On his first day back at court after sick leave, An Sheng was appointed by Emperor Chengde as an Imperial Envoy, granted the Sword of Honor, and dispatched to the eastern fiefdom of Prince Anchang. His mission was to offer condolences to Prince Anchang and the local officials, investigate the people’s conditions, consolidate imperial power, and strengthen centralized rule. He was also given an escort of Imperial Guards and full authority to handle related matters.
According to regulations, although a prince enjoyed the tax revenue of his fief, he had no administrative jurisdiction. For years, the appointments of officials in the eastern region had been made by the imperial court. But the late emperor, who had a particular fondness for his younger brother, essentially left the administration to Prince Anchang, only covering the officials’ salaries from the treasury. As a result, Prince Anchang ruled the east like a veritable feudal lord.
An Sheng first knelt to receive the decree and express his gratitude.
Then, cutting straight to the point, he said, “Your Majesty, I have long heard of the situation in the eastern region. Prince Anchang is a supreme prince who has served three reigns, and his fief has become a small officialdom in itself. This mission involves many layers, and I must admit my own ignorance in many areas. I humbly request Your Majesty’s permission to select capable officials from each of the six ministries to accompany me, so as to better assist me in fulfilling my duty and living up to Your Majesty’s trust.”
Malice churned in An Sheng’s eyes, a restless urge stirring within him. As if struck by another thought, he trembled with excitement, a sneer forming in his mind. “They all want to stay out of trouble—not a chance!”
The moment these words left his mouth, the faces of the civil and military officials in court shifted dramatically.
Emperor Chengde also grew serious. He pondered for a moment and then nodded. “I had the same idea. As for the selections from each ministry, Lord An, first draw up a list for me, and then we’ll decide.”
A smile spread across An Sheng’s face, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
At this, Grand Secretary Tan, standing at the front, furrowed his brows deeply and glanced sideways at An Sheng.
Sensing the look, An Sheng raised his eyes to meet his. Their gazes clashed briefly in a heated exchange before they both looked away with practiced composure.
Finally, An Sheng turned back to the court with a troubled expression. “Your Majesty, I have one more favor to ask, though it may be presumptuous.”
Emperor Chengde looked up. “Speak, Lord An.”
Without a hint of embarrassment, An Sheng said, “Your Majesty, my wife and I have always been deeply devoted, inseparable as glue and lacquer. A few days ago, she fell ill, and thanks to Your Majesty’s grace, the Imperial Physician personally attended to her. His skill is remarkable, and her health has gradually improved. But my wife is prone to clinging to me, and this illness has made her even more reluctant to part with me. Now that I am about to depart for the east…”
Emperor Chengde: …
The civil and military officials: …
Emperor Chengde massaged his forehead and said helplessly, “Enough. There is no written rule in this dynasty forbidding an Imperial Envoy from bringing his family on a mission. Since you are worried about your wife, take her with you to the east.”
An Sheng’s lips curled immediately, and his tone carried an unmistakable hint of pointed meaning. “I thank Your Majesty for your immense grace. Since Your Majesty has spoken, no one else can criticize me for it.”
Emperor Chengde: …
The civil and military officials: …
...
Inside the room, under the warm glow of candlelight, An Sheng was using a brush dipped in red ink to annotate the piled-up official documents sent from the inner factory.
A Mei was leaning over the other side of the desk, practicing calligraphy. But after barely two lines, she tossed the brush aside, propped her chin on her hands, and stared at An Sheng with wide, adoring eyes.
She watched him—his brows slightly furrowed, his lips pressed tight—his stern, cold demeanor that kept others at a distance. She watched the upright line of his back, the steady, powerful motion of his wrist as he wrote. No matter how she looked at him, he was pleasing to her in every way. And no matter how she felt, she loved him.
In A Mei’s eyes, today her husband seemed especially handsome. She couldn’t stop watching him, her heart swelling with joy. There wasn’t a single thing about him she didn’t like—every part of him stirred a flame within her, almost intoxicating her.
Her limpid eyes blinked and blinked, unwilling to look away. Finally, she twisted her body and inched her way over to An Sheng’s side.
“Finished writing?” An Sheng asked softly, not lifting his head, his hand continuing its work.
“Not yet. I’ll do it later,” A Mei replied, her voice soft and sweet. She cast a sneaky glance at her husband’s expression, and seeing that he remained composed, she turned her large, sparkling eyes to watch his flying brushstrokes.
Finally, An Sheng finished annotating the last document.
The moment he put down his brush, A Mei immediately spoke up.
“Husband, are you done now?”
“Mm.” An Sheng’s expression softened as he opened his arms wide. The next moment, A Mei threw herself into his embrace, landing squarely on his lap.
Suddenly, A Mei grumbled in complaint, defending her husband’s cause. “His Majesty really is too much. You’re already run ragged managing the inner factory, and now he’s sending you as an Imperial Envoy all that way! And you’re so busy all the time, but does the salary ever get any higher? Oh, by the way, dear, do they give you extra pay for being an Imperial Envoy?”
