Chapter 97

Previously, Dai Li didn't know about the Wei family, but after hearing him mention it in the carriage, she knew now.

The Qin and Wei families were related by marriage. Even though the Wei family's daughter had passed away from illness over ten years ago, with the Qin family's growing power, the Wei family must have kept in constant contact with them over the years. Their relationship was certainly closer than that of other prominent families.

As for sending someone to observe in secret, Dai Li guessed it might be related to the "important matter" mentioned by the Commandery's Chief Clerk during the day.

These thoughts spun in her mind, but Dai Li just treated it all as gossip. His affairs had nothing to do with her.

Holding the fish soup her son had served her, Dai Li leisurely blew on it, brushed aside the chopped green onions on top, and slowly drank the soup.

The freshly stewed fish soup was incredibly delicious, with shredded ginger added. In this cooling autumn season, a bowl of fish soup warmed her entire stomach.

"Detain this person for a period of time first. Keep a strict watch and do not let him contact the outside world." Qin Shaozong's long fingers tapped twice on the desk. "Next time, there's no need to report matters concerning the Wei family during mealtimes."

Hu Bao paused for a moment, bowed with cupped hands to receive the order, and retreated.

The Wei Family.

Wei Congmu and his third younger brother, Wei Congsen, waited in the main hall, occasionally looking toward the main gate.

They had waited from early afternoon until sunset. They had drunk over a dozen pots of tea, made several trips to the latrine, paced back and forth in the main hall over a dozen times, and even played several games of chess.

From the bright sunshine, to the sun setting in the west, and finally to the complete descent of night, they still had not seen the figure of their servant returning.

"Eldest brother, the curfew has arrived. Logically speaking, he should have returned by now. But there is still no sign of him. Could something unexpected have happened? Could he have been discovered?" Wei Congsen said worriedly.

Hearing this, Wei Congmu looked anxious, but gradually, his anxiety settled into deep thought. "At that time, I sent someone to secretly follow the Marquis of Wu'an, and found that they went to the Ding family. I waited outside for half an hour and still didn't see them come out, so I left someone behind to wait. The Ding family has practiced medicine for generations. With the Marquis of Wu'an staying at the Ding family for so long, could it be that he really suffered severe injuries in the south?"

Wei Congsen gasped, taking in a breath of cold air. "Now that the Marquis of Wu'an has detained our man, does it mean he is unwilling to let the news leak? To make him this cautious... Eldest brother, could it be that the Marquis of Wu'an doesn't have much longer to live..."

Wei Congmu's body trembled.

The more Wei Congsen spoke, the more he felt it was possible. "I heard that when the Marquis of Wu'an led the army into the city today, he didn't ride a horse either. When did he become the kind of man who would choose a carriage over riding a horse? He has been going to the battlefield with his father and brothers since he was a teenager. In the past, even when injured, he would still ride his horse back to the city, never willing to show weakness. How could a habit of decades suddenly change?"

"But when I saw him today, his voice didn't sound weak. I stood by the carriage and took a glance inside; his complexion was normal, and there was even a beautiful concubine in the carriage. No matter how you look at it, he doesn't seem like someone with one foot in the grave." Despite saying this, the doubts in Wei Congmu's heart continued to deepen.

"Could the beautiful concubine be a smokescreen? I've never heard of him traveling with a beauty before," Wei Congsen guessed.

Wei Congmu stroked his beard, finding it hard to make a decision for the moment. "But that young woman is indeed as beautiful as a celestial fairy. Let alone within Yuyang Commandery, I'm afraid there is no one who can surpass her in the entire North."

Wei Congsen hadn't seen her and felt his eldest brother was exaggerating.

What kind of person was the Marquis of Wu'an? While he certainly appreciated beauty like any other man, he was fundamentally an extremely rational man, even quite cold towards women.

In his early years, he once had a favored concubine surnamed Han. At that time, the Wei family's daughter had already died of illness, and there was no main wife in the estate, making her the most prominent figure. In terms of the allowances for the women in the estate, Concubine Han ranked second, closely following Second Lady Qin.

