Chapter 80

Leave Xiagu amidst the chaos!

Once this thought emerged, it grew wildly like weeds, quickly occupying Dai Li's entire mind.

It seemed there was no better time than now. When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits. She was going to be the fisherman.

But there was another problem. Dai Li quickly glanced at the tightly shut door and lowered her voice by a notch, "Zhou Zhou, can you leave the Green Lotus Sect freely?"

Qin Yanzhou was still wearing his mask. Dai Li couldn't see his expression clearly, but she saw his eyes slowly lower.

Dai Li's heart skipped a beat.

Could it be...

Just as she wanted to ask in detail, the young man spoke, "I can leave. If nothing unexpected happens, a major conflict will break out between the North and Sizhou soon. Mama, when that happens, we will leave amidst the chaos and head south to Yuzhou."

Dai Li felt a bit more reassured.

He could leave. Zhou Zhou would head south with her.

Dai Li asked, "To Yuzhou? Is Yuzhou more peaceful? How does it compare to Chang'an?"

As the capital of the dynasty, it should be much better than other places, otherwise where would the monarch's pride be?

However, with warlords dividing the land now, the ministers being strong and the ruler weak, it might indeed be true that some places were safer than Chang'an.

Qin Yanzhou explained, "The Governor of Yuzhou is indecisive and content with his corner of the world. He has always had few conflicts with other provinces. He has a son who is skilled in both pen and sword, with extraordinary strength. Whenever there is an irreconcilable conflict with other warlords, this second legitimate son leads the troops into battle."

Dai Li understood. So this Governor of Yuzhou was a conservative peacemaker, but because he had a capable son, he wasn't considered a pushover.

He belonged to the type of "I'm easy to talk to, but if you really bully me, I'm not powerless to fight back."

Dai Li: "Alright, then we'll go to Yuzhou."

"Mama, this is a human skin mask. I will teach you how to use it." Qin Yanzhou took out a small bag from his chest.

There were quite a few things in the bag. Dai Li recognized one of them: fish glue. She had always heard that fish glue was one of the raw materials for disguises, and now it seemed to be true.

Qin Yanzhou seemed very busy. He didn't stay long. After carefully teaching Dai Li how to use the human skin mask, he said, "The next time I come to find you, it will be time for us to leave. Wait for me."

Dai Li agreed.

Qin Yanzhou left.

Dai Li sat on the chair, still holding the small cloth bag in her hand, feeling as if she had forgotten to say something.

She stared blankly at the small cloth bag for a moment, but still couldn't remember. Dai Li simply stopped thinking about it and earnestly fiddled with the fish glue in her hand.

Since she had decided to travel far, besides disguises, there were many other things to prepare.

Clothes, travel expenses, travel pass...

Right, the travel pass!

Although her travel pass had been altered, it still sounded identical to the surname "He". If she used this pass to exit the city gates, she might be stopped.

Dai Li fell into deep thought.

*

"...This is going too far!" Xie Yuanxiu kicked over the desk in front of him. His nostrils flared, and his eyes were bloodshot, clearly furious.

"Please calm your anger, Third Young Master." A trusted confidant beside him tried to persuade him. "The Marquis of Wu'an has been acting arrogantly for more than just a day or two. An arrogant army is bound to lose. He will eventually pay the price for his recklessness and flamboyance."

Xie Yuanxiu took a deep breath. "You're right."

Turning his head, he asked his confidant again, "How was the city patrol today?"

The confidant hesitated for a moment before saying, "Not very optimistic. Nine out of the ten squads encountered interceptions. It was all the people from the North deliberately picking fights. The remaining squad visited several major inns in the commandery again, searching according to Mr. Diting's new ideas, but still found nothing."

Xie Yuanxiu remained expressionless. "What are the casualties?"

The confidant: "Ten dead, fifteen severely injured, and over thirty lightly injured."

Xie Yuanxiu clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking loudly. "Qin Shaozong!"

"Third Young Master, Mr. Diting has arrived," a servant came to report at this time.

It took Xie Yuanxiu a long while to rein in his anger.

When Diting entered, he saw Xie Yuanxiu standing in the main hall. The desk was overturned, teacups were shattered, and tea spilled all over the floor.

It was a complete mess.

Diting stopped in front of the pile of fragments. "The summer days are scorching, and the weather is dry. It seems that even Third Young Master's anger is hard to extinguish. However, I have a fire-fighting plan. I wonder if Third Young Master would like to hear it."

