My Mother is the White Moonlight of a Tyrant - Chapter 6: Can You Dodge the First Day But Not the Fifteenth?…

Chapter 6: Can You Dodge the First Day But Not the Fifteenth?…

West Garden.

Mijia, why aren’t you asleep yet? You might have to perform for the honored guests tomorrow—you should rest early.

Did you hear something outside earlier? A rustling sound, like branches swaying in the wind or a Civet Cat brushing through the grass.

There might have been a little, but why dwell on it? You said it was just the wind or a Civet Cat yourself—not some ghost or monster. If it weren’t for the unrest outside tonight making it unwise to leave the room, I’d have gone out to check for you.

Never mind, let’s sleep. It seems quiet now anyway.

The branches of the pear tree ceased trembling, revealing a faint silhouette beneath. Dai Li suppressed the discomfort in her left ankle and limped forward, muttering to herself, Climbing up is easy, climbing down is hard—how true that saying was. The ascent had gone smoothly, but she’d twisted her ankle on the way down.

The West Garden was silent, a stillness that stretched to the courtyard entrance and the pathways beyond. In the deep gloom of the night, it bred an eerie, unsettling tension, yet the taut string in Dai Li’s heart loosened slightly.

No one around was good—very good. She could take this chance to find a new hiding spot.

Yes, Dai Li intended to relocate.

The idea had struck her while she was already in the tree, high enough to settle in for the night, posture adjusted and ready to stay put.

But at one moment, a chill breeze swept past, making her shiver. In that instant, her soul seemed to drift out of her body, rising to a higher vantage point where she could observe the scene from a third-person perspective.

The Obscuring fallen leaves no longer blocked her view; she saw greater possibilities.

If she could think of hiding in the West Garden, would he—who already knew Fengchun was a fabricated identity—think of it too?

If he had met that steward, he would surely know she had asked for directions, easily deducing her unfamiliarity with the mansion’s layout. By overlapping factors like unfamiliar terrain, places suitable for a young woman to hide, and ease of escape, he could quickly narrow down the search area.

The Thirty-Six Stratagems and the legacy of Sun Tzu’s Art of War had long convinced Dai Li of the wisdom of the ancients, especially among the aristocratic families and nobles who monopolized knowledge.

Of course, whether he had actually met the steward was mere speculation on her part—she had no way of knowing. But the Sword of Damocles hung palpably over her frayed nerves, compelling her to risk moving again.

In the pitch-black night, just as Dai Li stepped beyond the West Garden and was about to enter a long corridor, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.

From the sound, there were definitely more than one or two people.

Dai Li’s breath hitched. Not daring to look back, she quickened her pace into the corridor. Earlier, after using her identity as the Consort of the Marquis to leave his courtyard, she hadn’t retraced her steps but taken the opposite path. Thus, she knew clearly now that adjacent to his courtyard was a pavilion used for hosting honored guests, which seemed to house his subordinates.

Below the two courtyards lay a small, inverted 品-shaped space reserved for parking horses and carriages. Dai Li remembered passing by and seeing only occasional movement through the inner archway—no guards stationed outside.

This wasn’t surprising: after unloading, the carriages would be empty, and the horses would be led to troughs upfront for feeding. From the inner archway, one could directly monitor the horses without stepping out.

Dai Li intended to take refuge in that small area—the only place she currently knew that could barely offer concealment.

Who would have thought that the frail woman they perceived would dare to venture into the tiger’s den, playing a game of hiding in plain sight?

No sooner had Dai Li left than Mo Yanyun arrived at the West Garden with his men. His entrance was a world apart from Dai Li’s—with a sweeping gesture, the soldiers accompanying him flowed into the courtyard like a steady stream.

Light the lamps. Everyone, dress and assemble in the courtyard.”

What… what has happened?” a Foreign Girl asked timidly.

Enough chatter. Just follow orders and be quick about it.”

Soon, all the Foreign Girls from the rooms emerged, huddling together like drenched sparrows, trembling as they watched the men stride boldly into the buildings.

The West Garden consisted of two houses, each two stories high, reserved solely for the Foreign Girls. Yet, with all the women outside, both buildings were thoroughly searched inside and out, every possible hiding spot scrutinized multiple times, but nothing was found.

