My Mother is the White Moonlight of a Tyrant - Chapter 46: Summer Harvest

Chapter 46: Summer Harvest

In the deep silence of midnight, when thousands of households in the county had extinguished their lights and fallen asleep, candlelight flickered in a side room of a large mansion, casting a dim glow that filled the chamber.

Qin Shaozong walked to the bedside and picked up the small mulberry bark paper booklet resting there. Seeing his movement, Dai Li snapped back to awareness and instinctively reached to retrieve it, but withdrew her hand halfway.

There was no need.

There was no need to hide it—she was burning with anxiety, wishing she could find Zhou Zhou by tomorrow. Perhaps it was just as well that Qin Shaozong knew now; maybe he too felt the inspectorate team was understaffed and would assign more people to her…

However, Dai Li didn’t expect him to remark after flipping through a couple of pages: Madam’s handwriting is quite distinctive.

Dai Li froze, belatedly realizing she had written in simplified characters in the booklet.

He had seen it.

Qin Shaozong flipped through the remaining pages—consistent throughout, all in a strange script he had never seen before, though he could occasionally recognize a character or two.

If it were just a few scattered peculiar characters, one could explain it as creating a personal code for encryption. But pages filled entirely with such writing suggested not invention but an existing writing system…

Many things had become inexplicable, so Dai Li simply stated: These are simplified characters. Everyone where I’m from uses this script.

Simplified characters. He repeated the three words, then suddenly smiled. Rather interesting.

Dai Li’s eyes shifted cunningly. If the Lord wishes to learn, perhaps I could…

Thud. The booklet was tossed onto the small cabinet.

We can discuss that later. Right now, there are more important matters. Qin Shaozong casually tugged at his loosely fastened waistband, and it came undone.

The Military General in his prime stood tall and powerfully built, his chest and back displaying solid, flowing contours. The nearby lamplight fell upon his dark skin, giving it a tone like molten beeswax and gold, while an intensely aggressive wildness emanated from him, his potent hormonal presence seeming to boil the very air around them.

Then, like a tiger bursting from its cage, a vast shadow engulfed her.

When their lips met, it could initially be considered a contest. Dai Li attempted to counter force with flexibility, hoping to make the man who had trapped her in the corner of the bed slow his pace.

But she soon found it utterly useless—he was uncontrollable, acting entirely according to his own whims.

Learning from previous experience, Qin Shaozong first cupped Dai Li’s jaw with his palm, his long fingers gently pressing against her snow-white skin to part her teeth.

He swept inside like a starved fierce tiger that, after long journeys and numerous dangers, finally feasts upon its exclusive lavish banquet.

Their breaths—one urgent, one heavy—mingled, the scorching heat seeming to flood her entire mouth, choking Dai Li until moisture welled in her eyes and the tip of her chin trembled uncontrollably.

Tiny sparks seemed to ignite within her bones, and as his assault intensified, flames traveled through her bloodstream across her body. Her apricot-colored belt was hooked and pulled open, and the Waist Wrap embroidered with peonies of the same hue loosened along with it.

A rough, grating sensation traveled up her waistline, like a wind carrying embers, leaving raging flames in its wake wherever it passed. When it reached the summit, his hand spread open and then closed again.

A muffled groan escaped Dai Li’s nostrils.

He was far from docile, even causing deliberate chaos—alternating between tightening and loosening, occasionally tormenting her by using the coarse calluses on his fingers to gently gather, slowly twist, stroke, and tease.

An electric sensation surged through her, and Dai Li hummed, attempting to curl into herself. Yet, with him in front and the solid bed behind, the space left for her was pitifully small.

Her fair fingers, clinging to his shoulder blades, involuntarily tightened. Dai Li’s neatly trimmed, rounded nails traced faint red marks across his tensed shoulders. The slight sting only fueled his excitement, causing the thick, dark muscles of his shoulders and back to ripple faintly.

Soft flesh, like ripe lychees, spilled from between his long fingers—a translucent, dazzling white that shimmered like luminous pearls under the faint candlelight.

