Chapter 89

Dai Li was instantly attracted by his last sentence.

An unconventional approach?

What kind of unconventional approach?

Unfortunately, after Dai Li asked, Qin Shaozong just said leisurely, This is not the place to discuss important matters. I will tell you after we go back, Madam.

Dai Li suddenly understood. The house they were staying in now was still the same one from before. The reason Zhouzhou was able to easily stay here back then was because of his identity as a divine envoy of the Qinglian Cult.

It was indeed inappropriate to discuss how to cure the poison administered by the Qinglian Cult here.

Dai Li stopped asking.

After staying in the small mountain village for the night, the group set off again early the next morning.

Today, Qin Shaozong also rode in the carriage with Dai Li. No one dared to ride his big red horse, so its reins were loosened to let it run along with the procession on its own.

Inside the carriage.

Not long after the carriage set off, Dai Li asked him, Qin Changgeng, the unconventional approach you mentioned yesterday, how do we take it?

She had been thinking about it all along.

Qin Shaozong smiled and said, Madam, have you been thinking about this all night? Asking so early in the morning.

Can't I ask? Dai Li was dissatisfied.

Alright, of course you can. Qin Shaozong took Dai Li's hand. The sleeve of his midnight blue robe slipped down a little with his movement, revealing a section of an empty, fair wrist.

Qin Shaozong lowered his eyes, his gaze falling upon it, feeling that it was too plain.

Other women wore gold and silver, but she only had an ordinary wooden hairpin on her now. He guessed that on her journey south, she had pawned her previous jewelry for money.

Dai Li saw that after he said you can, there was no further sound.

What was wrong with this person, keeping people in suspense.

Her fine eyebrows knitted together. She pulled her hand, trying to withdraw it, but failed. That large, dark hand tightened a little. It didn't hurt her, but it prevented her from retreating.

The Qinglian Cult has existed for over a hundred years. Perhaps at first, they only had a few people who held multiple roles, telling fortunes while dabbling in talisman water and divine medicines. But after a century of development, they have established various departments with clear divisions of labor. There must be a specific group of people dedicated to developing that so-called divine medicine, Qin Shaozong finally spoke.

Dai Li's knitted brows relaxed a little. Indeed.

If it had stood for a hundred years without falling, even a small workshop could develop into a large corporation.

Since that boy can take the divine medicine, it shows he is not a marginal figure in the cult. In that case, it's not impossible for him to know the hiding place of the drug maker.

Speaking of the latter part, Qin Shaozong's thin lips curled up, and a terrifying ruthlessness appeared in his eyes. Capture these people and interrogate them with severe torture. Are you afraid we won't get a formula or an antidote out of them?

He had his own set of interrogation methods in the North. Except for those specially trained as assassins, ordinary people could not withstand such cruel torture.

Dai Li suddenly realized, This really works!

This matter should be done sooner rather than later. Although Zhouzhou had tricked Diting into carrying out another mission, lies had a time limit, especially since her son might be a minor backbone member in the cult.

As time passed, it would easily arouse suspicion.

Dai Li couldn't wait to lift the carriage curtain and called out to the young man who was not far from the carriage at this time, Zhouzhou, come here for a moment.

Hearing the voice, Qin Yanzhou turned his head. Seeing his mother calling, he rode his horse over.

The carriage curtain was rolled up. Riding on the horse, Qin Yanzhou was much taller overall. Looking down through the carriage window, he happened to see his mother's held hand.

That large, dark hand had its five fingers spread out, inserted between her pale fingers, interlocking with them tightly, holding her hand firmly in his own.

It was truly an eyesore.

Qin Yanzhou looked away expressionlessly, and his gaze softened when he looked at Dai Li. Mother, what is it?

Unable to pull her hand away, Dai Li had to turn sideways with her hands behind her back to look at her son. Zhouzhou, do you know the developer of the divine medicine? What is that person's name, and where are they?