Mo Yanyun furrowed his thick brows, his gaze shifting to the Foreign Girls in the courtyard. He raised a lantern and inspected each one closely.

The Foreign Girls differed significantly from Han women in appearance, making it impossible to disguise oneself easily. After just one round of inspection, Mo Yanyun was certain that Fengchun” was not among them.

Strange. If she wasn’t in the rooms or among the crowd, where could she be hiding?

Check the trees as well,” Mo Yanyun pointed to two apple trees.

Immediately, the agile elite scaled the trees, climbing swiftly to the higher branches. They descended just as quickly, for they had found nothing.

Mo Yanyun muttered to himself: The Lord ordered a search of the rear garden and both the East and West Gardens. Since she hasn’t been found in the West Garden, could she be hiding in the rear garden or the East Garden?

With this thought, he randomly pointed to two men: You two stay here until the end of the mao hour. The rest, follow me.”

As he was about to exit the West Garden, Mo Yanyun remembered something and turned back to address the Foreign Girls: If that ‘Songlan’ sneaks back tonight, report it to the guards immediately. Those who know but fail to report will bear the consequences.”

The Foreign Girls fearfully nodded in agreement.

Dai Li moved with trepidation, praying incessantly that she wouldn’t run into anyone and that her path would remain as smooth as her earlier return to the West Garden.

Perhaps she was lucky, or perhaps it was simply because the night had grown late, but the stretch she walked was deserted except for her.

Dai Li let out a soft sigh of relief—but it seemed premature. No sooner had she relaxed than a glow suddenly appeared to her side, accompanied by two petite figures.

She was at the crossroads on the left side of the H”-shaped path, while the others were on the right path, merely a few meters away. The warm lantern light fell upon Dai Li’s round-toe silk shoes, and the sudden encounter left both parties momentarily stunned.

Dai Li was the first to react, stepping back two paces to retreat into the darkness once more. Even though she had encountered maidservants rather than guards, it was far from true that she felt no tension.

With the Lord’s search for the missing person sweeping through the entire estate, being seen walking alone late at night was undeniably conspicuous at such a critical moment.

Are you the one…” the taller maidservant began, but before she could finish, her companion tugged sharply at her sleeve. The two turned away, pretending nothing had happened, and busied themselves with their lanterns.

Watching their retreating figures, Dai Li grew thoughtful. Something flashed rapidly through her mind, but it was too fleeting for her to grasp.

The remaining route was fortunately uneventful. Dai Li deliberately took a detour and entered the carriage yard from the rear. As she had anticipated, the place was unguarded. Carriages and horses had been separated—the former lined up against the wall in a row, while the latter had been led to the troughs.

The courtyard was silent, with even the insects hushed. Only the occasional swish of a horse’s tail or a snort broke the stillness.

Dai Li let out a long breath, limped along the wall, and finally sat down against it, hidden among the rows of carriages.

She might evade capture tonight, but what about tomorrow?

Lord, I have searched the rear garden, the East and West Pavilions, but found no trace of Fengchun. Mo Yanyun was puzzled. It was rare for the Lord to miscalculate. Well, though this wasn’t a major issue.

Qin Shaozong raised an eyebrow slightly. None at all?

Mo Yanyun nodded. I led my men to search every corner of these three locations, leaving no chest or hidden compartment unchecked. But she was indeed not there.

After a pause, Mo Yanyun speculated, Could she be hiding in the concubines’ quarters?

He still believed that the beautiful woman was connected to Jiang Chonghai. Otherwise, how could she be in Jiang Mansion? If they were acquainted, there would be plenty of places for her to hide.

Just as Qin Shaozong was about to speak, the sound of footsteps approached from outside. Yan San had returned.

The soldiers accompanying Yan San halted at the courtyard gate. Yan San entered alone and reported in a low voice, Lord, the hidden vault in Jiang Mansion is astonishingly well-stocked. A governor’s salary is two thousand dan, with a monthly stipend of one hundred twenty hu. Yet, the wealth in just one corner of Jiang Chonghai’s private vault far exceeds what twenty governors could save in ten years without eating or drinking.

Mo Yanyun stared in disbelief. That much?

The vault is guarded on all sides, with shifts changing every two hours. It seems Jiang Chonghai is aware this place should not be exposed. Yan San’s tone was calm, as if the effort to infiltrate the vault was trivial.

