Along the way, Dai Li told Yun Rong she needed to relieve herself. Yun Rong’s mind was still buzzing, and at first, she didn’t respond. Only when Dai Li stood up did she hurriedly signal Tao Xiang to follow and attend to her.
Dai Li paused but didn’t object.
The two went to the eastern privy in the backyard.
Shortly after the wooden door closed, Dai Li called out to Tao Xiang outside, "I need to change into a fresh menstrual belt. Go fetch one from the carriage for me."
"My lady, I have it with me." Tao Xiang didn’t leave but instead pulled a small cloth pouch from her sleeve. She had risen above the other maids precisely because of her meticulousness.
Knowing how exacting Dai Li could be in certain matters—such as never reusing the expensive silk menstrual belts, instead burning each after a single use—Tao Xiang dared not be careless. When traveling, she carried Dai Li’s menstrual belt in a small pouch, ready for use at any moment.
Behind the door, Dai Li furrowed her delicate brows. After a brief pause, she opened the door and took the menstrual belt from Tao Xiang. Once the door closed again, she glanced down, then suddenly let go.
The menstrual belt fell to the ground.
"Tao Xiang, I dropped it just now—I didn’t hold it properly," Dai Li said, her voice laced with irritation.
Unlike modern sanitary pads, which are thin and flat, a menstrual belt had multiple straps for wrapping around the waist, making it thick when folded. Tao Xiang’s pouch only held one, and now, staring at the empty bag, she was at a loss.
"Is there another menstrual belt in the carriage? If so, go fetch it," Dai Li instructed.
The traveling carriage had two small chests for storing spare clothes and small items for emergencies. Tao Xiang quickly replied, "There’s another belt in the carriage, my lady. Please wait a moment—I’ll fetch it right away."
Dai Li agreed and waited inside until Tao Xiang’s footsteps faded into the distance. Then she swiftly opened the door.
"My lady, what do you require?" asked the young attendant she summoned, bowing respectfully.
Dai Li handed him a handful of coins. "Deliver a message to your manager for me…"
The afternoon sun was waning, its golden rays softening as dusk approached, painting the sky like a master’s oil painting. In the Moonlight Residence, a servant walking through the backyard paused to admire the sunset, oblivious to the hushed conversation near the eastern privy.
Dai Li pressed the coins into his hand. "Handle this discreetly, and this is your reward."
The attendant bowed even deeper, eager to comply.
Dai Li then turned back to the privy, barely shutting the door behind her before Tao Xiang returned in a fluster with the fresh menstrual belt.
Once finished, mistress and maid returned to the dining hall.
As Dai Li entered, she sensed a gaze from the side. Turning, she met the eyes of the Moonlight Residence’s manager. She gave him a slight nod, and he responded with a polite smile.
Though puzzled, the manager recalled the attendant’s emphasis on "personal discretion" and wisely kept silent.
Nobility and wealthy merchants guarded their privacy fiercely. If this lady had come with a companion yet acted covertly, she clearly didn’t want it known. The Moonlight Residence’s policy was to follow orders without unnecessary questions—never overstep.
Dai Li resumed her seat beside Yun Rong. When the meal was nearly done, she suggested, "Come, Sister Yun, let’s visit the Western Market to see the exotic Persian cats."
Yun Rong’s lips trembled, her head spinning.
When exhaustion weighed heavily, rising after sitting was a struggle—and she was in precisely that state.
The air hung silent for a few breaths.
At last, the marquis’s willful concubine seemed to show a sliver of consideration. "Sister Yun, are you tired?"
Yun Rong nearly teared up—finally, this block of wood had learned empathy! Seizing the opportunity, she said, "I am quite weary. Perhaps we should return to the estate?"
"I’m not tired and could keep exploring. But since you are, rest here awhile. I’ll go to the Western Market for half an hour and return to meet you later," Dai Li declared matter-of-factly.
Yun Rong stiffened. "Sister, that’s hardly proper."
"You said you were exhausted—what’s improper about it? I’ll only be gone briefly, not hours. Besides, with maids and guards accompanying me, what could go wrong?" Dai Li rose from her seat.
Yun Rong’s resolve wavered.
Dai Li didn’t give her time to reconsider. "It’s settled. Rest here at Moonlight Residence while I visit the market. I’ll return soon. Don’t worry, Sister Yun—given our bond, if the marquis asks tonight how my outing went, I’ll tell him you were the perfect host and I enjoyed myself immensely."
Yun Rong watched Dai Li’s retreating figure, mouth slightly agape, but no words came out.
Jiang Mansion, Guest Courtyard.
Mo Yanyun, having received the secret report, said excitedly, "My lord, last night Jiang Chonghai sent a messenger to Ying County to relay the news. It seems he’s taken the bait."
Once Li Zan confirmed their route, he would act. This campaign involved the elite Xuanxiao Cavalry, renowned for their invincibility. In a direct clash, they’d stand no chance.
But an ambush was different.
By lying in wait at a choke point, flanking the enemy, and disrupting their formation with a small strike force, they could easily decimate the majority of their forces.