However, it was later discovered that this woman was a hidden spy sent by Ji Province.

As for how it was discovered, it was because Concubine Han delayed sending messages to Ji Province. Ji Province sent another group of people to investigate, accidentally exposing their tracks, which led to Concubine Han being exposed.

It was rumored that the reason Concubine Han took no action was because she later fell in love with the Marquis of Wu'an and was unwilling to continue hurting him as Ji Province's hidden blade.

The Marquis of Wu'an hated betrayal and deception the most, nor did he like women interfering in his political affairs. After the fact that Concubine Han was a spy was exposed, she disappeared from the Marquis's estate.

Some said the Marquis of Wu'an remembered their past affection and couldn't bear to kill her, merely driving her out of the estate; others said Concubine Han died. From the moment the spy matter was exposed, her identity was no longer just a woman, but an inside agent for Ji Province.

And when it came to dealing with inside agents from other provincial factions, the Marquis of Wu'an naturally had his own set of protocols.

Wei Congmu said, "It is still too early to draw conclusions now. We'll observe again tomorrow."

Upon observing, Wei Congmu saw the Marquis's estate acquiring medicinal herbs with great fanfare.

Soldiers poured out in full force, heading to various medical clinics in the commandery to massively purchase medicinal herbs.

In addition to this, merchants coming to the North were not spared either. Any merchant caravan carrying medicinal herbs was stopped. The soldiers took a list to make their selections first, then left behind silver and money before swaggering off.

Medicinal herbs flowed into the Ding family's residence like water.

At the same time, a carriage drove out from the Ding family. Someone saw that the driver was a personal guard from the Marquis's estate. In the moment the carriage curtains were blown up by the wind, some people also said they saw that old gentleman from the Ding family with the most exceptional medical skills.

This was a huge deal. Rumors immediately spread throughout the commandery, and people became panic-stricken.

Some people stated with absolute certainty that the Marquis of Wu'an had been hit in a vital spot by a poisoned arrow on the battlefield, which was why he didn't ride a horse when entering the city, but stayed in a carriage the whole time.

Others said that the Marquis of Wu'an was indeed injured, but his life was not in danger, and his unwillingness to ride a horse was simply because he wanted to accompany the beautiful concubine inside the carriage.

Opinions varied widely, and there was no definitive conclusion.

Many people turned their attention to the Marquis's estate, observing the actions of the two young masters. And amidst all these open and secret gazes, a carriage drove out from the Marquis's estate.

"My Lord, the Eldest Young Master requests an audience," Hu Bao reported.

When Hu Bao arrived, Qin Shaozong was in the main courtyard, looking over a list together with Dai Li.

Qin Shaozong said, "Let Yunce come over."

Hearing about the Eldest Young Master, and then hearing him directly ask the person to come over, Dai Li said to Qin Shaozong, "I'll go check on Zhou Zhou."

Just as she stood up, her arm was grabbed by a large, dark hand. Qin Shaozong pulled her back, and Dai Li sat back down on the chair, ending up even closer to him than before. "Madam, do not go disturb Old Mister Ding. In case it distracts him and he accidentally inserts the needle in the wrong place, having to redo the needle is a minor issue, but that boy being mistakenly pricked in the wrong acupoint is a major matter."

Dai Li immediately showed her dissatisfaction. "You absolutely must not say things that doubt a doctor's medical skills in front of the old gentleman. No, actually, you shouldn't ever say such things again."

It was already not easy for him to agree to treat the illness, yet he dared to doubt the man's medical skills!

Qin Shaozong chuckled, "Alright."

Dai Li still wanted to leave. This time, she didn't look for other excuses, but stated it plainly, "Your eldest son is coming to see you. It's inappropriate for me to continue staying here. I'll go take a stroll in the back garden."

Qin Shaozong didn't let go. "What is inappropriate about it?"

Dai Li struggled with her hand a bit. "You father and son haven't seen each other for a long time. You definitely have a lot to talk about, and it might even involve military secrets. I won't get involved."

"Madam is already my advisor. What secrets are there that you cannot listen to?" Qin Shaozong curled his lips.