Xie Yuanxiu's eyes lit up. "What brilliant plan do you have, sir? Please speak. I am all ears."

Diting made a small joke, "With the hall in such a mess, I'm afraid there's nowhere for Third Young Master to wash his ears."

Understanding the underlying meaning, Xie Yuanxiu said, "This way, please. Let's go to the study to discuss in detail."

Inside the study.

After the servants served tea and withdrew, Xie Yuanxiu couldn't wait to ask, "I wonder how you plan to put out the fire, sir?"

"The Marquis of Wu'an arrived in Xiagu the afternoon before yesterday. It's been over a day now. The time isn't very long, but it's enough for him to spread the news and let the whole city know that people from the North have arrived in Xiagu," Diting said.

Xie Yuanxiu, solely focused on hearing the brilliant plan, didn't think much of it. "So what?"

"Haven't you noticed that she still hasn't made a move?" Diting smiled.

It was as if a spring breeze brushed past Xie Yuanxiu, instantly sweeping away all his anxiety and lifting his spirits. "You mean, she doesn't want to go back!"

Indeed. If she were willing to go back, she would have returned to the Marquis of Wu'an's side the moment she heard the news. But now that the news had been spread for so long, there was still no movement.

She might not want to go back!

Diting brought up a past event. "A few months ago, she met the Marquis of Wu'an in Nankang Commandery and was used by him to set up a trap to deceive the Prefect of Nankang Commandery. Dissatisfied with the Marquis of Wu'an, she used a small trick to shake off her personal maid and fled alone by boat to Taiping Commandery. And now, several months have passed. It seems the beauty's original intention remains unchanged."

Xie Yuanxiu suddenly felt physically and mentally relaxed, and a different kind of lofty aspiration arose within him.

He hadn't properly interacted with her, which was why she felt she had no other choice. If she experienced his goodness, she would definitely abandon the Marquis of Wu'an and choose him.

Diting continued, "Right now, neither you nor the Marquis of Wu'an have heavily armed forces by your sides. Prefect Gao You is a key figure. We must win this person over."

Xie Yuanxiu frowned, however. "That's easy to say, but easier said than done. Gao You is an official of Yanzhou. He will definitely obey the orders of the Marquis of Wu'an. Who can blame him, now that Yanzhou has changed owners."

"Third Young Master is mistaken."

Diting smiled and said, "Whether Yanzhou is surnamed 'Qin' or 'Nangong' is still undecided. The Marquis of Wu'an only brought about two hundred people with him on this trip to Xiagu. Who can deny that this isn't a good opportunity? As long as the Marquis of Wu'an dies, the North will fall into chaos. Qingzhou will definitely take advantage of the chaos to bite off a fat piece of meat from the North. By then, Qingzhou will probably only be able to take care of the eastern part of Yanzhou at most. As for the west..."

"The west will belong to Sizhou!" Xie Yuanxiu said excitedly.

The boundaries of each province were set in the past, but in the current situation, who would dare to say it would always be so?

"It is true that Gao You is the Prefect of Yanzhou and is temporarily taking orders from the Marquis of Wu'an. But has he ever thought about it? Yanzhou is only so big, and the number of commanderies and counties is fixed. The North and Qingzhou won't even have enough time to carve it up between themselves, so how could they leave a position for a mere Gao You?" Diting said unhurriedly.

Xie Yuanxiu was taken aback, feeling enlightened.

Right, there were only so many important official positions, and they would definitely be replaced by their own people. Gao You, an 'old minister of the previous regime,' certainly didn't have many days left. Rather than sitting and waiting obediently to be replaced, it would be better to take a gamble!

"Prefect Gao is currently just blinded by dark clouds and cannot see the future clearly. The Third Young Master invited him out to appeal to his emotions and reason with him. At worst, he can promise that if things don't work out, he will allow his entire family to move to Sizhou, and you can arrange another official position for him in Sizhou. I believe he will know what choice to make," Diting said.

Xie Yuanxiu was overjoyed. "You are absolutely right, sir. I will send someone to deliver the message immediately."

Diting replied with a smile.

*

Teahouse, a private room on the second floor.

Compared to the Prefect's estate, the Gao Residence, the people of the North had recently preferred to discuss matters in the teahouse.

Situated in a bustling area, the teahouse offered a wide view overlooking the street. Not only did it help them avoid the eyes and ears within the Gao Residence, but it was also advantageous for observing the movements of the city's military patrols.

