Chapter 91

Bairi City.

After a tiring journey, Dai Li followed Qin Shaozong back to Bairi City.

Having been separated from Nianxia and Bipo for nearly two months, the two maids wept tears of joy upon seeing Dai Li again.

Seeing their expressions of mingled remorse and overwhelming shame, Dai Li merely comforted them by saying she had not suffered. She was too embarrassed to admit that, later on, she simply had not wanted to come back.

The very first thing Dai Li did upon returning to Bairi City was take her son to see Ding Lianxi.

The Green Lotus Cult was hostile to the Northern Army, and Qin Shaozong himself harbored a deep disgust for religious sects and talks of ghosts and spirits. Therefore, during the consultation, Dai Li only said, Mr. Ding, my son accidentally ingested a poison while we were away. I heard that once this drug is taken, one must take an antidote regularly, otherwise it will cause their intestines and stomach to rot away. Please, sir, could you check his pulse?

Ding Lianxi immediately turned serious. Young Master, please sit down and extend your right hand.

Qin Yanzhou did as he was told.

Ding Lianxi began to feel his pulse.

Dai Li watched from the side, her heart rising into her throat as Ding Lianxi's brows gradually furrowed. After a long while, seeing him withdraw his hand, she hurriedly asked, Mr. Ding, how is my son...

When she spoke, her voice carried an unconscious tremble.

Madam Dai, the Young Master's pulse is calm and steady. Please forgive my lack of skill, but I cannot detect any signs of poisoning, Ding Lianxi replied.

Dai Li felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.

How could there be no abnormalities?

Zhouzhou, tell Mr. Ding in detail what happened last night, Dai Li said to her son.

When she woke up this morning, she noticed her son was looking unwell and asked if he had not slept well the night before. It was meant to be a casual question, but it led her to unexpectedly discover that something was wrong with him.

After some probing, Zhouzhou finally told her that he had felt unwell during the night.

Severe ringing in his ears, dizziness, and abdominal pain.

Dai Li's immediate reaction was that the poison was acting up.

The abdominal pain started late last night around midnight and lasted for two hours. Around three in the morning, I heard a buzzing sound in both ears... He paused for a moment before adding, It sounded a bit like insects flapping their wings.

The color completely drained from Dai Li's face.

Around four in the morning, I felt dizzy and lightheaded for about half an hour, as if I were floating in the clouds. But after five o'clock, when dawn broke, everything returned to normal, Qin Yanzhou explained, detailing everything.

Ding Lianxi's expression grew solemn. He asked Qin Yanzhou to extend his hand again and took his pulse a second time.

This time, the pulse-taking lasted even longer than before. Afterward, Ding Lianxi carefully examined Qin Yanzhou's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, but the result remained the same.

Ding Lianxi looked deeply ashamed. Madam Dai, I cannot find anything unusual. The Young Master's pulse is slightly floating, but it is autumn now, so it is normal for the pulse to be a bit more restless than usual.

Mother, I am fine. Everything went back to normal after dawn, Qin Yanzhou comforted her.

Ding Lianxi pondered for a moment. How many times has the Young Master experienced these symptoms recently?

Qin Yanzhou: Roughly once every ten days, always at night.

Ding Lianxi frowned in amazement. To be this regular is truly unheard of. Madam Dai, I am powerless and cannot see the root of the problem. Perhaps when we return to Yuyang, I can introduce the Young Master to my grandfather.

Dai Li naturally agreed, thanking him repeatedly. By the way, Mr. Ding, my son just mentioned hearing the sound of insects flapping their wings. Is it possible... that there are bugs inside his body?

In Dai Li's understanding, things like Gu bugs only existed in television shows or novels.

In history, the most famous record of such unorthodox practices was the Wugu witchcraft scandal during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. However, that was merely Liu Che's belief that someone was cursing him with sorcery. Setting aside the involvement of wooden puppets, the mere fact that it was based on his belief made it highly subjective; whether it actually happened or not is hard to say.

But the Great Yan Dynasty, where Dai Li currently found herself, did not exist in the history she knew. Although the general environment was similar to the Qin and Han dynasties, it was not entirely the same. For instance, items like stirrups had appeared ahead of time.

