Commander An's carriage arrived at the gates of the An Manor.
A full cup of tea's time had passed, yet the person inside had not stepped down...
Everyone kept their eyes down and their noses clean, not daring to step forward and interrupt. Eventually, even the old patriarch of the manor, An Gui, was alerted.
"You say the carriage has been waiting at the main gate for nearly half an hour, and Sheng'er still hasn't alighted." An Gui cast a light glance at Xiao Zhengzi, hitting the nail on the head: "Is the madam in the carriage?"
Xiao Zhengzi gave a dry laugh. "The old master predicts things like a god. As soon as our lord entered the capital and heard that the madam had gone to the streets, he gathered his subordinates and headed right over. He picked her up to escort her back to the manor, and well, this..."
An Gui felt a bit of a headache over the young couple's clinginess, and had even greater objections to An Sheng's behavior: "Nonsense! A dignified high-ranking official of the imperial court, returning to the capital from an inspection tour, acting so recklessly and ignoring the proper rules and procedures! You, go hurry Sheng'er up and tell him to quickly enter the palace to report to His Majesty!"
Xiao Zhengzi hemmed and hawed, simply not wanting to go.
An Gui's eyes widened in a glare. "What are you afraid of! Go! Go ask Sheng'er, does he really expect this old bag of bones to personally go and rush him?"
Only then did Xiao Zhengzi take the order and run off.
At this moment, An Sheng was not having an easy time either. The veins on his forehead were bulging, his breathing was erratic. One hand gripped the slender waist in his arms, while the other held onto the mischievous little hand.
His voice carried an indescribable hoarseness: "Be good, don't tease me. You go back to the manor first; I must enter the palace to report on my duties to His Majesty."
Hearing her husband say he still needed to enter the palace to report, A Mei was a hundred times unwilling in her heart. She had finally gotten to see her husband, and naturally, she wished she could just cling to him and never let go.
However, at present, His Majesty's affairs were naturally more important.
A Mei had long since gone limp against An Sheng, her small face flushed red. Yet, apart from her rosy, almost swollen little lips, her clothes were still relatively neat.
In contrast, An Sheng's lips were equally moist, and his breaths carried a distinct tremor and restraint. Perhaps because A Mei had been pulling at him so much, one of the frog closures at his collar had been torn open, making him look quite disheveled. If outsiders were to see this, no one would dare believe that this man was the legendary, cruel, and cold-blooded Commander An of the Inner Depot!
A Mei panted softly for a moment. Feeling her strength return, she reluctantly moved off An Sheng's lap. Seeing her husband's disheveled clothes, she reached out with a shy expression to tidy them for him.
When she was mostly done, A Mei pouted her little mouth, her face full of grievance and reluctance, as if An Sheng were a heartless lover who was leaving after having his fill: "Then husband, you must go and return quickly. Come back to the manor early, and don't make A Mei wait too long."
An Sheng: ...
Xiao Zhengzi had just arrived at the main gate when he saw the madam lift the carriage curtain and poke her head out. Xiao Zhengzi hurriedly darted over to help the madam step down.
From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of his lord's smile—it was an unprecedented gentleness.
After the madam waved her hand and turned to enter the manor, Xiao Zhengzi was grinning foolishly, only to see his lord shoot him a casual glance. There was not a trace of tenderness left in those eyes; they instantly reverted to their usual bone-chilling coldness.
Xiao Zhengzi shuddered as the usual harsh and biting voice rang out:
"Let's go, to the palace!"
"Yes, My Lord!"
An Sheng handed Emperor Chengde a list of names.
Emperor Chengde stared at the list and remained silent for a long time.
An Sheng knelt obediently on the ground before Emperor Chengde, waiting patiently.
Finally, Emperor Chengde moved. Holding a brush, he casually made a few strokes over several names. The moment he set the brush down, an attending eunuch handed the list back to An Sheng.
An Sheng accepted it cautiously, his gaze sweeping over it impassively.
Then, Emperor Chengde's voice drifted down from above.
The majestic voice seemed to reveal a hint of helplessness: "Aside from these few people, handle the rest as you see fit."
An Sheng's lowered, narrow eyes curved slightly, and he immediately kowtowed heavily: "Your subject obeys!"
As An Sheng stepped out of the palace step by step, the grand doors symbolizing supreme power slowly closed behind him.
The sky over the capital's political arena had changed.
Meanwhile, at the An Manor.
A Mei: "Godfather, Godfather, my husband has returned to the capital!"
An Gui: "Yes, I know."
A Mei: "Godfather, my husband just went to the market to find me!"
An Gui: "Yes."
A Mei: "Godfather, the very first thing my husband did upon returning was to look for A Mei!"
An Gui: ...