"My Lord, there is still no news," Mo Yanyun said, his voice lowered.

The news had been released for over a day. Logically speaking, with Sizhou blatantly searching for someone beforehand, any change in the city's current atmosphere should have been enough to spark heated discussions among the commoners during their leisure time.

Many people were discussing it, and a large number were paying attention, yet there was absolutely no sign of Madam Dai.

Mo Yanyun secretly raised his eyes.

His superior stood by the window. The sunlight fell on his sharply contoured face, reflecting not a hint of warmth, only a chilling sharpness and an imposing authority that made one tremble.

"She is hatching some wicked scheme again." Qin Shaozong coldly took off his heavily cracked jade thumb ring.

She had yet to appear, and at this point, what could he possibly not understand? Her wild fox-like heart must have grown restless again, fully intent on running away.

She needed to be taught a lesson!

The jade thumb ring drew a beautiful arc in the air, landing accurately in a small bamboo trash basket not far away. The impact upon landing was somewhat forceful, and the already cracked jade ring shattered into pieces.

"My Lord, what should we do now?" Mo Yanyun asked with a bitter expression.

It was not ideal for them to be away from Bairi City for too long. Setting aside the situation in Qingzhou, this place was ultimately too close to Sizhou. Furthermore, they had also clashed with Third Young Master Xie. What if the other party mobilized heavy troops over...

Qin Shaozong, however, said, "Have Feng Feng and the others come over. Call all of them, don't leave a single one behind."

Mo Yanyun was stunned, not understanding why, but he obediently went to pass on the order.

Two quarters of an hour later, all the high-ranking military officers arrived in the room.

Qin Shaozong's gaze swept across the crowd one by one.

These men, who moved like the wind on the battlefield and lived with their lives on the line, now felt their backs stiffen under that gaze which suppressed a volatile temper.

They all stood up straight, and no one dared to speak.

"Have any of you told anyone else about the mother-and-son relationship between Madam and that boy?" Qin Shaozong finally spoke.

"My Lord, we have not intentionally spread this matter. However, after the young master took Mister Nalan as his teacher, some people in the army must have guessed it," Feng Feng stated truthfully.

Qiao Wangfei nodded and added, "The guards on duty at the estate all knew about it at the time. After all, the young master has always lived in the main courtyard with Madam Dai, and the mother and son bear a striking resemblance to each other. It's not difficult to guess that they are related by blood. Later, after the young master's apprenticeship ceremony was completed, a banquet was held in the army, and I heard some soldiers who knew the inside story mention a word or two about it."

Qin Shaozong asked again, "Of the guards who knew the inside story back then, how many have followed me to Xiagu this time?"

But just as he finished asking, Qin Shaozong corrected himself, "Never mind. Pass my order to all the squads. From today onwards, it is strictly forbidden to discuss or spread the relationship between Madam and Qin Yanzhou. Violators will be dealt with according to military law!"

The men were momentarily stunned.

Kuang Ye blinked his puppy-dog eyes and was the first to react. "My Lord, do you suspect that the young master is a member of the Green Lotus Cult?"

The forces opposing them were now clear. One was Sizhou, and the other was the Green Lotus Cult.

"It's not a suspicion; it's a certainty." His words were resolute and resounding.

Qin Shaozong's eyes were heavy. "Fan Tianshi and the Governor of Sizhou do not have deep ties, and the two provinces have been at peace for many years. But a few years ago, Fan Tianshi already had an ambiguous relationship with the Green Lotus Cult. If I were the leader of the Green Lotus Cult, I wouldn't completely trust this noncommittal ally either. Planting an insider in his estate is very common."

He just hadn't expected the other party to be so ruthless as to break a twelve-year-old child's legs and throw him at the entrance of the Fan Residence.

These were things Qin Shaozong had found out later, and he hadn't told her. At that time, she could cry until she fainted just from seeing a few extra scars on that boy. If she knew her son's legs had been intentionally broken, her tears would probably flood the entire estate.

Since she had chosen to escape the Green Lotus Cult back then, she naturally wouldn't take the initiative to show her face and draw close to them now.

But if the mother-and-son relationship were known to the Green Lotus Cult, she would absolutely be used and threatened by those with ulterior motives.

The men immediately realized the severity of the matter and assented one after another.

"My Lord, I once heard a rumor about the Green Lotus Cult. Although I'm not sure if it's true or false, I think it's necessary to tell you," Kuang Ye said.