Holding back a laugh, An Sheng replied, “What extra pay? You know exactly how little we get each month, don’t you?”
A Mei huffed indignantly. “It’s outrageous! Every time I think of your paltry salary, I get so mad—completely outrageous!”
“You’re right, dear. It is outrageous,” An Sheng agreed seriously.
A Mei suddenly burst out laughing. She shot him a teasing glare and gave his solid chest a gentle push. “Enough, I’m just saying it myself. With you being such a high-ranking official now, you can’t speak that way. Besides—”
She stopped midsentence.
An Sheng raised an eyebrow and asked softly, “Besides what?”
A Mei gave him a shy smile, her bright, moist eyes full of admiration and pride. “Besides, my husband is a man of great skill, with plenty of ways to earn money. Our family doesn’t even care about that pittance of a salary! I’m just venting because His Majesty makes you work so hard.”
An Sheng laughed at her candidness, his chest shaking with mirth. Then he leaned down to her ear, his warm lips brushing against her sensitive earlobe, and murmured in a low voice, “You care so much about your husband—my heart is about to burst with joy.”
A Mei gave a little hum, lifted her chin, and said matter-of-factly, “Of course I care! Isn’t that obvious? Who else would I care for if not my own husband?”
Hearing this, An Sheng felt a surge of heat rush through him.
He swallowed hard, and a blazing intensity instantly flared in his gaze.
Unaware of his reaction, A Mei nestled in his arms, grabbed one of his large hands, and began to count his fingers one by one, her rosy lips fluttering as she spoke.
“Husband, is the east very far? How many days will it take to get there?”
“We leave the day after tomorrow. Is there anything special we need to prepare?”
“Oh, and Prince Anchang—since he’s His Majesty’s uncle and such a powerful prince, does your rank as Imperial Envoy outrank his, once you’re there?”
His throat felt dry. An Sheng stared at those fluttering little lips and instinctively licked his own.
Her husband didn’t answer this whole string of questions. A Mei glared at Ansheng and called out, “Husband, husband, A Mei is asking you a question.”
Ansheng still didn’t speak. Suddenly, A Mei’s heart lurched. She widened her eyes, her face turning serious, and hesitated, “Husband, you… you don’t mean you’re planning to leave me behind again this time, do you?”
The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the truth. A Mei instantly refused to take it lying down. She huffed and reached out to pinch the soft flesh at Ansheng’s waist, her small face brimming with both fury and grievance: “Husband! If you really don’t take me with you, I’ll make a scene! If you don’t bring me, you can forget about going either. Believe me, tomorrow morning I’ll put on my noblewoman’s robes, go to the palace, submit a petition, and cry to His Majesty!”
Ansheng snapped back to reality and let out an “Ouch!” He caught her mischievous little hand at his waist and pulled her tightly against his chest. “My little ancestor, when did I ever say I wouldn’t take you? How would I dare? I’ll take you, I’ll take you—how could I not?”
A Mei blinked, instantly transforming from a tigress into a kitten, nuzzling him softly: “Oh, then why didn’t you say anything just now? You scared me to death.”
Ansheng: …
The underfloor heating in the room was burning hot. A Mei was lightly dressed, and her clothes were always loosely tied, so during this romp, her garments happened to slip open.
This revealed the red undergarment she had changed into that morning, along with the faint, teasing glimpse of her delicate, fair skin beneath.
From Ansheng’s angle, his gaze naturally fell from above onto the two curves beneath the red fabric, slightly pressed and deformed, and the alluring valley formed by the pressure.
It was caused by the firmness of his chest pressing against her—the steady, solid hardness paired with that soft, tender, soul-enchanting beauty. The tingling, numbing pleasure of this physical sensation suddenly changed the look in Ansheng’s eyes.
He opened his mouth, his voice turning husky: “A Mei, I want to kiss you.”
A Mei blinked, then blinked again, joy flickering in her heart as she replied obediently, “Then kiss me.”
With that, she puckered her little lips and offered them to Ansheng.
Soon, A Mei realized something was wrong—her husband’s gaze wasn’t on her face. She followed his line of sight down to her own chest…
She saw that her collar had opened much wider than she thought, revealing… A Mei’s face flushed crimson, and she was overcome with shy embarrassment.
She tried awkwardly to push her husband away, only to find herself still trapped in his embrace, unable to move.
Just then, A Mei noticed Ansheng lift his gaze. Their eyes met. His dark pupils were deep and intense. He moved his lips and said a single word: “Good.”
Rrrip—
Accompanied by A Mei’s tiny gasp of surprise, Ansheng suddenly tore open both her middle garment and undergarment, exposing the trembling, rounded softness before him. He remained seated in the chair, unmoving, but used his arm to lift A Mei upward. The next moment, his warm, damp mouth and nose plunged into the tender softness of A Mei’s chest…