Therefore, was it possible that some bizarre and mystical things also existed in this era?

Ding Lianxi sighed. We cannot rule out the possibility, but for the specifics, I will need my grandfather to take a look.

Then I will leave it to Mr. Ding to help make the connection when the time comes, Dai Li thanked him once again.

You are too polite, Madam Dai.

Dai Li's thoughts drifted, wondering when they could return to Yuyang. If Qin Shaozong was not going back so soon, could she take Zhouzhou there first to seek medical treatment?

...

While Dai Li was taking her son to see Ding Lianxi, Qin Shaozong was receiving a guest in the main hall.

Nangong Xiong had come knocking.

He disliked tea and much preferred wine, so Qin Shaozong had wine brought up, and the two drank merrily together.

Qin Changgeng, you were gone for over a month, and I guarded White Sun City perfectly for you. How about it? I am quite the loyal friend, aren't I? Nangong Xiong said, gripping his wine goblet.

Qin Shaozong raised his cup to him. Naturally, you are.

Nangong Xiong laughed. When I invited you south to form an alliance, I had made up my mind to weather the storms with the North, so I naturally wouldn't break our pact. However, business is business. Qin Changgeng, you slaughtered every male member of the Fan family, and my future son-in-law died by your hands. You destroyed my son-in-law, so shouldn't you compensate me with a new one?

Hearing this, Qin Shaozong knew the man hadn't come simply to drink with him.

Qin Shaozong invited him, It is almost mealtime. Why don't you dine at my estate?

Nangong Xiong had deliberately arrived right at mealtime specifically to eat at the Qin estate and prolong their conversation. Then I will respectfully accept.

Qin Shaozong ordered his attendants to prepare the food.

Just as he turned back, he heard Nangong Xiong continue, Neither of your two sons is married. What would be the harm in just picking one to give to me?

This was laying his cards completely on the table.

The hand holding Qin Shaozong's wine goblet paused slightly. Yunce is my elder brother's son. Back then, my brother and sister-in-law passed away one after another, leaving behind a five-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl. As the saying goes, when a person is gone, the tea cools. There were many opportunists within the clan and outside who bullied the helpless orphans. So, I had them acknowledge me as their father, just to stop others from bullying them openly or in secret.

Hearing this, Nangong Xiong thought to himself: Since they acknowledged you as their father, you are still the one who has the final say in their marriages.

But Yunce was already old enough to remember things back then, and he had a very deep affection for my brother. At first, he was unwilling to accept my proposal. I had to explain the situation to him and promise that when he reached adulthood, if he wanted to change it back, he could openly be his biological father's son and go back to calling me uncle. That was the only way it worked, Qin Shaozong said.

Nangong Xiong was greatly astonished. Are you serious? Qin Changgeng, you aren't tricking me, are you?

How could acknowledging a father be something you could just do and undo so casually?

Why would I trick you? In the Qin clan's genealogy, the two siblings are still recorded under my brother's name. Qin Shaozong let out a soft scoff, then fell silent for a moment. I feel indebted to my brother. How could I forcibly steal his children?

Nangong Xiong muttered, "How old is he again? When is his coming-of-age ceremony?"

Qin Shaozong replied, "He is nineteen and will be crowned this winter."

Nangong Xiong's mind raced. What he valued was Qin Shaozong's power. If this eldest son were to acknowledge his biological father, marrying his daughter to him would be completely useless.

Thus, Nangong Xiong changed his tune and asked, "What about the younger one? I haven't heard of your son being betrothed."

Qin Shaozong lazily swirled his wine goblet, watching the liquid ripple inside. "The moment he was born, his mother arranged a childhood betrothal for him."

Nangong Xiong inhaled sharply. "Which family?"

"A lady from his mother's side of the family," Qin Shaozong said.

Qin Shaozong was the second son of the Qin family. Initially, the entire Qin clan centered around his older brother, who had married into the prominent Jiang family of Yuyang.

When it was his turn to marry, his father told him that the Wei and Wu families were planning an alliance through marriage. If the Qin family ignored this, the Wei family would be won over by the Wu family.