He was different from the others. Kuang Ye had stayed in Bingzhou for seven years. And the governor of Bingzhou didn't loathe spirits, gods, and Daoism like Qin Shaozong did, so he had come into contact with these things more than the others.

Qin Shaozong: "What rumor?"

Kuang Ye: "I heard that the Green Lotus Cult would bestow a kind of miraculous medicine upon certain important cult members. Some say that after taking it, one would feel refreshed, their strength would increase, and it could even prolong life. If one were injured, they would instantly forget the pain."

"Playing tricks to deceive people." Qin Shaozong sneered. "If it could truly prolong life, that prescription would have been offered to the late Emperor long ago, or even earlier to Emperor Wu and the others in exchange for the position of State Preceptor. How could it be the turn of the subordinates to enjoy it?"

Kuang Ye shook his head, however. "My Lord, the main point is not the benefits, but the subsequent drawbacks. I heard that if this medicine is taken continuously for a course of treatment, and then rashly stopped afterwards, there is a risk of one's intestines being pierced and stomach rotting."

The mockery on Qin Shaozong's face instantly vanished.

The others were all startled.

"Is this true?"

"How is this a miraculous medicine? It's clearly poison!"

"Kuang Ye, where did you get this news?"

Facing everyone's chattering, Kuang Ye spread his hands. "I said earlier that this is just hearsay. I don't know the specific truth or falsehood of it either."

This teahouse had been completely booked by the people of the North. The attendants were not allowed on the second floor. Now, with the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from outside, it could only be their own guards.

"My Lord, your subordinate has an urgent matter to report."

The guard was summoned inside.

"My Lord, you previously ordered us to secretly keep an eye on Prefect Gao. Just now, he sneaked out. He was wearing hemp clothes and didn't even take a carriage. He left through the side door on an ordinary cargo donkey cart and went to a remote winery in the city," the guard reported.

The crowd was in an uproar.

"Acting so low-profile, it seems the person he is meeting must absolutely not be known to My Lord! If he isn't meeting Third Young Master Xie or someone from the Green Lotus Cult, I'll twist my head off and let him use it as a chair."

"What a Gao You, he has quite a lot of cunning tricks up his sleeve!"

"My Lord, this Gao You is dishonest. You clearly hinted to him that if he obediently followed orders, it wouldn't be impossible for him to keep his position as Prefect. I didn't expect him to still dare to pull a stunt like this."

"A man whose heart is not content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Fortunately, My Lord had the foresight to make other preparations in advance."

"It's a pity there was no one in the winery. We don't know what they talked about."

The guard from just now said, "Men have been left near the tavern to keep an eye on Prefect Gao's movements at all times."

*

Wearing a straw hat, Gao You emerged from the winery. He glanced left and right at the door, and only after ensuring there was nothing unusual did he quickly climb into his donkey cart.

With a crack of the whip, the donkey trotted off, its hooves clattering all the way to the prefectural governor's manor.

By the time Gao You returned to the manor, the sky had already grown dim. Weighed down by his thoughts, he headed straight for the inner courtyard, intending to unwind and ease his fatigue.

Concubine Ruan was Gao You's favorite concubine. She was a specially trained Yangzhou beauty gifted to him by others in his early years. He doted on her deeply, and over the past dozen years, she had borne him two sons and a daughter.

Delicious dishes and a pot of fine wine were laid out on the low table. However, Gao You was too troubled to eat much; instead, he drowned his sorrows in the wine.

Concubine Ruan continuously poured his drinks, gently asking what was causing him such great distress.

As the alcohol went to his head, Gao You suddenly felt a strong urge to confide in her. Yet, he didn't speak directly about the political situation, choosing instead to use an analogy.

"...So, what you mean, Husband, is that there are currently two shop owners who both want to hire you as their manager. The first is a newcomer you haven't dealt with before, and the two of them have jointly taken over the shop you originally worked for. The second is a familiar neighboring owner who wants to ally with you to secretly acquire your current shop," Concubine Ruan said.

Gao You nodded drunkenly. "Exactly. If it were you, how would you look at it?"

"I come from humble beginnings and don't understand grand principles, but I always remember one saying: 'Man struggles upwards, just as water flows downwards.' A good life is something you must fight for yourself. As long as there is even the slightest chance for things to get better, you cannot miss it! Just like back then, when I fell in love with you at first sight, Husband, I used every bit of skill I had to make sure you kept me."

Hidden from Gao You's view, the eyes of his beloved concubine gleamed with an eerie, calculating light.