Anxious, she asked three questions in one breath.

Qin Yanzhou paused and instantly guessed the follow-up. He didn't ask anything else, but simply recalled, People in the cult generally use code names instead of their real names. The person who makes the medicine is called the Divine Physician. I often saw him when I was still in the cult, but after I went to the Fan residence, I never saw him again.

Dai Li's heart skipped a beat.

Never saw him after going to the Fan residence?

Her son had stayed in the Fan family for seven years, didn't that mean the last time he saw the Divine Physician was seven years ago?

Qin Yanzhou continued, The Divine Physician is a thin old man with a narrow face, half-white hair, thick lips, and long ears. He has an ordinary appearance, no different from an ordinary old man. As for the location, the Qinglian Cult has countless strongholds. Liudao is busy with affairs and rarely stays in one place for long. The few times I saw the Divine Physician, he came to pay his respects on the orders of Liudao.

Dai Li was surprised and doubtful. Liudao? The Divine Physician takes orders from him. Who is he?

Liudao is the uncle of Diting and Baixiang. This person is the current head of the Qinglian Cult, Qin Yanzhou said.

Dai Li frowned deeply.

Diting looked to be in his early twenties, but he already had a large entourage and great pomp in the cult. She had felt he had a significant background at the time, but she didn't expect him to be a prince of sorts.

Not staying in one place for long, this is hard to handle, Dai Li muttered.

What's so difficult? A lazy voice came from behind.

Dai Li turned her head. Isn't it difficult? They are fighting a guerrilla war.

Qin Shaozong applied some force to his hand, making Dai Li, who was leaning on the carriage window, sit properly back in her chair. He looked straight at the young man outside the window. After returning to Xiagu this afternoon, you list out all the Qinglian Cult strongholds you currently know, and I will dispatch people to rush there immediately.

Any old man who matched the description, regardless of whether he was the Divine Physician or not, would be captured first.

Qin Yanzhou said, Not all the strongholds are in the North and Yanzhou.

Qin Shaozong chuckled lightly. So what? It's just capturing a few people, not attacking their provincial governor's office. Could it be that other provincial governors will declare war on me because of this?

His demeanor was arrogant and extremely insolent, but it had to be said that it made a lot of sense.

Especially now that Yanzhou had recently been defeated, the North's momentum was booming and unstoppable. Anyone with a bit of brains would not confront them head-on at this critical juncture.

Qin Yanzhou was silent, unable to find words to refute.

Then it's settled. Qin Shaozong made the final decision. After saying this, he raised his long arm and pulled down the rolled-up carriage curtain, isolating the inside of the carriage from the outside.

Dai Li was speechless.

After a day of traveling, at the end of the Shen hour, Dai Li returned to Xiagu.

Coming back again, Dai Li's mood was quite complex, but her sighing lasted for less than half a quarter of an hour before she had no time to be melancholy.

Qin Yanzhou was concentrating on writing. Mulberry paper was spread out on the desk, and the ink-dipped wolf-hair brush moved smoothly and gracefully on the paper, quickly listing out place names one by one.

Dai Li stood aside, becoming more alarmed the more she looked.

This, there were so many...

There were fewer in the North, but the places outside the North were densely packed. They were not necessarily in commanderies or counties; many were also outside the cities. Each stronghold was pinned on the map like a thumbtack, pulled by invisible threads to form a large, spread-out net.

After a long while, Qin Yanzhou finally stopped writing. This is all I know. Mother, I have something I want to tell you.

Hmm? Dai Li's eyes were still on the paper.

She had looked at the map booklet earlier, roughly scanning the various provinces, commanderies, and counties. Now she found that most of these strongholds were concentrated around Yongzhou.

Yongzhou, the location of Chang'an.

"Mom, I want to join the Northern Army," Qin Yanzhou said.