At that moment, a small bird with folded wings alighted on the windowsill. Blinking its beady eyes, it peered curiously into the room.

Strange sounds drifted from within, reminiscent of a tiger crouching by a pond in the jungle, lapping water with its tongue. The little bird hopped a couple of steps closer but was suddenly startled by a sharp, muffled sob. It hastily fluttered its tiny wings and flew away.

Inside the dimly lit silk curtains.

As if confirming she wouldn’t repeat her earlier resistance, Qin Shaozong released his grip on her jaw. Then, pressing down on her, he kissed her fiercely until a whimpering sound of submission escaped her throat before pulling back slightly.

Qin Shaozong gazed at the woman lying on the brocade quilt. Her full lips and cheeks were now flushed with a deep blush, her eyes glistening with a captivating haze that threatened to drown anyone who looked too long.

Faint, wispy fragrances drifted through the curtains, brushing past his nostrils and skimming over his feverishly buzzing nerves. It was like pouring honeyed oil onto a raging fire, igniting an astonishing greed.

He leaned down again, this time seeking her rounded earlobe. Nuzzling that delicate skin, he deliberately breathed hot air into her ear.

“Qin Chang Geng, you can’t do this…”

Dai Li trembled violently from his actions, desperately twisting away from him. Yet he pursued her, finally cornering her against the edge of the bed. Even curled into a ball, she was forcefully unfolded, left entirely at his mercy.

The window in the room wasn’t fully closed, and a breeze slipped in, causing the candle flames inside to flicker several times.

The candlelight cast shifting patterns on the floor, now bright, now dim. A stream of light suddenly slid from the bed, falling onto the footstool beside it.

The wind stilled, and the candlelight steadied. On the footstool lay an apricot-colored undergarment, quietly abandoned and unnoticed.

Yanzhou, Gaoling County, Fan Residence.

In the deep of night, when most had long since fallen asleep, the study of the Fan estate remained brightly lit.

Fan Tianshi, along with his eldest and second sons, gathered around a long table in the room.

“Father, who would have thought Ganzhou’s wealth would be so substantial!” Fan Tianshi’s second son, Fan Zhongmin, exclaimed repeatedly while holding the gift inventory.

Not long before, a shipment of tribute from Xuzhou had been transported under cover of darkness into Gaoling County, slipping silently into the Governor’s mansion under the veil of night.

Though the young Emperor of Great Yan now held little more than a nominal title and had effectively lost control over the provinces, the regional governors were not stingy with superficial gestures.

Each year, they presented tributes to the imperial court and paid grain taxes as required. However, how much was skimmed off and how much ended up in their own pockets remained known only to them.

The route for delivering these gifts to the capital wasn’t hard to trace, given the limited number of official roads. Yet, with the world descending into chaos and bandits running rampant, whether these gifts successfully reached the capital depended entirely on one’s own resourcefulness.

The eldest son Fan Boliang remarked, That fellow Quan Jie handles affairs reliably—he succeeds at nearly every task. By the way, Father, how many casualties did we suffer this time?

Fan Tianshi replied, Three returned, one of them practically useless.

Fan Zhongmin clicked his tongue twice, his tone devoid of any regret. Almost a total wipeout. Quan Jie’s life is uncommonly tough. I recall the last shipment from Qingzhou was also retrieved by him. I just wonder how thorough the cleanup afterward was.

His attention to detail has always been sharp—it shouldn’t be a problem, his elder brother Fan Boliang said calmly.

The Fan family’s foundations ran deep; it wasn’t the silver they lacked but the significance behind those goods. They aimed both to embolden certain prefectures before the imperial court and to conveniently shift the blame.

If the eastern household lost something, they’d leave clues pointing to the western household as the thief, inciting conflict between the two while reaping the benefits from the sidelines.

Father, Quan Jie is indeed a useful blade, but I can’t shake this vague unease, Fan Boliang frowned. Over the years, he’s handled many matters and knows too much. If he ever betrays our Fan family, while it may not stain us deeply, it would still cause considerable trouble.

