Chapter 47

Daili woke the next day, looking at the marks all over her body, feeling as if she had misstepped and accidentally fallen into a vat of paint.

Or perhaps, been chewed on by a dog.

The bed was a complete mess. The brocade quilt had been soaked and then dried, leaving that patch stiff and hard, completely different from the other soft areas.

And such out-of-place spots were everywhere, from the head to the foot of the bed.

Daili's face darkened. That man really did just pull up his pants and leave, not caring at all afterwards.

Well, not entirely uncaring—he had wanted another round this morning. Daili vaguely remembered that in her bleary-eyed state, she had finally lost patience and elbowed him.

She got up and slowly put on her trousers and undergarment. Just as Daili was pondering how to deal with this bed, there was a knock at the door outside.

A light knock, then the door was pushed open.

It was Nianxia and Bipo.

"Madam, why are you up by yourself?" Nianxia hurried forward.

Looking at the two maids, Daili froze completely, the tips of her ears quickly flushing red. She belatedly realized that something extremely awkward had happened last night.

This side chamber was connected on one side to an antechamber and a small side room for servants, with a small door on each side. But those small doors were just thin layers, only serving to block the view and doing nothing to block sound.

After all, the original purpose of setting up the small side room was so that the master of the house could summon the servants inside with just a call when getting up at night.

Daili couldn't help but quickly recall last night.

Qin Shaozong had come before she fell asleep, then went to bathe and came back. Had Nianxia and Bipo left the small side room during that time?

It seemed they had not.

If they left here, they had nowhere else to stay.

Daili felt like smoke was about to rise from the top of her head.

She could accept sleeping with Qin Shaozong—they were both adults, no need to be shy or embarrassed about such matters. But as a modern person, Daili completely couldn't, like ancient ladies, treat maids as mere tools, being heard without any reservation, or even watched.

What had Qin Shaozong said last night?

That was far too much. He had been very excited, speaking without restraint, all sorts of lewd talk.

And what had she herself said last night? It seemed she had been forced to respond quite a bit as well.

Daili: "..."

"Madam?" Nianxia blinked her round eyes, not understanding.

The two pairs of eyes before her were filled with nothing but confusion, without any trace of embarrassment. Daili pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling helpless once again at the differences between past and present. "Leave the bed for now. Nianxia, please prepare a tub of water for me, I want to bathe. Bipo, could you please go into the commandery town for me and buy some things."

Bipo: "What would you like to buy, Madam?"

Daili said seriously, "Go to the pharmacy and buy five doses of contraceptive medicine for me."

Daili knew that Ding Lianxi had many medicinal ingredients prepared. If she sent someone to fetch them, she could probably get them. But as long as she still wanted to return to the advisors' circle later, this sort of matter shouldn't go through the other party's hands.

Bipo was slightly taken aback, but then said nothing, only obediently nodded, took the silver, and went to handle it.

The water was quickly heated. Daili sat in the wooden tub, the hot water soaking her skin, soothing her nerves. The tense string in her mind gradually relaxed.

The alliance between the Northern Territories and Qingzhou was already formed. Qin Shaozong wouldn't stay in Guoyun Commandery for too long. Once he set out on campaign again, he would have to abide by the rules he himself had set until the battle was over.

After bathing carefully and coming out, Daili found the bed had already been tidied up by Nianxia.

The brocade quilt had been replaced with a new one, the pillowcase on the brocade pillow had been removed, and her upper garment and skirt, which had been scattered on the floor earlier, were placed in a small bamboo basket. It could be said everything was handled very properly.

Daili: "..."

Nianxia's expression was normal. "Madam, the kitchen has prepared breakfast. Shall I bring it over for you?"

"Thank you." Daili sighed. What's done is done. Time for breakfast first.

Yanzhou, Gaoling Commandery, Fan Residence.

"Pingwei, is Quanjie here?" A pretty young lady dressed in a water-green flying bird patterned silk gown stood at the entrance of the small courtyard, peering inside.

She was not tall, but had a lovely figure, with long eyebrows and phoenix eyes. The slightly upturned outer corners of her eyes gave her a somewhat sharp look. The sunlight fell, refracting a dazzling, opulent glow from the gold hairpins covering her head, making it clear at a glance that this was a young lady raised on gold and jade.

Pingwei in the courtyard stiffened his smile for a moment, then quickly regained his previous cultured demeanor. "What matter brings Eighth Young Lady to seek Quanjie?"