Dai Li abruptly raised her head, her face full of shock. "Zhouzhou, why do you suddenly want to join the army? Joining the army here isn't like in modern times. Here, you really have to go to the battlefield. Besides, the medical conditions in this era are very primitive. If you get injured on the battlefield, an infection could easily cost you your life."

At first, she was just responding to her son's words, but as she went on, her worries grew heavier, leaving her with a deep frown.

Her son wanted to join the army.

He had just broken free from the Green Lotus Cult not long ago. After risking his life for them, he now wanted to enlist and risk his life for Qin Shaozong. What kind of nonsense was this!

She was a hundred times reluctant in her heart, but her child had grown up. As a parent, she couldn't just take control of everything like she did when he was little.

Suppressing her frustration, Dai Li asked him, "Zhouzhou, why do you have this idea of joining the army?"

Suddenly, a flash of insight crossed her mind. "Is it because of me?"

Seeing the young man before her fall silent, Dai Li understood everything. She immediately said anxiously, "Zhouzhou, my greatest wish is for you to be safe and sound. Weapons on the battlefield have no eyes. If you accidentally get into a mishap and lose an arm or a leg, how do you expect Mom to live the rest of her life?"

Qin Yanzhou's eyes were stubborn. "Mom, I've grown up. I'm already a man. It should be me protecting you, but instead, I've caused you to worry about me because of those things. It is my failure as a son. I can repay the Marquis of Wu'an's favor myself. Isn't he trying to conquer the world? I can be his vanguard."

"What vanguard!" Dai Li rarely lost her temper to this extent. "Who gave you permission to risk your life for Qin Shaozong?"

...

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After the Black Valiant Cavalry arrived in Xiagu and wiped out one thousand of Sizhou's cavalry and three thousand infantry in a surprise attack, the battle had come to a close.

The Governor of Xiagu, Gao You, and the third son of the Sizhou Governor, Xie Yuanxiu, had originally been hiding in a certain residence on the city's North Street. Once the Black Valiant Cavalry completely took over Xiagu Commandery, they conducted a thorough search under Qin Shaozong's orders.

With thousands of men searching the city simultaneously, it didn't take much time at all to flush them out of hiding.

As for the treacherous Gao You, Qin Shaozong directly gave him a quick death. Tearing up the weeds by the roots, he didn't even spare Gao You's several sons.

As for Xie Yuanxiu, Qin Shaozong personally broke three of his ribs and both of his hands. He didn't kill this man immediately; keeping him alive still had its uses.

After dealing with these matters, Qin Shaozong returned to the main courtyard, thinking of having dinner with Dai Li. However, the moment he stepped inside, he heard a sentence:

"Who gave you permission to risk your life for Qin Shaozong?"

It was her voice.

She had a very easygoing temperament. Even towards the lowliest of maidservants, she spoke softly and gently. In all the time he had spent with her, he had never seen her fly into such a rage.

But now, that voice, usually as gentle as water, carried a seething anger, like boiling water about to overflow with scalding steam.

The guards stationed by the main courtyard didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.

The argument inside was fierce. They had caught a sentence or two, and even heard Lady Dai address the Marquis directly by his full name.

Calling someone by their full name, unless it was a superior addressing a subordinate, was universally regarded as disrespectful.

The guards wished they could plug their ears. But before the argument inside had even finished, the Marquis himself had arrived.

Qin Shaozong merely paused his steps slightly, then strode inside as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Dai Li was already so angry that she had stood up from her seat. Mother and son were both standing by the window, faintly forming a standoff. Just as she was about to continue speaking, a dark figure entered the corner of her eye.

Swallowing her words back down her throat, Dai Li took a deep breath. "We will talk about this later."

Qin Yanzhou did not speak.

They sat around the table for dinner. Dai Li ate this meal in particular silence, only opening her mouth to speak when Qin Shaozong asked if the strongholds of the Green Lotus Cult had been written down.