The Qin and Wu families were blood enemies. First, there was the death of an heir at the other's hands, and later, a fierce struggle for the position of provincial governor. The two families fought bitterly.

Meanwhile, the Wei family was one of the major clans in Yuyang.

Seeing the impending Wu-Wei alliance, Father Qin and the clan elders could no longer sit still. Realizing they still had a legitimate second son, they simply pushed this younger son forward to marry into the Wei family.

Given the situation at the time, both the Qin and Wu families were courting the Wei family. Knowing they had nothing to fear, the Wei family adopted a very high and mighty stance.

Later, the Wei family astutely sensed that this son-in-law from the Qin family was likely no ordinary man. Striking while the iron was hot, at the hundred-day banquet celebrating the birth of their maternal grandson, the Wei daughter who had married into the Qin family took the lead in arranging a childhood betrothal between her son and a girl from the Wei family.

Of course, Qin Shaozong only told half the story, leaving out some of the unexpected turns that happened later.

Nangong Xiong frowned deeply.

Of the two sons, it was uncertain if the older one could even be kept, and the younger one's marriage was already settled, which meant he was also off the table.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed Nangong Xiong's mind. "Right, I heard that Nalan Wugong recently took in a disciple named Qin Yanzhou. In the past, so many capable and ambitious men tried to become Nalan Wugong's disciple, only to return in failure. How did this Qin Yanzhou become the exception? His surname is Qin. I remember you once said that Quanjie is a child of the Qin family who was abducted in his youth and eventually ended up under Fan Tianshi's command. Could it be that this Qin Yanzhou is actually Quanjie? And now he has simply abandoned his past, changed his name, and presented himself anew to the world."

As he spoke, he stroked his chin and murmured, "The name Qin Yanzhou sounds somewhat familiar for some reason..."

The hand with which Qin Shaozong was swirling his wine goblet suddenly stopped.

It had to be said that to become a powerful provincial warlord, Nangong Xiong truly had his extraordinary qualities.

Nangong Xiong had been observing Qin Shaozong all along, and seeing his reaction, he chuckled. "It seems my guess is correct. You previously said he was the son of an old friend. Who is this old friend? A man or a woman?"

Nangong Xiong's last question was just a casual remark, but unexpectedly, the man beside him shot him a sidelong glance and actually said, "Nangong, you talk too much today. Are you drunk on wine?"

"The old friend is a woman?!" Nangong Xiong exclaimed in surprise.

His mind instantly spun through several possibilities. A child of the Qin family, an old friend... Could it be that this old friend was an old flame of Qin Changgeng, and that boy was the son she secretly gave birth to?

"My younger brother has a legitimate daughter. She is fifteen, beautiful, and has a gentle disposition. What do you think about betrothing her to Qin Yanzhou?" Nangong Xiong probed.

The fact that Qin Changgeng was willing to spend so much effort cleaning up that boy's mess showed that he valued him exceptionally. The future of the eldest son was still undecided, and the second son no longer had a chance. Therefore, it was better to first secure Qin Yanzhou, whose identity was temporarily unclear but certainly wouldn't be too bad.

Although his younger brother's status was not as high as his own, and his niece was not as beautiful as his daughter, their family background was still prominently established; it would not be a disgrace to him.

Qin Shaozong's tone was cold. "Not interested."

If he dared to promise that boy's hand in marriage, her merely tearing the roof off would be getting off lightly. She would likely just take her son and run away from home again without a second thought.

Nangong Xiong was about to press the matter, but at that moment, the army cooks brought in the meals. As soon as they entered, Nangong Xiong subconsciously sniffed the air, catching a very overpowering and rich aroma.

Fragrant, truly fragrant!

"What delicacies are we having today?" Nangong Xiong's attention was immediately diverted.

"Stir-fried mutton with Sichuan peppercorns, along with a fish soup simmered from pan-fried fish," Qin Shaozong replied with a smile.

The two men ate at separate low tables, each served an identical portion.

