Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1528: Purpose

"Nonsense, we already bathed at Clan Chief Wan’s home, and I smell better than you." Qin San Lang laughed, reaching out to pull her into his arms as she was about to turn and run away, asking, "Were you scared today?"

Gu Jinli looked up at him and said, "Do you think I’d be scared? I’m a tough girl, and I even threw a chair at a spy."

She laughed again, "Aren’t you going to praise me? Thanks to our little play, those Rong People’s Witch Army spies have already retreated."

Qin San Lang nodded, smiling, "Yes, my Xiao Yu is the smartest, solving a tricky problem with ease."

The Witch Army has always been suspicious, preferring to kill just to ensure nothing’s missed. Once they have the slightest doubt, they’ll keep watching you until their suspicions are completely dispelled, or they’ve managed to kill you, only then will they retreat their people.

Back at the Wan Family, he was pondering how to act quietly while being watched by the Witch Army’s spies, to find out what the Rong People’s Witch Army was planning in Beicang Prefecture.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yu’s play with everyone dispelled the Witch Army’s doubts and withdrew the spies, making it easier for him to act from now on.

"What about Er Ping and Xiao Erliu?" Gu Jinli said, "They’re poisoned and wounded, with the Rong People’s Witch Army watching them, they never know when they’ll be assassinated. We have to find a way to rescue them."

Qin San Lang said, "The Rong People’s Witch Army is historically suspicious, rescuing them now would reveal our association with Er Ping and them. Let’s wait a bit; when Er Ping and Xiao Erliu are sent to the Northwest Battlefield as targets, I’ll get them out."

Gu Jinli: "So, we have to be apart from Er Ping and Xiao Erliu for some time? Xiao Erliu is quite adorable."

Hearing this, Qin San Lang frowned, looking at Gu Jinli, he said seriously, "Xiao Yu, I know you value relationships, but Er Ping and the others signed death contracts as servants, acting as assassins. Being an assassin means being ready to die for the master or the mission at any time. It’s very common, it’s their fate, you don’t need to feel sorry or pity them."

Feeling he was being too cold, he added, afraid to scare her, "When they’re alive, I’ll treat them well. When they’re too old to serve the master, I’ll take care of them so they can enjoy their old age."

Gu Jinli was silent for a while, then said, "I was just asking a question, you said a lot... I understand all these things you said. In any case, we’ll try to keep them alive so they can live comfortably and well off after they retire."

She was very clear about this being ancient times, not modern. It has its own rules. Using modern sympathy, pity, and equality towards them would harm them and herself, it wouldn’t work.

"Alright, we’ll do as Xiao Yu says." Qin San Lang laughed, talking about happier things with her: "Three days later, Assistant Judge Lao will bring us the things we need. We won’t have to seek someone to buy them, and we can pay thirty percent less for the silver when the time comes, ruthlessly fleecing that dog official."

Gu Jinli laughed, "Well done! Who asked him to help that Prince Yi buy out Beicang Prefecture? He deserves to be fleeced."

Speaking of Prince Yi, she added, "Did Prince Yi really buy these things to trade with the Desert Countries? I’ve heard that Da Rong and Dongqing Country get along well, so were these things bought by Dongqing acting on Da Rong’s behalf? If so, we’re at a big loss!"

The Rong people aren’t good at mining, and their smelting technology is just average. They excel at raising horses and fighting, so many of their knives, arrows, and spears are purchased from Dongqing, or they directly rob Great Chu.

Qin San Lang also suspected collusion between Dongqing and Da Rong, but: "Right now, there’s no evidence. Prince Yi himself isn’t in Beicang Prefecture, and this was arranged by the Yin Family. Even if we find something wrong with Prince Yi buying these items, Prince Yi and Dongqing Country can deny it."

What he’s more worried about is, even if there’s evidence, even if Prince Yi admits it himself, Emperor Jingyuan wouldn’t do anything to Prince Yi.

In the current Great Chu, it’s impossible to wage war on both Da Rong and Dongqing simultaneously.

There’s a layer of skin acting as a barrier. By not tearing it apart, Great Chu can avoid the predicament of being attacked from all sides.

"The most pressing issue now is the matter of the Rong People’s Witch Army; I need to find out quickly what their purpose is in Beicang Prefecture," said Qin San Lang, "The Witch Army doesn’t move out easily."

Gu Jinli thought for a moment and said, "The Yang Family is in the charcoal business, right? The charcoal workshop seems to be in the North City, just a few courtyards away from the North City Gate. Those courtyards also belong to the Yang Family, they were bought for the servants to live in..."

Gu Jinli frowned, thumping her head once, which made Qin San Lang’s heart hurt. Holding her hand, he said, "Why hit yourself? If there’s something you can’t figure out, hit me instead."

Gu Jinli laughed and with a ’thump’ hit his head, asking, "Don’t you think the matter of the Yang Family building a charcoal workshop at the North City Gate and buying the nearest courtyards for servants to live in is quite similar to something we’ve done?"

Qin San Lang was startled and said, "You mean, the Rong People’s Witch Army came to Beicang Prefecture to dig tunnels?"

Gu Jinli nodded, "According to the current situation, the Rong People’s Witch Army coming to Beicang Prefecture is either to poison the city or dig tunnels. They certainly didn’t come to celebrate the New Year, did they?"

She continued, "Beicang Prefecture’s location is special. If they capture Beicang Prefecture, the Rong army can directly break into the Central Plains. After Daliang Prefecture falls, Emperor Jingyuan would certainly deploy all his forces to Beicang Prefecture. After the Rong people capture several cities, they’ll be exhausted, making attacking Beicang Prefecture difficult. Digging tunnels is the most beneficial way for them to capture Beicang Prefecture."

Qin San Lang was shocked by what he heard, "But the city walls of Beicang Prefecture are different from those in He’an Prefecture; beneath He’an Prefecture’s walls, there are no mechanisms, but Beicang Prefecture, as a crucial Prefecture city connecting the Northwest and Central Plains, has mechanisms underground. If they encounter these mechanisms while digging, the bell on the city tower will be rung. Excavating for tunnels won’t be easy for the Rong People’s Witch Army unless..."

"Unless what?" Gu Jinli asked, for she didn’t quite understand those ancient city walls, only thinking tunnel warfare was impressive.

Qin San Lang looked at her and said, "Unless the Rong People’s Witch Army can find the Master Craftsman who built the Beicang Prefecture city wall and obtain the map of the mechanisms buried underground!"

Gu Jinli: "Did the Imperial Palace get robbed by the Rong people?"

Beicang Prefecture was constructed by the former dynasty, the Master Craftsman has long turned into bones, but the Imperial Palace would always keep a map of the city’s construction.

Qin San Lang shook his head, "It wasn’t robbed; it was burned. Many things in the palace, including those map of city constructions left by the Master Craftsmen, were destroyed in the fire."

Gu Jinli: "Ah, why were they burned? These are treasures that should have been guarded by specially appointed people."

Qin San Lang said, "It wasn’t burned by Emperor Jingwu and others; it was ordered to be burned by the last Emperor Ai of the former dynasty."

In its few hundred years’ reign, the former dynasty was at its peak with all nations coming to court and had many formidable mechanisms and weapon designs, but all of these were destroyed in the fire. Emperor Ai left nothing for Emperor Jingwu, instead left words saying that Emperor Jingwu, a mere brutish soldier, was not worthy to inherit the former dynasty’s glory, and that a servant who stole the throne would not meet a good end!