After the meal, the young man holding the roster of strongholds left with Qin Shaozong.

Watching the backs of the two leaving, Dai Li pressed the center of her brows with a headache.

After that departure, it wasn't until bedtime that Qin Shaozong finally returned.

Gao You had just been dealt with today, and his estate had not yet been cleared out. Therefore, Dai Li and her group were temporarily staying in an estate that had been listed for sale.

The main courtyard was not large. Dai Li's meager, almost negligible luggage had been brought into the master bedroom by Qin Shaozong.

The implication was obvious: she was sleeping here tonight.

Dai Li didn't say anything; she would stay wherever he arranged. However, she went to bed early today. By the time Qin Shaozong returned, the lights in the room had already been extinguished.

He pushed the door open and entered. Without lighting a lamp, he undressed by the moonlight filtering through the unlatched window.

Sleeping on the inner side of the bed, Dai Li opened her eyes upon hearing the noise, but quickly closed them again in the darkness.

Stripped down to his inner garments, Qin Shaozong casually draped his leather belt and other items over the clothes rack before getting into bed.

Summer nights were often stiflingly hot. The blanket was very thin, but Qin Shaozong didn't bother covering himself at all. The breathing beside him was uneven; he knew she wasn't asleep yet.

The man turned on his side, reached out, and scooped the person beside him into his arms, along with the thin blanket draped over her.

The room was dark, lit only by the natural little lamp of moonlight by the window lattice. The moonlight stretched inward, becoming very dim by the time it reached the bed.

Yet, Qin Shaozong seemed to have eyes capable of night vision. After pulling her close, he first kissed Dai Li's earlobe, then leaned against her ear and whispered, "That boy told me just now that he wants to join the army."

Dai Li had unexpectedly fallen into a furnace. Before she could push this oversized furnace away, she heard those words.

Dai Li's eyes snapped open. "Absolutely not!"

"He is your son. My lady has the final say in this matter. Without your nod of approval, I guarantee that no unit in the North will dare take him onto the battlefield," Qin Shaozong said.

Dai Li had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard him continue:

"It's just that the boy managed to endure ten years on his own, which proves his resilient character. He is not someone meant to remain in a small pond. Moreover, with his past experiences in the Green Lotus Cult and the Fan Manor, asking him to live a conventional, rule-abiding life now would likely be difficult."

Before Dai Li could get angry, Qin Shaozong added the second half of his thought: "Over these past few days, I've observed that he's somewhat withdrawn. He is so young, yet he lives like a little old man with no desires or demands, rarely opening up to others. Although the military has strict discipline, the camaraderie between brothers-in-arms is the easiest thing to build. If my lady worries about the blind weapons on the battlefield, why not place him in the military's rear?"

Dai Li's eyes widened slightly.

The voice pressed against her temple continued, "Find him an idle position to burn off his energy. It doesn't matter how well he does. It will satisfy the boy's demand to join the army while putting my lady's mind at ease. It's the best of both worlds, saving you mother and son from an unhappy fallout. What do you think, my lady?"

The more Dai Li listened, the more she felt it was a viable idea. She also realized that she had previously fallen into a misconception, directly equating joining the army with going to the front lines.

There were many positions in the army. The logistics cooks were part of the army, and serving as a military advisor like Nalan Zhi was also being part of the army. He didn't necessarily have to tie his head to his waistband and charge into battle with a blade to kill enemies.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Dai Li became happy, the frustration that had been pressing on her chest all evening gradually dissipating.

Hearing her relaxed tone, Qin Shaozong also hooked the corners of his lips, kissing her hair at the temples intermittently. "Happy now?"

He had some unshaven stubble on his jaw, which felt prickly when he pressed close. Dai Li turned her head away and reached out to push him. "It's hot. Go sleep over there by yourself."

Qin Shaozong laughed in exasperation.

She absolutely could not change that awful habit of hers of burning bridges the second she got what she wanted.