Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 300 - 10: The 60-Year Chess Game

Susu couldn’t decide whether to criticize the prior travelers for their selfishness or marvel at their peculiar thinking.

No wonder both sides fought for over a hundred years. Although Great Chu was strong, it preferred spending large sums on the army to secure the borders rather than destroying the Tartars, all because of such an absurd contract.

This secret was only known to the Family Head of the Qin Family, the current Duke of the Nation, passed down through generations.

Qin Dusi knew it because he was highly favored by the former Duke, his grandfather, and because his legitimate elder brother was frail and couldn’t manage the Northwest Army affairs. Among other sons, only Third Master Qin was outstanding, so the former Duke and the Princely Heir appointed him to the Northwest.

Due to his non-legitimate status, Third Master Qin could only conceal his identity and start as a soldier from the bottom.

Before he came to the Northwest, the old Duke contemplated deeply and shared these matters only the Family Head and successor could know.

The old Duke primarily wished to instruct his grandson to protect the people and land, nothing else, since while they fought fiercely, the topmost still revered the Founding Emperor’s mandate.

Every Duke or successor who learned about these matters only wished to exclaim one thing: "Damn it, idiots!"

However, the one who set up this contract was the wise and martial Founding Saint Martial Emperor, leaving them speechless.

Perhaps both sides were waiting for a rebellious Great Chu Emperor or a rebellious Tartar Khan to unilaterally break the contract, so they could fight to the death.

Yet, this idiotic contract continued to be honored for over a hundred and fifty years, incredibly a conscience-driven agreement.

But now it seems this contract is losing its binding force.

Aunt Zhao looked at Susu seriously and said, "Your Uncle Qin says the Awakening indeed exists. He’s unsure how you know of it, but this kind of incense is indeed a secret fragrance of the Tartar Royal Family."

Qin Dusi not only knows about the Awakening but also the Chaotic Heart, also told by his elderly grandfather.

The Qin Family had an Awakening; the Great Chu Palace likely had one too, gifted by the third brother before leaving. The Saint Martial Emperor didn’t know this secret incense, but the first Duke Li recognized it.

Back then, he knew his third brother wasn’t ordinary; he looked Han but was a Tartar Royal prince.

The Qin Family had been an illustrious family in the previous dynasty, naturally aware of certain palace secrets.

The Tartar Princess caused bloodshed in the previous dynasty’s Imperial Family with aroma pills, making nobles dread its scent.

The Qin Family explored secret fragrances of the Tartar Royals but didn’t confirm if the Tartar Princess transmitted the altered poisonous fragrance back home.

But now it seems the Tartar Princess indeed made arrangements.

"Susu, Aunt Zhao asks if you’re truly unharmed, because according to Qin Family’s understanding, the Chaotic Heart is incurable, even if no more poison is inhaled, the poison degrades organs, disrupts the mind, and under stimuli, causes madness."

Looking at Aunt Qin’s worried face after hearing Aunt Zhao’s words, Susu replied, "Dear aunts, I assure you I’m fine, and the Chaotic Heart isn’t without a cure. The only one who knows how to make the cure is probably me."

Thinking it over, Susu added, "I haven’t heard my aunt mention her lineage, but I’ve learned the fragrance dao from her since childhood; she said these traditions were passed from her biological mother with the rule ’pass to daughters, not sons.’ I suspect my aunt may come from a fragrance dao family, with forebears serving as Imperial Fragrance Masters in the previous dynasty’s palace, hence knowing the Awakening and Chaotic Heart and developing an antidote."

Concerning heritage, Qin and Zhao naturally refrained from asking further, and knowing Susu was fine, they held no interest in fragrance dao inheritance.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhao felt relieved and said, "If Susu really didn’t make a mistake, then that Miss Bai or the entire Bai Family, even if not Tartar spies, must have intimate ties with the Tartar Royal Family."

Only six Awakening Incenses are allocated yearly, even rare in the Tartar Royal Family, not casually given.

Many methods exist to harm others, yet using such an extravagant means indicates Susu’s analysis is intriguing.

If Bai Lili doesn’t recognize the Awakening’s value, she’s accustomed to it; either way, if the Bai Family possesses such incense, it’s highly suspect.

"Since receiving your letter, your brother sent trusted men to investigate the Bai Family; aside from many married daughters, everything appeared normal, yet too normal, arousing suspicion."

If deception exists, traces will emerge.

Rumors in Hami claim a curse plagues the Bai Family, causing boys to often die young, while the Bai Family’s explanation is hereditary disease.

The Bai Family has a burial site for these early-deceased children.

On the surface, this reasoning seems sound.

But Qin Dusi was suspicious, fueled by intelligence revealing some matters, making minor issues seem magnified.

The Bai Family burial site lies outside the Hami Guard’s defensive line, at Hami Guard’s edge.

Though surrounded by herder villages, suffering heavy losses each Tartar raid, the estate persisted for over fifty-six years.

Qin Dusi couldn’t help but feel suspicion, and doubt the truth of boys’ early deaths.

If boys die young, then why, apart from this current generation lacking males, previous generations maintained one male to inherit, not entirely dying out?

Thus, Qin Dusi employed grave robbers, discreetly examining small and large graves, discovering ninety percent were empty.

What does this signify?

The Bai Family lacks hereditary illness; those boys didn’t die. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Qin Dusi had men thoroughly investigate and discovered every time a boy died, Tartar soldiers shortly invaded, not lingering to fight but fleeing after looting.

Consequently, when Great Chu soldiers witnessed signal fires, they were long gone.

Considering Bai-named women spread throughout Hami generals’ homes, Qin Dusi surmised the Tartars might have been maneuvering a grand scheme since sixty years prior.