"He may not be entirely convinced," Qin Shaozong mused, studying the sheepskin map spread on the table. "Jiang Chonghai has always been suspicious. This alone isn’t enough."
He tapped a spot on the map—his encampment outside the city. His finger traced eastward briefly before returning, then moved southeast. "Since I declared at the banquet that we’d take the central and lower routes, let’s make a show of it. Send troops fifty li down both paths, then pick a spot near water—but not too close—to set up camp and cook meals, pretending to be the vanguard."
His gaze shifted to the upper route, a faint smile in his brown eyes. "Meanwhile, dispatch a small scout party to quietly survey the upper route. With my wife’s ‘unintentional’ slip earlier, Jiang Chonghai will surely have spies watching that path. Seeing is believing—once he confirms the central and lower routes are decoys, he’ll be eighty percent convinced."
The best way to deceive a paranoid man was to let him think he held all the cards.
They would indeed take the upper route—not as the cicada, but as the oriole waiting to devour the mantis.
A knock sounded at the door.
Qin Shaozong glanced at Yan San, who went to answer. After a hushed exchange, he returned, his expression grave.
Mo Yanyun frowned. "What’s happened? Did Jiang Chonghai change plans, or is there trouble in Ying County?"
Yan San shook his head. "Neither. It’s about Lady Dai."
Mo Yanyun was about to dismiss it as trivial when Yan San added, "My lord, the guards report that within a five-li radius west of Nankang County, they found no residence matching Lady Dai’s former home."
Qin Shaozong, who had been studying the sheepskin map, suddenly looked up.
Meanwhile.
After leaving the Moonlight Residence, Dai Li headed toward the West Market.
During her stroll through the markets the previous day, she had already gathered information about the different districts of Nankang County.
The East Market was mostly filled with teahouses, eateries, and inns. The North Market housed numerous fabric shops, jewelry stores, bookstores, and pawnshops. The South Market, a quieter area relatively distant from the other districts, had become a neighborhood for the wealthy and noble.
The West Market, on the other hand, sold all kinds of ingredients—rice, flour, oil, spices, and various vegetables. Occasionally, hunters who caught wild rabbits, boars, or snakes in the outskirts would bring their game here to sell. Additionally, foreign merchants from the Western Regions sometimes sold exotic goods like spices and even live animals such as civets alongside their wares.
Dai Li arrived at the West Market by carriage, and as soon as she stepped out, her pace slowed.
It was now early in the hour of Shen (around 3 PM), and with sunset just an hour away, the best cuts of meat and freshest produce had already been sold out in the morning. The West Market in the late afternoon was noticeably less bustling than it had been earlier.
The stalls in the West Market were arranged with care—grains and oils in one section, butcher shops occupying a corner, fruit and vegetable vendors grouped together, and then—
A row of elevated stalls, built with stacked bricks into small square enclosures.
The ground here was noticeably wetter than elsewhere, and scattered glimmers of light occasionally caught the eye, like tiny stars embedded in the earth.
Compared to other areas, there were far fewer vendors here. Along the row of stalls, only a handful of merchants remained, most of them already packing up.
As she approached, Dai Li caught a strong whiff of fishy brine.
"Madam, this place sells seafood—it's dirty and smelly. Perhaps we should go elsewhere," Tao Xiang whispered.
Dai Li seemed lost in reminiscence. "My hometown is in the southern waters, where the fish markets were incredibly lively, with countless varieties of seafood. After coming north, I’ve always wanted to find even a faint trace of home. But some things, no matter how much gold or silver you possess, aren’t easily obtained."
A fishmonger who had been packing up paused, his nose keenly catching the scent of money. "Madam, what kind of seafood are you looking for? Fish, turtles, shrimp, crabs, or perhaps shellfish and seaweed? Ah, if you’d like some exotic marine delicacies or sea cucumbers, that can also be arranged—though the price would be considerably higher."
The "exotic marine delicacies" and "sea cucumbers" the fishmonger referred to were rare seafood and trepang.
Dai Li’s eyes brightened slightly. "You can really get them? Let me be clear—I only enjoy live seafood. I have no taste for dead fish or spoiled shrimp."
The fishmonger grinned, flashing a row of white teeth. "Rest assured, Madam. Though the Hutuo River’s currents are far swifter than ordinary rivers, making upstream travel much more time-consuming and laborious, if you truly wish to purchase these delicacies, I can have my men divide the cargo among smaller boats. Light vessels move faster upstream, ensuring the goods stay fresh and alive."
Dai Li’s heart raced uncontrollably.
The Hutuo River!
This great river, flowing west to east through Shanxi and Hebei, actually passed near Nankang County.
The "Tuo" in Hutuo meant "torrential," a testament to the river’s fierce currents and surging waves. Traveling downstream was effortless—boats could cover hundreds of miles in a single day. No wonder the saying went, "A thousand miles to Jiangling in just one day."
The Hutuo River flowed eastward. If she boarded a boat downstream, she could quickly put distance between herself and Nankang County, disembarking midway to change course and head south toward Hangzhou.
