Chapter 222

First Volume, Chapter 222: A Small Test of Skill

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming no longer hesitated and turned, waving his hand: "Bring them in."

Four craftsmen entered, carrying a square yet slender object, covered with a red cloth, resembling a plaque.

Immediately after, another craftsman entered, holding a rough wooden box.

Shen Qingci furrowed her brows in confusion: "What is this? Not a plaque? Is Feng'er giving someone a plaque?"

Lu Ming offered no explanation, only a knowing smile: "Madam will see for herself."

Shen Qingci immediately walked over—and the instant she lifted the red cloth, she froze stiff.

What appeared before her was not a plaque!

But four pieces of glass, masterfully crafted as if by divine hands!

Framed in fine red wood, carved with exquisite dragon patterns—it was a window!

The Liu Li beads the Chang Princess had once gifted Shen Qingci, which she had treasured all these years, were her most precious possession in life.

Yet now, that treasured Liu Li bead, compared to this Liu Li window, could be thrown away outright!

The two were not even in the same league.

Shen Qingci covered her mouth, suppressing her shock: "Where did this glass come from?"

Lu Ming had anticipated this reaction and secretly took pride: "It was crafted by the Young Master."

At these words, Shen Qingci was stunned again.

Crafted glass?!

For all these years, not even merchants in Jingdu, let alone the Ministry of Works, had succeeded in deciphering the Liu Li Manufacturing Method.

Yet now, Qin Feng had mastered it—utterly unbelievable.

If only one or two Liu Li objects, they could merely be hoarded as luxuries.

But now that the Liu Li Manufacturing Method is mastered, it becomes a sustainable business—could it not make him fabulously wealthy in no time?

Shen Qingci was deeply shaken; though long accustomed to Qin Feng's startling feats, she still could not help marveling at the Liu Li window before her.

Shen Qingci suppressed her shock and asked: "Even if you've mastered the Liu Li Manufacturing Method, this is sheer waste—why make it into a window?"

Lu Ming relayed Qin Feng's instructions to Shen Qingci exactly as given.

Learning Qin Feng intended to gift the Emperor,

And remembering Qin Feng's perilous journey to Beixi County,

Shen Qingci silently marveled: this boy, though seemingly erratic, was meticulous beyond measure—always laying groundwork, always prepared.

"If so, come with me."

Saying this, Shen Qingci abandoned her current tasks and immediately led Lu Ming toward the Imperial Palace…

Meanwhile, in Beixi County.

Twenty Li, for warhorses at full gallop, was but the blink of an eye.

Still one Li from Da Ze Mountain, Qin Feng ordered a halt; all men tied their warhorses in place and dispatched two guards to approach Da Ze Mountain on foot for reconnaissance.

Horsemanship was one of the guards' required skills, yet they were more adept on foot than on horseback.

The two guards vanished from sight in an instant.

After roughly half a Envoy, both guards returned before Qin Feng.

The first guard returned with no trace of the Beidi Cavalry except their hoofprints; the second, kneeling on one knee, bowed and reported: "Young Master, fresh horse dung was found at the Mountain Foot—no more than two or three Envoy old. But the interior of Da Ze Mountain remains unknown; your servant dares not advance recklessly."

Qin Feng nodded—this information was sufficient.

The Beidi Cavalry had not left Da Ze Mountain!

Though the reason remained unclear, now was not the time for questions; Qin Feng immediately led his fifty guards toward Da Ze Mountain, halting at the Mountain Foot, and ordered: "Two platoons form one unit—five units total. Unit One encircles left flank, Unit Two encircles right flank, Unit Three advances frontally, Units Four and Five remain here."

At Qin Feng's command, the three units simultaneously moved into Da Ze Mountain.

Due to Beixi County's unique terrain, though it was summer, vegetation was sparse; the mountain consisted mostly of loose stones, with only scattered drought-resistant trees dotting its slopes, granting wide visibility—only hills and gullies offered concealment.

Though Da Ze Mountain was large, its inspection moved swiftly.

Unit Two, assigned the right flank, was first to spot ten Beidi Warhorses hidden in a gully; their Captain immediately ordered one guard to sprint back to the Mountain Foot and notify Qin Feng, while the remaining nine advanced to inspect the hiding spot.

Aside from the warhorses and tack, no weapons or grain bags were found—clearly, the Beidi Cavalry, constrained by Da Ze Mountain's terrain, had abandoned their mounts and switched to Ji Zhan.

Unit Two, using the hidden horses as reference, continued advancing deep into the mountain along the right flank; after climbing the first slope, they heard distant shouting.

The accent was unmistakable—Beidi!

The Unit Two Captain crouched atop the slope and peered down: at the slope's base lay a long-abandoned Tie Kuang mine shaft; one Beidi Cavalryman, left hand gripping a Fire Torch, right hand wielding a Short Ge shaped like a crane's beak, cursed as he vanished into the dark tunnel.

"Damn it, two women, and they're this stubborn!"

The Beidi Cavalryman disappeared from view—presumably the other nine had already entered the mine.

The Captain frowned deeply: "Could it be… the Beidi Cavalry ran into trouble at Qingshizicun, failed to capture Madam Qin, and chased her here? That would explain why they detoured to Da Ze Mountain."

At this, the Captain's face darkened: "Madam Qin's life hangs by a thread—no time to waste. You go notify the Young Master; the rest—follow me!"

No sooner had he spoken than the Captain led his eight guards sprinting toward the mine.

Short bows slung over shoulders, short knives drawn from their waists, nine guards crept forward along the faint, flickering firelight deep within the mine.

Soon, Qin Feng dispatched two men to alert Unit One and Unit Three, then led Units Four and Five racing toward the mine.

Deep inside the mine, still abandoned and decaying, the wooden supports had rotted away; the tunnel had collapsed into ruin. At a collapsed junction barely fifty meters from the entrance, Qin Cheng Clan sat on her bundle, her deep eyes utterly calm.

The nearest Beidi Raider was less than two Zhang away; though he had tried to muffle his steps, the faint sounds echoed clearly through the mine, reaching Qin Cheng Clan's ears.

The flickering shadows cast by the Fire Torch danced constantly before her eyes.

Yet Qin Cheng Clan showed no panic—her breathing steady, her gaze serene—as if such life-or-death scenarios were nothing new to her…

As the lead Beidi Raider stepped into view before Qin Cheng Clan, a Short Ge—the standard Beidi Raider weapon, shaped like a crane's beak, designed to pierce armor—slowly emerged from the darkness behind him, looping around the Raider's neck.

By the time the Beidi Raider felt the chill against his throat, it was too late.

The Short Ge snapped back sharply, its sharp blade slicing through the throat of the North Di Raiding Cavalry, blood spurting out.

In panic, the North Di Raiding Cavalry dropped his Fire Torch and Short Ge; years of hard-won battlefield experience could not overcome the primal instinct to survive death—he clutched his gushing neck with both hands, eyes wide with terror, staring at the narrow gap formed by the collapse.

A tall, poised woman was embedded entirely within the gap, her lips slightly curled upward, forming a sinister smile…