngest, not the eldest. I've heard Qin Shaozong doesn't pay him much mind. Even if our sister married him as the principal wife, I still feel it's somewhat of a disadvantage."

Fan Boliang's face showed agreement. Their own full sister was, of course, the best in their eyes no matter what.

Fan Tianshi said coolly, "If the Fan and Qin families could form a marriage alliance, the Qin family would be a rather good destination for Xiao Ba."

The night was extremely deep, the moon having passed its zenith and now slowly slanting westward.

In this hour when the vast majority of commoners were already meeting the Duke of Zhou in their dreams, a certain residence in Guoyun Commandery remained very lively. More accurately, the activity in a small chamber remained undiminished, as both its occupants had yet to rest.

The candle had long since burned down and extinguished itself. All light within the room came from the moonlight slipping in through the window lattice.

Looking from outside the bed towards the inside, one could see a burly figure with its back turned outward, seemingly blocking something into a corner. A long, pale leg extended from the man's side, its pink-tinted heel trembling unsteadily as it rubbed against the brocade coverlet below, as if trying to borrow leverage to retreat.

But behind the corner were two tightly joined walls—no retreat possible; ahead were jagged, rock-like protrusions—advance even less possible.

Who knows what was touched, but the muscles along that pale leg suddenly tensed sharply, even the rounded toes curling tightly. After about two breaths, they abruptly went limp again.

A low chuckle sounded.

A large, dark hand grasped that section of pale leg, lifted it slightly, and hooked it over the crook of his own arm, then continued the vigorous, sweeping motions of the unfinished business from before.

"Qin Changgeng, change places, not the wall..."

Her voice seemed to carry a pool of water, the tail end trembling with an indescribable allure, making the prominent Adam's apple of the man before her slide up and down once more.

"Just now you clearly said you didn't like lying down, and now you change your mind. Not this, not that. My lady is truly terribly spoiled, so difficult to serve," Qin Shaozong laughed as he withdrew some distance.

His withdrawal was slow, every minute movement excruciatingly clear.

Dai Li humphed, instinctively tilting her head back to draw a breath, trembling too much to speak. But before she could adjust her breathing, her waist suddenly tightened. She was dug out from the corner, flipped over, and placed face down.

A colleague of Dai Li's from before kept a cat at home and often shared daily photos, including ones of the cat stretching after a nap.

She had always found that posture adorable—a furry ball curving into a slope, cute enough to melt one's heart, making anyone who saw it want to reach out and rub that furry bundle.

However, when she herself became the cat, with the small of her back firmly gripped and unable to break free, Dai Li found everything had taken a turn for the worse.

This man on the bed favored broad, sweeping motions; the phrase "gentle and refined" had absolutely no connection to him. Dominant, allowing no resistance, and with some less-than-proper minor proclivities not spoken of to outsiders.

The piled brocade coverlet before her eyes kept swaying, almost occupying her entire field of vision.

When that unbearable sensation surged up from below once more, rising to her throat, Dai Li felt as if her throat bone were being brushed by a feather tip, producing a fine, dense tingling that nearly made her cry out. Unable to help herself, she crawled forward on her knees a step, biting down on the swaying corner of the coverlet, just barely stifling the sound rising in her throat.

Dai Li was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, as if she had been steamed in a sauna. She glistened with perspiration, like she was draped in a layer of shattered starlight.

Summer is also a season of harvest, with ripe, luscious peaches displaying a moving, vivid pink on their surface.

A breeze passed, causing the heavy fruit to sway and tremble. With the occasional soft sound of a palm meeting flesh, that vivid pink deepened, as if the overripe fruit on the branch were about to burst forth with sweet juice.

Dai Li deeply felt that whether in ancient times or modern, perhaps all those in leadership positions have mastered the art of making empty promises. Whenever she felt she couldn't hold on any longer, this man would dangle a carrot before her.

"Just endure a little longer, my lady. Once we find your son, I shall treat him as a true son of the Qin family. How does that sound?"

"...Really?"

"Naturally."

Dai Li, sobbing and utterly disoriented, had the illusion that she had transformed into a fallen leaf, swept away by a violent storm.

She drifted ethereally in the wind and rain, utterly at its mercy, unable to control being lifted high, suspended mid-air only to plummet suddenly. It was as if she had just touched the ground one moment, and the next was carried onto a tightrope over a ten-thousand-foot cliff.

After being tossed about like this for what felt like an eternity, she was then swept to a mountain spring's surge point. The torrential waters rushed and churned, battering her until she felt completely shattered.

As her consciousness gradually faded into a haze, only one thought remained in Dai Li's mind: The promises he makes in bed had better be as binding as his word given in daylight!

As dawn broke, many in the estate were already awake, with the military officers beginning their unwavering morning drills.

This residence was originally an old merchant's home, so naturally it lacked a proper training ground. But it was no matter; the officers had brought their own weapons and could simply find any open space to practice martial arts.

Banquets were the best places for exchanging information. After a few rounds of drinks, those with loose tongues generally became very talkative, answering whatever was asked.

Kuang Ye was sharing with several others the information he had gathered yesterday after getting chummy and brotherly with the Qingzhou officers.

"Qingzhou suspects that the batch of tribute goods they previously sent to Chang'an was intercepted by people from Yanzhou. Because of this, there was previously some friction between their troops and Yanzhou's side."

"I also overheard a bit last night. They suspect it was a foster son of Fan Yanzhou, one called Ghost Face, who robbed the goods."

Mo Yan Yun scoffed disdainfully, "Ghost Face? Tch, what an ill-omened name. If that fellow dares to set his crooked schemes on us, I'll wring his head off and use it as a wine cup!"