When the clay dishes were presented on the table, the usually alcohol-loving Nangong Xiong forgot the fine wine in his cup for the very first time, staring unblinkingly at the meat in front of him.

It was no exaggeration; the aroma was absolutely mouth-watering.

He didn't stand on ceremony with Qin Shaozong. Picking up his jade chopsticks, he grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

At that moment, the rich flavor danced across his taste buds, shocking Nangong Xiong so much that his pupils contracted. He marveled greatly, "This makes life in the mortal realm worth living!"

He then turned and asked, "Qin Changgeng, where did you conjure up such a delicacy?"

"My wife ordered the kitchen to make it." Qin Shaozong also picked up his chopsticks.

Nangong Xiong paused his chewing, inexplicably recalling the woman who had followed Qin Shaozong on his military campaign, along with certain rumors. "Does that lady have the surname Dai?"

Qin Shaozong nodded, not denying it.

"Tsk, you sure are lucky." Nangong Xiong felt a twinge of sourness in his heart. The dragon-bone water wheel was such an incredible invention; farmers all over the realm were deeply grateful to the Northern Lands because of it.

Originally, Nangong Xiong had timed his visit right at mealtime, planning to eat and negotiate simultaneously. He had been determined to grab one of Qin Shaozong's sons today to take back as a son-in-law. However, once he started eating, apart from those initial few sentences, he spent the entire time with his head buried in his food, eating ferociously and unable to spare a moment to say another word.

Taking this all in, Qin Shaozong felt as if he were looking at his past self. He couldn't help but smile, his thoughts drifting far away.

Returning to the city today, she would probably take that boy to find Ding Lianxi right away. He wondered what the outcome would be.

The meal concluded.

Nangong Xiong was still left wanting more. His stomach was full, but his appetite had not diminished in the slightest. Having just finished this meal, he was already anticipating the next. "Qin Changgeng, how did Lady Dai cook this mutton to make it so incredibly fragrant? Tell me the recipe."

Qin Shaozong replied, "I won't tell you."

Nangong Xiong thought he had misheard. But looking at the man again, his face was completely relaxed, and the corners of his mouth held a smirk that made one's fists itch to punch him.

Right, he hadn't misheard. That fellow Qin Changgeng was doing it on purpose.

Nangong Xiong voiced his dissatisfaction, "It's just a delicious dish. Why should a grown man be so stingy over it?"

Qin Shaozong said, "This recipe is managed by my wife. Nangong, if you really want to know, why not find some precious treasures that ladies love? If she is pleased upon seeing them, she might just tell you."

*

Yuyang Commandery.

Qin Shaozong's ancestral home was in Youzhou. As the core of Youzhou, Yuyang Commandery had grown far more prosperous than other regions as Qin Shaozong's power and influence became increasingly prominent.

Many powerful and prominent families gathered here, with the Qin, Jiang, Wei, Zou, and Cai families enjoying the greatest prestige, standing as top-tier powerful clans.

A few years ago, there was also the Wu clan. Unfortunately, they suffered a series of defeats in their power struggle against the Qin clan and were ultimately forced to withdraw from Yuyang's aristocratic circle.

Several great, prominent families were rooted in Yuyang like intertwining vines. One family would be bound to another by marriage, while that family would share deep, complex ties with yet another.

Naturally, where there were good relationships, there were also bad ones.

Frictions, both great and small, were a constant among the clans. Major conflicts arose over official positions, military merits, and land, while minor disputes involved the younger generation showing off their wealth or fighting over women.

Today, a playboy from the Zhang family might beat up a young master from the Li family. Tomorrow, the Sun family might throw a lavish banquet for friends and relatives, deliberately excluding a certain family just to humiliate them.

Incidents of all sizes emerged one after another, providing the local commoners with fresh gossip every few days. Recently, however, a rather significant event shook Yuyang Commandery.

Wei Conglin of the Wei family, after drinking with his friends, accidentally beat a man to death.

The victim was no stranger. It was Cai Pei, a scion of the Cai family and a commandery commandant, who had recently had a bitter falling out with Wei Conglin.

As luck would have it, the relationship between the Cai and Wei families was already quite poor to begin with.