Dai Li choked on her words for a moment.

Qin Shaozong added, "You have even become good friends with Nalan Wugong. He has not talked politics with you any less, has he? And as for Qiao Wangfei and the others, you told them to interact more with that boy and take him along for morning exercises, and they agreed faster than you could blink. Tell me yourself, Madam, where have you not meddled?"

Dai Li was speechless.

Back then, she used the strategist as an arrow to poke him, never expecting it to become a boomerang one day.

"Then I have other important matters to attend to." Dai Li stood up again.

Qin Shaozong leaned lazily against the soft chair, resting one hand on the armrest to prop up his chin, while his other hand held onto her tightly. "The important matters Madam speaks of, could they be tinkering with the broken grass and tree bark you had people collect this morning?"

Dai Li was speechless once more.

How could reeds and paper mulberry bark sound so awful coming out of this man's mouth?

Dai Li clicked her tongue lightly. "Qin Changgeng, do not underestimate these things. Using them as materials, you will only need to blow a single breath to start a fire."

The principle of the fire starter was to preserve a spark by depleting oxygen. Both paper mulberry bark and reeds contained rich fibers, making them excellent combustibles. As soon as new oxygen entered the bamboo tube, the spark would instantly flare up.

It was a pity that sweet potatoes had not yet appeared, otherwise sweet potato vines would have worked even better.

Once the fire starter was invented, having hot pot and barbecue would be much more convenient in the future.

...

Not far away, at the entrance of the main courtyard.

Qin Yunce stopped in his tracks, wondering for a moment if he was dreaming. Otherwise, why would he hear a young woman directly calling his uncle by his courtesy name, and his uncle, instead of being angry, actually wearing a rare smile on his face?

"Eldest Young Master, please," Hu Bao said, gesturing with his hand.

His voice not only snapped Qin Yunce back to reality but also alerted the two people sitting by the window in the main room.

Qin Yunce composed himself and entered the courtyard at a steady pace, then stepped into the main room. He stopped a few steps away from the long desk, cupped his hands, and bowed. "Your son pays his respects to Father, and congratulates Father on your triumphant return."

The young man stood sideways to the sunlight, wearing a white robe with a gold-trimmed crossed collar, his figure appearing quite thin.

"Yunce is here." Qin Shaozong pulled Dai Li back to the seat beside him, making her sit with him.

Qin Yunce raised his head, then lowered his gaze. With great restraint, he avoided looking at Dai Li and instead focused on Qin Shaozong's hand resting on the desk. "Father, there have been many rumors in the commandery recently, all saying that you were injured on the battlefield and are now in critical condition. Do you need your son to send people to stop these rumors?"

Before seeing the man himself, he had indeed been deeply worried, fearing that his uncle was truly severely injured as the rumors claimed, perhaps even at death's door.

But just now at the courtyard entrance, he had clearly heard his uncle speaking with a strong and resonant voice, even having the mood to joke with a young woman. It was definitely nothing serious.

His heart settled back into his chest.

While Qin Yunce spoke, Dai Li observed this young man, who was wearing a white robe similar to her son's.

He must have inherited his father's physique, being quite tall, around eight chi. His posture was rather lean, and his face carried an unhealthy pallor, making it hard to tell if he was recovering from a recent illness or had been frail since birth.

Dai Li felt that he only resembled Qin Shaozong around the nose; the rest of his features bore no trace of him.

Compared to Qin Shaozong's ruggedness and sharpness, the young man's appearance was much gentler. His skin was pale, his contours soft, and his features far less aggressive.

If Qin Shaozong was a mighty longsword that had just drunk blood and awed all directions, the young man was like a porcelain cup illuminated by the morning sun, somewhat fragile, somewhat warm, and possessing a touch of leisurely elegance. He gave off a very comfortable impression, completely devoid of any invasiveness.

Qin Shaozong was fully aware of the matters outside. "There is no need to worry about the rumors for now. Let the storm brew for a few more days."

After briefly brushing over the outside situation, Qin Shaozong brought up another topic. "Have members of the Wei family visited the Qin residence recently?"