Fan Zhongmin, stirred by some thought, nodded angrily. Father, that Quan Jie is untrustworthy! Who knows what trickery he used to make Little Eight chase after him? Does he no longer content himself with being an adopted son and now aspire to become your son-in-law? What a delusion! A lowly orphan with neither father nor mother—he ought to take a piss and see what he really is.

The Eighth Young Mistress was their full-blooded sister, their only younger sister, and the two brothers had always cherished her deeply.

Father, have you considered replacing him with another blade? Fan Boliang whispered.

Fan Tianshi took the long gift list from his second son, his eyes filled with deep reluctance and doubt. Among the newly adopted orphans in recent years, none have stood out particularly. Without Quan Jie, no one can fill his role. As for Little Eight, I’ve already warned him. I expect he feels ashamed and will exercise more discretion in the future.

The two brothers wished to say more, but Fan Tianshi shifted the topic. Qin Shaozong has headed south. That fool Nangong Xiong is acting recklessly by inviting him. It’s easier to invite a deity than to send one away. Hah, I wonder how Nangong Qingzhou will manage the aftermath.

The name Qin Shaozong fell like a boulder into a lake, stunning the Fan brothers momentarily.

Both knew that the Youzhou region had once been plagued by terrible conditions. In previous years, frequent invasions from the Northern Kingdom, coupled with unrest in the southern prefectures, had left it besieged on all fronts.

Yet, that barren land had been revitalized. First, by acquiring fine horse breeds from the Northern Kingdom, then annexing territories from Bingzhou, and finally seizing Ying County with its nearby salt lakes.

The Lord who once merely guarded the borders now wielded influence far beyond mere defense…

Father, just as you predicted, the Northern Territory merchant team selling Salty Stone in the commandery has ties to the Qin clan, Fan Boliang said quietly.

That Qin Shaozong truly has skill, managing to obtain such fine goods from the Hu merchants, Fan Zhongmin remarked enviously.

Fan Tianshi said, It may not necessarily be from the Hu merchants.

Father? Fan Zhongmin exclaimed in surprise.

But Fan Tianshi changed the subject again. I recall Qin Shaozong has two sons and a daughter. Both sons are unmarried, and their ages could roughly match Little Eight’s.

Father, are you considering marrying my sister to Qin Shaozong’s son? Fan Zhongmin immediately showed a conflicted expression. But I recall the first two aren’t his biological children, and that biological son…

Fan Zhongmin hesitated, Being the youngest, he doesn’t hold the position of eldest heir. I’ve heard Qin Shaozong doesn’t think much of him. Even if sister becomes his official wife, I still feel she’d be somewhat shortchanged.

Fan Boliang nodded in agreement. In his eyes, his own sister was naturally the best in every way.

Fan Tianshi said coldly, If the Fan and Qin families were to unite through marriage, the Qin household would actually be a rather suitable destination for Little Eight.

The night had grown deep, the moon having reached its zenith before slowly descending westward.

At this hour when most commoners were already visiting the Duke of Zhou in their dreams, a certain residence in Guoyun County remained quite lively. To be more precise, the activity persisted in a small chamber where both occupants showed no signs of retiring.

The candles had long burned out on their own, leaving only moonlight filtering through the window lattice to illuminate the room.

From outside the bed curtains, one could see a burly figure facing inward, as if blocking something in the corner. A long, pale leg extended from the man’s waist, its pinkish heel trembling as it rubbed against the brocade quilt below, seemingly trying to find leverage to retreat.

But behind was the tight junction of two walls with no retreat possible; ahead lay jagged obstacles with no advance feasible.

When some unknown spot was stimulated, the muscles along that pale leg suddenly tensed, even the rounded toes curling tightly. After about two breaths, they abruptly went limp.

A low chuckle sounded.

A large, tanned hand grasped the pale limb, lifting it to rest in the crook of his arm before resuming the vigorous activity that had been interrupted.

