“Miss.”
Wei Qin held Jiang Yinyue and murmured into the crook of her neck.
This embrace was tight and powerful, seamless, and had long crossed the boundary of allies, overstepped the forbidden line.
Jiang Yinyue did not dare move. She did not know if Wei Qin was pretending to be drunk or truly drunk, if he spoke true words or drunken ramblings.
“Let go of me first.”
Jiang Yinyue turned her head. Her cheek brushed against the man’s ink-black hair tied up in a jade crown. She felt the heavy scent of alcohol even more strongly, but his voice was low and did not slur with drunkenness, nor did he lose composure.
“Knock knock.”
Two sudden knocks at the door froze the ambiguous atmosphere.
Jiang Yinyue breathed a sigh of relief and practically “carried” the man behind her as she walked toward the door.
“Du Juan has come to deliver the sobering soup.”
As the door creaked open, night wind poured in. Wei Qin, who had been full of warm softness in his arms, straightened his waist.
The oblivious Du Juan handed over the cooled soup. If not for the Second Madam stopping her, saying the Second Young Master disliked hot drinks, she would have delivered it long ago.
After hearing the explanation, Jiang Yinyue nodded and told her to rest first.
She carried the sobering soup to the table. Jiang Yinyue perked up her ears to eavesdrop on the movements behind her, but there was no sound from behind.
Wei Qin had gone behind the screen to change clothes.
The lingering intimacy dispersed without a trace.
Jiang Yinyue twisted her head back. Without that person’s effortless control, her ear tips were still red.
After bathing, Wei Qin made the bed and reminded his wife that it was late at night.
Seeing he was no longer drunk, Jiang Yinyue sat on the edge of the bed, kicked off her slippers, and scooted inward with a bit of wariness.
Wei Qin bent down to place her slippers neatly, then leaned over, propping himself on either side of her. “Why kick off your slippers?”
On the road to Yangzhou where they had accompanied each other, Wei Qin had observed that she only made these little gestures when throwing a tantrum.
Jiang Yinyue subconsciously leaned back and bent her legs, planting her feet on Wei Qin’s chest to avoid being overwhelmed by his pressure.
They had lived under the same roof for three years, and she had always held the upper hand. Suddenly shaken by Wei Qin’s inexplicable offensive, Miss Jiang felt a bit unconvinced and wanted to assert her dominance.
Wei Qin still leaned forward. His powerful arms braced at her sides as he gripped the silk quilt cover, forcing Jiang Yinyue to fall back onto the bed, her back sinking into the soft bedding.
Jiang Yinyue tried to straighten her legs. Her feet solidly pressed against Wei Qin’s chest. She tensed her snowy cheeks and secretly competed with him, yet she did not dare use force. But he still leaned in, pressing until her knees bent and her legs folded.
He was not yielding to her at all.
Her moist cherry lips unwittingly pouted.
Wei Qin timely pulled back, no longer teasing her. He sat on the edge of the bed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
The heavy alcohol scent had not dissipated. Something was breaking through restraint, out of control.
“Go to sleep.”
A rustling came from behind him. He turned his head and saw a big cicada pupa had appeared on the bed.
She had wrapped herself up again.
“Don’t suffocate yourself.”
Jiang Yinyue wriggled inside the quilt and revealed one pair of eyes.
Wei Qin felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. He smoothed her long hair for her, his fingertips gentle as if handling a priceless treasure.
The lamps grew sparse in the dead of night, the bright moon hung on the paulownia tree. Wei Xichen, still sorting through the salt merchants’ confessions and clues, turned his head at a whimpering sound.
Qi Bao did not know what it had dreamed of. It lay in its nest, twitching and drawing ragged breaths, half-awake.
Wei Xichen walked to the nest and rubbed its head. Pity flowed from its light brown amber eyes.
It was missing its other master, wasn’t it.
Qi Bao was not bold, but back then, the little fellow had bounced and jumped around the two of them, strutting arrogantly, even daring to bark endlessly at Your Majesty.
Now Qi Bao lacked that inner reliance and looked pitiful.
Seeing the stool by the nest, Wei Xichen involuntarily pictured that woman holding Qi Bao as she dozed. He sat on it, his back against the cool wall, and tilted his head back with eyes closed.
A strip of clean white cloth was wrapped around his right hand resting on his knee.
Once these matters were settled, he should leave too. Out of sight, out of mind.
The Capital City.
In the days around the Start of Summer, the Capital City had misty rains. Finally catching a sunny day that was also a rest day, Minister of Justice Jiang Song rode in a carriage to the Chief Minister’s Mansion to visit the long-bedridden Chief Minister Dong.
Minister of Revenue Tao Qian’s carriage was already parked in front of Lady Dong’s gate.
Jiang Song told the coachman to stop farther away. He rolled up the curtain and sat in the carriage compartment, tapping a sandalwood folding fan in his hand, with lingering agarwood incense around his sleeves.