Qin Yunce nodded. "Before your return, they came a total of four times. The first two times, Aunt visited looking for Qinian. Seeing that Qinian was not there, she went back. The third time, Eldest Uncle came to visit, and he spoke to me about the conflict between Second Uncle and the Cai family. The fourth time Eldest Uncle came to the door again, I did not see him."

A few days ago, the conflict between the Cai and Wei families had caused an uproar in the city. Disputes between prominent families were common, and Qin Yunce initially thought nothing of it.

Until, his younger brother, who had been grounded by their uncle for a long time and forbidden from stepping into the military camp, suddenly went to the suburban barracks, and was even brought there by Yan San. Not long after his brother left the estate, Aunt Wei came to the door looking for Qinian.

Qin Yunce acutely sensed an unusual atmosphere.

This premonition rapidly intensified when his brother did not return to the city for a period of time afterward, so he began to intentionally or unintentionally avoid contact with the Wei family.

When they sent greeting cards, he claimed to be ill and refused to see them. Since he had never been very healthy anyway, claiming illness did not seem abrupt.

"You do not need to pay attention to the Wei family's affairs. I have my own arrangements," Qin Shaozong said.

Qin Yunce smiled and nodded. Just as he was about to say something, a gust of wind blew in from outside, and he could not help but cover his mouth and cough, taking a long time to stop.

Qin Shaozong frowned. "How is your health recently? Old Mr. Ding is in the estate now. Have him take a look at you later."

Qin Yunce slowly exhaled. "Thank you for your concern, Father. I am completely fine. Coughing when exposed to the wind is an old ailment; wearing more clothes will suffice. Moreover, I have been continuously taking the warm tonic prescribed by Old Mr. Ding previously, so there is no need to trouble him again."

Qin Shaozong also knew that this nephew's poor health was not a matter of just a day or two.

His eldest sister-in-law went into labor early with her first child, and Yunce was born prematurely, making his constitution weaker than ordinary children.

Later, his blood brother died in battle on the battlefield. While he was busy dealing with the traitors to avenge his brother, he failed to notice, and his eldest sister-in-law, who had been childhood sweethearts with his brother and deeply in love after marriage, committed suicide for love.

The nephew, who was already old enough to remember things at the time, suddenly lost both parents. He suffered from insomnia and continuous high fevers, narrowly surviving. From then on, he completely became a medicine pot.

Qin Shaozong insisted, "It is better to have a look. He is in the estate anyway. Since you are already here, stay for dinner today before going back."

Qin Yunce obediently nodded.

Qin Shaozong changed the subject and suddenly introduced Dai Li. "Madam, this is Qin Yunce, my eldest son. He is nineteen, the same age as that boy Qin Yanzhou. You can just call him Yunce."

Then he looked at Qin Yunce. "This is my Madam, surnamed Dai, as in the distant mountain Dai. You must not be disrespectful to Madam in the future."

Qin Yunce was shocked. Putting aside the myriad of thoughts that flashed through his mind at that moment, he simply cupped his hands and bowed to Dai Li again.

Qin Shaozong's hand was still resting on Dai Li's arm, as heavy as a thousand catties, not giving her the slightest chance to stand up.

Dai Li fully accepted Qin Yunce's bow without returning it at all.

Later, when Qin Yanzhou returned from his treatment, he saw an extra person in the courtyard. Through introductions, he learned that it was Qin Shaozong's eldest son. The two younger generation members met for the first time and exchanged greetings.

Just as Dai Li had expected, her son was very indifferent and spoke pitifully little. It was rare for him to meet someone of the same age, but he showed no intention of making friends, treating it entirely as just knowing the name of one more person.

Dai Li sighed in her heart.

The four of them sat around the table and had dinner together.

That evening, after a comforting bowl of fish soup, Qin Yunce rode his carriage back to the Marquis Manor, a pleasant warmth lingering within him.

As night fell, the glowing lanterns of countless households flickered out one by one.

In the dead of night, when the world was swallowed by a single blanket of darkness, a silhouette vaulted over the wall as nimbly as a cat, slipping silently into the estate where Dai Li resided.