Qin Chang Geng, change positions, not against the wall…

Her voice carried liquid warmth, the trailing notes trembling with indescribable allure that made the prominent Adam’s apple of the man before her slide up and down once more.

Just moments ago you claimed to dislike lying down, and now you change your tune. Not this, not that – Madam is truly too delicate, so difficult to please. Qin Shaozong chuckled as he withdrew slightly.

His retreat was slow, making every subtle movement distinctly perceptible.

Dai Li hummed, instinctively tilting her head back to draw a shaky breath, too tremulous to form words. But before she could steady her breathing, her waist was suddenly gripped as she was extracted from the corner and flipped over to lie face down.

Dai Li’s former colleague had kept a cat, often sharing photos of its daily life, including images of the feline stretching after waking.

She had always found that posture adorable – a fluffy ball curved into a slope shape that could melt one’s heart, making viewers want to reach out and rub that furry mass.

But now that she had become the cat, with the small of her back firmly pinned and unable to break free, Dai Li found everything turning rather dire.

This man preferred unrestrained movements in bed – refined and cultured were words completely alien to him. Domineering, allowing no resistance, with some privately indulged mischievous preferences.

The piled brocade quilts before her eyes kept swaying, nearly occupying her entire field of vision.

When that unbearable sensation surged upward again from below, rising to her throat, Dai Li felt as if her larynx were being brushed by feather tips, generating fine, dense tingles that nearly made her cry out. Unable to resist, she crawled forward on her knees and bit down on the swaying quilt corner, barely managing to suppress the sounds rising in her throat.

Dai Li was covered in a fine layer of sweat, as if she had just emerged from a steam room. Her glistening skin resembled a scattering of starlight.

Summer was also a season of abundance, with ripe, luscious peaches displaying a captivating blush on their surfaces.

A breeze stirred, causing the heavy fruits to sway and tremble. With each occasional light slap, the rosy hue deepened, as if the overripe fruits on the branches were about to burst with sweet juice.

Dai Li deeply felt that whether in ancient times or modern, those in leadership positions might all master the art of making empty promises. Just when she thought she couldn’t hold on any longer, this man would dangle carrots before her.

My lady, endure just a moment longer. When we find your son, I’ll treat him as my own flesh and blood, how about that?

…Really?

Of course.

Dai Li whimpered, feeling dizzy and disoriented, as if she had become a fallen leaf swept away by a storm.

She drifted aimlessly in the wind and rain, helpless against being lifted high into the air, suspended momentarily before plummeting down. It was like barely touching the ground one moment, then being carried to a tightrope over a bottomless chasm the next.

After repeating this cycle numerous times, she found herself floating toward a mountain spring where rushing waters scattered her in all directions.

As her consciousness grew hazy, only one thought remained in Dai Li’s mind: The promises he made in bed had better be as good as his word!

As dawn broke, many in the residence awoke, with Military Generals beginning their unwavering morning training routine.

The mansion was originally a merchant’s old residence, so naturally it lacked a proper training ground. But it didn’t matter – the Military Generals had brought their own weapons and could practice martial arts in any open space they found.

Banquets were the best occasions for exchanging information. After three rounds of drinks, those with loose tongues became remarkably talkative, answering whatever questions they were asked.

Kuang Ye was sharing information he had gathered yesterday after drinking shoulder-to-shoulder with Qingzhou’s Military Generals, treating them like brothers.

Qingzhou suspects that the tribute goods they previously sent to Chang’an were intercepted by Yanzhou forces. Because of this, there’s been some friction between their military and Yanzhou.

I also overheard last night that they suspect a Yanzhou adopted son named Gui Mian was behind the robbery.

Mo Yanyun scoffed disdainfully: Gui Mian? Tch, what an unlucky name. If that bastard dares to set his crooked schemes on us, I’ll twist his head off and use it as a wine cup!

Author’s note:

Eagerly requesting nutrient solutions [Yellow heart]