He’s taken so much—wonder how he hasn’t choked on it, Qin Shaozong remarked sarcastically.

Mo Yanyun frowned. Judging by the treasures in the vault, the relationship between Li and Jiang must be extraordinary. Lord, our army’s movements were not concealed. If Li and Jiang are in collusion, Jiang Chonghai is unlikely to refrain from scheming in the shadows.

Let him scheme. What I fear is that he’s as timid as a quail, too scared to move. Qin Shaozong looked up at the sky. The dark clouds had yet to disperse, indicating a moonless night. Truly a night suited for hiding.

Mo Yanyun’s frown immediately eased. It seemed the Lord had already devised a plan, so there was no need for him to worry.

Qin Shaozong turned to Yan San and changed the subject. Did you find any trace of Fengchun near the vault?

Yan San shook his head.

Qin Shaozong smiled ambiguously. She certainly knows how to hide. Never mind, let’s leave it at that for tonight. She may evade us today, but not forever.

With the retreat sounded, it was time for free activities—those who wished to rest could do so, while others could attend to their own affairs.

Mo Yanyun was among the latter. Instead of heading straight to the side chamber, he walked toward the rear, planning to pass through the stable yard to the adjacent pavilion courtyard. The guest quarters were fully equipped with all necessities, but they lacked something very important to him.

His Beauty Album, which he browsed every night before sleep, was in his luggage chest, and the chest was still among the pile of baggage cases next door.

No matter—he would just fetch it. It was only a few steps away.

Dai Li sat leaning against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. While she had been solely focused on hurrying along the road earlier, she hadn’t noticed the pain, but now that she had settled down, the ache in her left ankle became sharply clear.

She reached down and touched her ankle. It hurt, and there seemed to be a slight swelling. Just as she was worrying about whether she would recover by tomorrow, she suddenly heard footsteps.

Someone was coming.

The person entered the adjacent courtyard, and faint, indistinct voices could be heard, rising and falling too softly to make out any specific words.

Dai Li had mentally prepared herself for the possibility of others arriving nearby, so she wasn’t panicked. She assumed that once they finished talking, they would each return to their rooms to sleep.

As she expected, the voices soon faded completely. However, contrary to her expectations, someone actually passed through the small arched gate into her secluded spot.

Listening to the footsteps, Dai Li curled her fingers silently, not daring to make a sound.

The small arched gates of the two courtyards faced each other horizontally. Under normal circumstances, no one would notice her hiding behind the carriage.

Please, don’t let anything go wrong…

Neigh!”

A sturdy, entirely crimson horse in the stable suddenly whinnied.

Mo Yanyun turned his head and chuckled, The stable here is a bit small and somewhat cramped, Crimson Dragon. You’ll have to bear with it for now.”

After speaking, he continued forward, soon passing through the small arched gate on the other side. Not long after, Mo Yanyun returned with a book in hand.

Neigh!”

The tall horse in the stable whinnied again.

Mo Yanyun grinned and said, Crimson Dragon, even if you’re unhappy, there’s nothing to be done. Your master said we leave when he says so. For now, just stay put here these next few days. You’ll surely have plenty of good fodder… Lord?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a tall figure passing through the arched gate. Before Qin Shaozong could ask, Mo Yanyun explained, It’s probably because the stable is a bit small. Crimson Dragon isn’t too pleased.”

Horses had always been rare commodities, and in these increasingly troubled times, even an average horse could cost as much as a commoner’s earnings over twenty years.

When the estate was first built, Jiang Chonghai had never anticipated hosting so many cavalry at once, which was why the two courtyards now shared a single stable.

Qin Shaozong acknowledged with a sound. His gaze swept past the opposite small arched gate, where soldiers in the neighboring courtyard moved about, evidently busy with their duties after concluding their search.

Everything was in orderly fashion.

He walked over, stroked Crimson Dragon’s mane, and patted its neck, soothing the horse before turning to head back.

Just as he was about to step out the door, the wind shifted. It changed from a north wind to a northwesterly one.

Carried on that cool breeze, Qin Shaozong caught a faint, elusive whiff of a delicate fragrance. The man abruptly halted, his narrow brown eyes slowly narrowing.

Author’s Note:

You all say it’s not enough to read, and Deng Deng just wants to say: Dead hand, write faster bursting into tears