Fan Muqi frowned delicately, continuing to peer inside. With this movement, the plump pearl earrings on her ears caught the eye, clearly extraordinary items. "I just have a matter. Just tell me if Quanjie is here or not."

After saying this, she murmured to herself, "Quanjie probably isn't here. If he were, he would have heard the noise and come out by now. Pingwei, do you know where Quanjie went?"

Pingwei did not know.

People like them would occasionally receive tasks from their adoptive father. Tasks were completed independently, some even requiring secrecy. Besides, his relationship with Quanjie was already bad—how could they possibly exchange information?

Seeing Fan Muqi get no answer and about to turn and leave, Pingwei grew anxious in his heart and couldn't help blurting out, "Eighth Young Lady, you are a precious branch of gold, noble and priceless. Why must you lower yourself to such an extent? That fellow Quanjie doesn't know what's good for him. All those things you sent before, he hasn't touched a single one. He just put them all in a corner, acting as if they don't exist."

Fan Muqi's face flushed red instantly—the anger of having her warm advances met with cold rejection exposed by an outsider. "This is between me and Quanjie! It's none of your business!"

Pingwei was stung by these words, feeling even more wretched.

Not to mention that Eighth Young Lady's father was Fan of Yanzhou, a powerful and influential figure, even Eighth Young Lady's own appearance was something he greatly admired.

How could she, how could she be so blind as to take a liking to Quanjie?

The venomous fire in his heart churned. Pingwei began speaking recklessly. "Eighth Young Lady, not to mention that Quanjie's status is as low as dirt, unworthy of your deep affection, just the fact that he has another sweetheart outside is enough..."

"What did you say?" Fan Muqi was shocked, her voice rising sharply. "He has another sweetheart outside? Since when?"

Pingwei avoided her gaze. "I haven't seen his sweetheart, but I suspect she must be a young lady in the medical field. Because that day Quanjie came back with medicine, and besides the smell of medicine, I also caught a faint scent of a young lady's perfume on him."

Fan Muqi glared fiercely at Pingwei, but couldn't stop her eyes from reddening.

One of her personal maidservants comforted her, "Pingwei is right, Young Lady. You are noble and priceless. Why must you lower yourself to such an extent? The weather is fine today. How about Young Lady goes for an outing outside the city?"

Another personal maidservant quickly added, "Or go find the Li family's young lady and fly kites with her..."

The words "fly kites" had barely left her mouth when her companion tugged her sleeve. The maidservant belatedly realized her slip.

The young lady had previously ordered Quanjie to make a kite for her. Going to fly kites now would only make her think of him upon seeing the object.

Fan Muqi glared at the maid and turned to leave. However, at that moment, a tall figure emerged from around the corner at the other end.

"Quanjie!" Fan Muqi's eyes instantly lit up. Originally intending to head east, she immediately changed direction and went west, heading straight for him.

Pingwei nearly ground her silver teeth to dust.

Quanjie's steps halted for a moment before he continued forward.

Fan Muqi arrived at his side, matching his pace as she walked alongside him. "Quanjie, where did you go just now?"

Quanjie replied, "Busy."

Fan Muqi chided him with a pout, "You're such a man of few words. Would saying a few more make you lose a piece of flesh?"

Quanjie remained silent.

The initial excitement of seeing him faded from Fan Muqi as she remembered another matter. "Quanjie, do you have a sweetheart outside?"

Quanjie continued walking forward in silence, not answering the question. His lack of response infuriated Fan Muqi.

The pretty young lady immediately furrowed her brows in anger, grabbing the sleeve of the person beside her. "You really have a sweetheart? I forbid it! You are a servant of my Fan family. I won't allow you to be with anyone else, do you hear me?!"

For ease of labor, those of lower status did not wear wide sleeves. Typically, they wore gouyi to tie up their sleeves, with the gouyi reaching to the forearm. The part of the sleeve above the forearm was slightly billowy, and this was precisely where Fan Muqi grabbed.

As soon as she grabbed him, Quanjie froze in place. His arm was bent at the elbow and held out to the side, trying his best to prevent Fan Muqi from touching near his waist or abdomen.

He turned his head to look at this young lady adorned with gold hairpins. "Quanjie is merely a lowly servant, not worthy of the Eighth Young Lady's concern or effort."