He waited until Tao Qian walked out the gate and bid farewell to the Chief Minister’s legitimate son who saw him off. Then Jiang Song stepped down from the footrest and strolled over leisurely.
“Minister Tao arrived early.”
The sunlight stung Tao Qian’s eyes. As he lifted his hand to shade them, he heard a “snap”. Jiang Song, half a head taller than him, shook open his folding fan to block the light for him.
“Minister Jiang truly knows how to show consideration.”
“As it should be.”
“Minister Jiang is also here to visit Grand Secretary Dong?”
“Yes, the Grand Secretary’s cold has lingered without recovery. I have been unable to eat or sleep in worry.”
Tao Qian smiled, his nose a bit stuffy. “Minister Jiang is most benevolent. By the way, your son-in-law went to Yangzhou to investigate the Salt Transport Office accounts. There might be risks. Minister Jiang won’t blame this old brother for acting on his own, will he?”
“Not at all. My son-in-law receiving heavy responsibility
, I must thank Minister Tao for the recommendation.”
“Has Minister Jiang arranged any backup for your son-in-law in Yangzhou? In case… this old man means in case they get desperate and cornered, your son-in-law might be in danger.”
Jiang Song nodded solemnly. “Brother is right. It was this little brother’s oversight. I will arrange it right away.”
Tao Qian did not believe his nonsense but did not call him out. They exchanged more pleasantries, then clasped fists and parted.
Jiang Song nodded. As he turned, he folded his fan and spun it in his hand. His peach blossom eyes concealed their smile.
Tao Qian’s visit to Chief Minister Dong was nothing more than a weasel paying New Year’s call to the chicken, probing if Chief Minister Dong could still handle the Chief Minister position, so he could replan the Third Prince’s bid for the throne.
If Lady Dong’s pillar collapsed, the Crown Prince’s faction would suffer a great loss. With Minister Tao Qian and Dali Temple Minister Xie Xun supporting the Third Prince, he would not hold back.
Dali Temple Minister Xie Xun had originally supported the Eldest Prince. After the Eldest Prince passed, he switched to the Third Prince, but outwardly remained impartial.
They were all thousand-year-old foxes.
Jiang Song squeezed out a worried expression and went with the Chief Minister’s legitimate son who had come out to welcome him to the bedside.
“Grand Secretary, rest assured. With me, Jiang Song, in the court, those cats and dogs won’t stir up trouble.”
The Chief Minister Dong, whose days were numbered like the sun setting in the west, coughed a few times. In a voice like a silken thread, he said, “Remember, no matter the means, the Chief Minister position must not fall into Tao Qian’s hands.”
“This student understands.”
“Jiang Song, this old man will do everything to make you the head of all officials. You must not betray the Crown Prince!”
Jiang Song sobbed uncontrollably. “Grand Secretary, rest assured. Jiang Song swears to defend the Eastern Palace to the death, serving His Highness the Crown Prince loyally!”
The middle-aged man who left the Chief Minister’s Mansion stretched lazily in his carriage. Of course he would support the Eastern Palace Crown Prince, but he would support whoever was the Eastern Palace Crown Prince.
In the past, he had unconditionally backed Wei Xichen. But Wei Xichen had hurt his leaky little padded jacket, creating a rift between lord and minister. Weighing pros and cons, he could not fall out with the Eastern Palace.
Romance was worthless before power…
Jiang Song gazed toward Yangzhou, complex emotions swirling in his peach blossom eyes.
At the same time, Chief Minister Dong gripped the hand of another court confidant and promised to promote him to head of all officials.
That haggard face still had sharp, piercing yellowed old eyes.
On this rest day, Wei Qin had an appointment with someone: a venue merchant from last night’s banquet who had promised to hand over the list of officials colluding with Yan Hongchang, on the condition of his safety.
Wei Qin walked toward the venue merchant’s shop as agreed but was blocked by Han Jian who appeared head-on.
“My master invites Transport Judge Wei for a drink.”
Though not old acquaintances with Han Jian, Wei Qin remembered the favor of being helped onto his horse last time. “Han Jian, you are abetting a villain.”
Han Jian coming to intercept him meant someone had leaked word of last night’s banquet. Yan Hongchang could not sit still.
Han Jian expressionlessly gestured “please.” “Sir, don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.”
Wei Qin swept his phoenix eyes around. In the crowded street, several Yan Mansion guards hidden among the crowd were eager to act.
“Brother!”
Amid the tense standoff, a hoarse voice called out.
Wei Ying hurried from the clinic to Wei Qin’s side, her face worried. But upon clearly seeing Han Jian’s face, she was slightly stunned.
It was him… from the Yan family.
The frail girl suddenly stood in front of her brother. Though her brother had never mentioned secretly investigating the salt affairs, he was the court-appointed transport judge, and the Yan family head was the Salt Transport Envoy. If the Envoy sent men to trouble her brother, it was likely because her brother had damaged the Envoy’s interests.