The Imperial Envoy's procession finally arrived at Lindong.
Early in the morning, Prince Anchang led all the officials of Lindong to welcome the Imperial Envoy at the city gate.
At last, everyone got to see this Commander An, the Commissioner of the Inner Factory, who was rumored to stop at nothing, infamous far and wide, and able to turn the world upside down with a flick of his hand.
There stood Lord An, clad in the official robes of an Imperial Envoy. He was lean and not particularly tall, with fair skin and cold, sharp brows and eyes that exuded a sinister air. Yet because a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth, it only made him seem more dangerous—a smile concealing a knife. Indeed, he struck everyone as a venomous and spiteful man, and his very presence bred unease, aversion, and dread. The only thought in everyone's mind was that it was best to keep as far away from him as possible.
An Sheng stepped down from the carriage and went to greet Prince Anchang, who had been waiting for him.
Prince Anchang suppressed the contempt in his heart, putting on a genial, refined, and courteous facade. With a smile, he spoke first: "I have long heard of your eloquence and strategy, Commander An, and of your virtue and talent. Now that I see you in person, you are indeed magnificent in bearing."
An Sheng's smile widened and his chin lifted proudly, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. In a shrill, grating voice, he replied with a half-smile: "The Prince flatters me. I serve my lord’s grain and do my lord’s work. His Majesty has shown me great favor, so naturally I would brave fire and water without hesitation."
His words were somewhat evasive, dripping with sarcasm and insinuation, and Prince Anchang's expression stiffened for a moment. A flicker of disgust passed through his eyes, vanishing as quickly as it came, and he let out a hearty chuckle: "Lord An speaks very truly."
They exchanged a few more pleasantries, when suddenly An Sheng turned around. His voice softened as he called toward the carriage: "My lady, we have arrived at Lindong. Please come down."
As the eyes of the crowd followed, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a petite, pretty young woman emerged from within.
A Mei seemed surprised to see so many people. She frowned at first, then lowered her gaze to An Sheng, who was holding out his hand to help her down. Her little face tightened, a flicker of mixed emotion passing through her eyes, but realizing so many pairs of eyes were on her, she forced a small smile, placed her delicate hand in his, and stepped down from the carriage.
A Mei had been thoroughly teased by An Sheng the previous day, and her body was still weak and drained. Even now, she was both humiliated and cross with him, and didn't want to acknowledge him.
Just as A Mei's feet touched the ground, she wobbled slightly, perhaps from sitting in the carriage so long. An Sheng immediately looped his arm around her waist, his protective affection plain for all to see, and his face wore even more of a smile than before.
The moment his hand settled on her waist, A Mei stiffened involuntarily. She pouted and instinctively tried to wriggle free.
But that large hand held her firmly in place. A Mei shot him a quick, reproachful glare, and only because she remembered that her husband was the Imperial Envoy—and that she couldn’t truly embarrass him—did she calm down and stay still.
When An Sheng lowered his eyes to look at A Mei, his expression was tender and full of affection. Yet when he raised them again, his gaze turned fierce in an instant. Raising an eyebrow, he said:
"Might the Prince have arranged our lodging? My lady has always been delicate, and after this long journey by carriage and horse, she ought to rest early."
An official beside Prince Anchang promptly chimed in with flattery: "Rest assured, Lord Envoy. Your lodging and the lady’s have all been prepared by our Prince."
"In addition, our Prince has specially arranged a welcoming banquet for you—we hope the Lord Envoy, the lady, and all the esteemed officials will honor us with your presence."
An Sheng nodded with satisfaction and gave a terse smile: "Very well, then I shall gladly accept."
The welcoming banquet was held at Prince Anchang's manor. Those invited to attend were, naturally, the most prominent figures in Lindong.
Prince Anchang and An Sheng took their seats at the head of the table, while Princess Anchang and A Mei sat below them.
The officials who had accompanied An Sheng were seated on the two sides, with corresponding Lindong officials attending them.
Everyone sat upright and serious; the entire hall was quite solemn, all waiting for the Imperial Envoy at the head to speak.
An Sheng lounged lazily in his chair, raised his wine cup, lightly clinked it against Prince Anchang’s cup, then lifted the cup slightly as he spoke unhurriedly: "Everyone, there is no need to be so formal. Since I entered the borders of Lindong, I have seen along the way that this land is prosperous and fruitful, with people living in peace and contentment—truly a fertile region. I am most gratified. So today, we set aside all official matters and concern ourselves only with food, drink, and merriment. Do as you please."
These words immediately brightened the faces of the Lindong officials, and even Prince Anchang laughed heartily and patted his hands.
At once, maidservants filed in bearing fine wines and delicacies, music began to play, and graceful beauties entered one after another, swaying their waists to the rhythm, rising and falling, and dancing with elegant flourishes.
In no time, cups were clinking, toasts were exchanged, and laughter filled the air—a scene of gilded peace and indulgence.
Princess Anchang was smiling and making light conversation with A Mei, but the deep-seated disdain and contempt in her eyes could barely be concealed. She thought, after all these years of honor and prestige at her age, that she should be set to entertain this young girl—worse, a girl married to a eunuch, yoked to a degraded and filthy eunuch no less—and this wretched girl would scarcely even deign to acknowledge her. Of course, the Princess’s expression could hardly be pleasant.
But A Mei noticed none of it. She harbored her own little sulk, and besides, she had never had much interest in social niceties anyway. Right now, all her attention was fixed on the graceful dancing beauties.
She couldn’t help marveling inwardly at how those waists could twist so fluidly. Especially when several dancers performed incredibly difficult moves, A Mei’s eyes went wide, and she couldn’t hold back a low gasp of admiration: "Wow!"
Princess Anchang frowned slightly, a knot of disgust in her chest, but remembering what the Prince had assigned her to do, she forced a dry smile and said to A Mei with pointed meaning: "Madam An, do you see these dancers? They are all meticulously chosen beauties. Tell me, could this dance possibly please both your eyes and Lord An’s?"
A Mei was thoroughly absorbed in watching. She was just thinking to herself that these beauties—even a woman like herself found them a delight to behold—when, without a second thought, she replied: "As for pleasing my eyes? Yes, that’s true. But they would never catch my husband's eye."
Princess Anchang raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself that Madam An really was as jealous and narrow-minded as rumor had it. Disdain filled her heart, but she said aloud: "How apt. With a lady as naturally beautiful and lovely as Madam An, how could Lord An spare even a glance for these common, painted flowers?"
A Mei blinked, struck by an idea, and mimicked her husband’s manner, smiling sweetly at the Princess: "Well, what you said is quite right. It pleases me to hear it."
Princess Anchang: ...
Even the seasoned, worldly Princess Anchang couldn’t stop the muscles in her face from twitching slightly. For with nearly fifty years of life behind her, she considered herself an experienced judge of character, but she had never, ever, met a woman so utterly—so unabashedly—full of self-admiration and thick-skinned as this one.