"I want to, and that's none of your business. I'm asking you, do you have a sweetheart outside?" Fan Muqi, worried he wouldn't speak, lowered her voice. "If you answer me honestly, I can continue to keep your secret for you."

The ghost mask refracted a cold light under the sun, and the eyes behind it held no emotion whatsoever.

Only calmness, a stillness like death.

"No," he said, just the one word.

Fan Muqi was instantly delighted. To Pingwei's astonishment, she laughed and said, "Good, I believe you. Oh, Quanjie, make me another paper kite, will you? The one you made last time got slightly torn by that clumsy Li San."

Quanjie raised his arm, breaking free from her grip on his sleeve, and continued walking forward. "Eighth Young Lady, send a servant at shenzheng to fetch the kite."

"No, I have time today. I want to watch you make it." Fan Muqi followed closely step-by-step.

The attendants serving Fan Muqi closely followed her as they filed into the simple courtyard.

"Quanjie, why aren't you using the things I gave you?"

"The place you live is so shabby, Quanjie. How about I speak to Father and have him arrange a different place for you?"

"Unnecessary. This place is fine."

...

After working for the better part of an hour, the new paper kite was finished. Holding the kite, Fan Muqi left reluctantly.

Once the group of young ladies departed, the courtyard instantly fell silent. Were it not for the faint scent of powder lingering in the air, this humble little yard seemed as if no young lady had ever visited.

Ignoring Pingwei's venomous glare, Quanjie turned and went back to his room.

Time flowed slowly. The sunset arrived and departed. As the last glimmer of daylight vanished, the earth was enveloped in a heavy darkness.

When the hour of youshi arrived, Quanjie went out again, this time not merely wandering within the estate. He left the Fan residence and, timing it just before the curfew, arrived at a certain hostel in the commandery, where he rented a room.

After night had fully fallen, Quanjie removed the ghost mask from his face and then climbed out over the hostel's inner wall. After curfew, patrols roamed the commandery, and anyone caught still wandering outside would be thrown into jail.

A tall figure nimbly avoided all patrols, heading south until he stopped before a certain residence. Beyond the wall where he stood was a tree. In summer, trees are lush and verdant, with dense branches and leaves, and the tree in this compound was no exception.

The young man listened quietly for a moment. After confirming, he took two steps back, then lunged forward in a sudden dash.

He jumped, his black boot pushing off the wall for momentum while his hand simultaneously grasped the top of the wall. Using the strength of his arms, he pulled himself up and flipped over.

Upon landing, Quanjie immediately and swiftly climbed the tree without pause.

The master of this mansion was surnamed Fang, his public identity a wealthy merchant. Behind the scenes, however, he was a secret agent for the Dong family of Yongzhou.

Relying on a map provided by others, Quanjie successfully located the servants' quarters. A quarter of an hour later, a young servant dressed in Fang residence attire emerged from within.

A few days prior, the Fang couple had quarreled over an outside mistress. The wife, in a fit of anger, had taken their young son and returned to her maiden home. Currently, the only master in the residence was Merchant Fang himself. It was said he had gone drinking with friends today and returned home heavily intoxicated.

At this hour, the master bedroom was still lit, clearly indicating its occupant had not yet retired.

Quanjie paused for a moment, then finally pushed the main bedroom door open a crack.

A strong smell of alcohol instantly wafted out.

The room was utterly silent, without any movement. Remembering the servant carrying a water basin he had avoided on his way here, Quanjie understood the situation. He quickly pushed the door open and entered.

The smell of alcohol was even stronger inside. Turning into the inner chamber, Quanjie saw a corpulent body lying on the bed. Merchant Fang had already been changed into clean inner garments. His shoulder blades and the side of his neck showed damp marks from being wiped, and a teacup had thoughtfully been placed on the small cabinet beside the bed.

If there was any imperfection, it was probably the small puddle of vomit beside the bed.

Merchant Fang had vomited after getting drunk.

The servant who had just left had likely gone to fetch cleaning tools.

Expressionless, Quanjie drew his blade. The gleaming tip of the knife aimed at the other's heart, then plunged down fiercely.

A streak of crimson splashed, "splattering" onto the bed curtains. Quanjie casually flicked the blade, about to sheathe it and leave, when he suddenly heard footsteps.

"When you see your father later, Zhouzhou, you should just... Who are you?!"

Quanjie's wandering thoughts snapped back instantly, but it was already too late.

The woman had seen the blood-stained, still-unsheathed knife in Quanjie's hand, and she had also seen the large pool of blood flowing from the bed behind him.

The woman at the arched doorway instantly went weak in the legs, nearly collapsing to the ground. She stared fixedly at the figure not far away, one hand constantly pushing her young son, who hadn't yet entered the doorway. "Zhouzhou, run! Don't worry about Mother, run!!"

The woman had already prepared herself for death. Having stumbled upon a murder scene, with the perpetrator's blade still stained with blood, another swift raise and fall of the knife would be an easy matter, wouldn't it?

Yet, strangely, she saw that face, uneven as if covered in hypertrophic scars, reveal an expression of utmost sorrow.

The woman focused her gaze to look again, only to see the other had already lowered his head, sheathed his knife, and leaped out through a window on the other side.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

...

The hostel.

A figure stepped on the moonlight, deftly scaling the outer wall to get inside. Upon returning to his room, however, Quanjie did not change clothes or prepare for bed. He stood by the window, tilting his head up to gaze quietly at the full moon in the sky.

Only when a dark cloud drifted over, obscuring the full moon from view, did Quanjie turn and go back inside. His eyes, along with his face, were submerged in the darkness, and everything returned to stillness.

Whether rivers ran dry or the seas turned to dust, nothing could stop the sun from rising again in the east the next day.

Quanjie had just returned to the Fan residence when a guard summoned him to the study.

"What of that man named Fang?" Fan Tianshi asked, sitting by the window at a small table as he brewed tea.

Quanjie: "I have dealt with the matter thoroughly, Father."

Fan Tianshi smiled. "I have full confidence in your work. Sit."

Quanjie walked over and sat down opposite him.

Fan Tianshi personally poured tea for him. "Qin Shaozong has arrived in Guoyun County at Nangong Xiong's invitation. This man is no pushover. We cannot allow an alliance between Qin and Nangong. Quanjie, there are some things you can handle cleanly the first time, and surely you can do it a second time. Am I right?"

The room fell silent, save for the gurgling of boiling water.

"Father suspects I killed Captain Lu?" Quanjie spoke, his hoarse voice betraying little emotion.

Captain Lu was the military officer who had died in the army camp not long after the alliance between Yanzhou and Qingzhou was formed. Afterwards, the Yanzhou side claimed Qingzhou was responsible for the killing. Qingzhou denied it, causing a stalemate that rapidly deteriorated relations between the two provinces.

Fan Tianshi stared fixedly at the man before him, trying to find some trace of evidence through those calm, dark eyes.

But there was none. Those eyes were too still, gazing into them felt like looking into a lifeless void.

Quanjie continued, "You gave no such order, and killing Captain Lu held no benefit for me. I beg Father to investigate clearly."

Fan Tianshi looked away, the disgust in his heart growing stronger. Simultaneously, the seed planted by his son during their conversation in the study that night swiftly took root and sprouted. He instead put on a kindly smile. "Someone came to me with an accusation, claiming Captain Lu's death was connected to you. However, your father knows your loyal character. I did not believe a single word of those baseless claims."

Quanjie: "Thank you for your trust, Father."

"But..." Fan Tianshi's tone shifted, "the method of framing and shifting blame is indeed ingenious, perfectly suited for sabotaging an alliance between two parties. Quanjie, your martial skills are exceptional. I will assign some men to accompany you. This mission requires you to eliminate a high-ranking officer in Qin Shaozong's army and frame Qingzhou for it. You must ensure the alliance between the Northern Territories and Qingzhou is broken."

Quanjie rose from his seat and bowed with clasped hands. "Quanjie accepts the command."

Fan Tianshi revealed a smile. "This matter is of great importance. If the mission fails, you must on no account reveal any connection to Yanzhou. Simply claim you are from Qingzhou. In that case, even if Qin Shaozong wants you dead, Nangong Xiong, in order to prove his own innocence, absolutely cannot allow you to be executed. You can then seize an opportunity to escape. Do you understand what your father is saying?"

Quanjie nodded. "Quanjie understands."

"Quick to grasp the point, you truly are clever. Very good, your father did not misjudge you." Fan Tianshi lowered his gaze to refill his own teacup, hiding the ruthlessness in his eyes.

If it succeeded, causing the alliance between the Northern Territories and Qingzhou to break, that would be excellent. If it failed...

His son's words also held some truth. This blade had been used for too long, long enough to gather filth. If this matter failed, then it would be the perfect opportunity to discard it.