At the first glimmer of dawn, when the light was still cool and pale, a faint whiteness had already seeped through the window paper. A Mei opened her eyes.
She blinked and instinctively reached for her husband’s pillow beside her. It had long since gone cold.
“Hmph.” A Mei suddenly pouted inwardly. How could he? They had agreed that he would wake her when he got up, yet her husband had slipped away again without a word.
But then she remembered that An Sheng had always been reluctant to wake her so early. He only wanted to let her sleep a little longer. The thought filled her heart with sweetness.
After washing and dressing, A Mei stepped out of the room. Thick fog swirled through the sky, and the morning wind blew lightly through it with a biting chill. Yet all she could smell was the fresh fragrance of pine needles.
Suddenly, A Mei stared at the hazy horizon, too obscured by mist to make out clearly. For no apparent reason, a faint unease stirred in her heart. She had the feeling that something had happened.
Just then, indistinct sounds came from the direction of the courtyard gate. A Mei looked up. Through the fog, she could barely make out a blurred silhouette.
At last, the figure drew nearer and nearer.
A Mei’s eyes abruptly widened. Then she trotted toward An Sheng.
Only after throwing herself into those familiar arms did A Mei look up in delighted surprise. Her smile bloomed like a flower.
“Husband~”
“Mm.” An Sheng held her securely and led her back inside. As they walked, he murmured, “Come, let’s go inside first. The fog is heavy out here. If we stay too long, you might catch a chill.”
“Mm, I’ll listen to you. By the way, Husband, have you had breakfast?”
“I came straight back after court ended, so I haven’t eaten yet.” As he spoke, An Sheng turned and instructed, “Prepare a full breakfast and bring it here. Then go tell Old Master that my wife and I will be eating in our room, so he needn’t wait for us.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Once they returned to the room, A Mei helped An Sheng remove his outer robe.
After An Sheng sat down, A Mei plopped herself onto his lap, nestled into his embrace, and began to complain sweetly. “Hmph, I told you I wanted to help you get up and dress, but you didn’t wake me this morning~”
An Sheng wrapped his arms around her and smiled tenderly. “My dear wife, it was simply too early. I had no choice but to rise and attend court. You were sleeping so soundly—how could I bear to disturb you?”
A Mei smiled sweetly. “Mm. I actually know that in my heart. My husband has always loved me best.”
As she spoke, A Mei raised both arms and deliberately looped them around An Sheng’s neck. She leaned her little face closer, her eyes blinking innocently as she gazed at him from such a short distance, moist-eyed and obediently adorable.
An Sheng remained perfectly still, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly. He ran his tongue over his lower lip and asked, “And what is my wife trying to do?”
A Mei still said nothing. She simply puckered her lips at him and continued staring.
At last, An Sheng could resist no longer. He slowly lowered his head and kissed her gently.
For a moment, the silent room held nothing but the pounding of their hearts and the entwined sound of their breathing.
When the kiss ended, An Sheng suddenly chuckled. His warm breath brushed across A Mei’s flushed cheek. “You… I’ve only been gone for a short while. Why are you clinging to me so much today?”
That would have been fine had he not said it. But the moment An Sheng finished speaking, A Mei wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.
Then his little wife began to whine in a soft, coquettish voice, overflowing with affection and dependence.
“Husband, when I stepped outside this morning, I suddenly felt uneasy. I don’t know why, but I just wanted you so badly—more than usual. And then I really did see you. I was so happy.”
At her words, An Sheng’s brows lifted slightly, and his gaze shifted.
Without revealing anything, he asked, “What if something truly happened to me? What if it ended with our household confiscated and our entire family executed? Would you be afraid?”
A Mei released her arms from his waist and sat upright in his embrace. Then she reached out and poked him in the cheek, glaring at him. “Husband, what nonsense are you talking about?”
“Besides, didn’t you ask me the same thing when I first married you? Back then, I was afraid. But now, as long as you’re with me, I’m afraid of nothing.”
The corners of An Sheng’s lips curved upward. He lifted a hand to caress A Mei’s cheek, his fingertips unconsciously stroking her smooth, tender skin. The fine lines at the corners of his eyes revealed his joy without the slightest restraint, making his expression impossibly gentle.
“You really aren’t afraid?”
A Mei arched her brows, narrowed her eyes, and put her hands on her hips with an indignant little huff. “How many times are you going to ask? Do you really think I’m the kind of woman who would say, ‘When disaster strikes, husband and wife fly off in separate directions’?”
An Sheng’s gaze lingered for a long while on A Mei’s pretty face. Endless amusement spread through his eyes, while the tender affection within them grew even deeper and more solemn than before.
He coaxed her softly, “There, there, my dear wife. Don’t be angry. You’re my good wife, and I’ve always known that perfectly well.”
“Hmph. That’s more like it.” A Mei lifted her chin. Then she blinked and asked, “Wait… Could something really have happened? You usually go to work at the Inner Depot after court, but you came back so early today. Mm… There must be a problem. Come on, tell me. I want to hear it too.”
An Sheng: “…”
When she saw him fall silent, A Mei widened her eyes, her face full of curiosity. “Don’t tell me they’re really going to confiscate our household and execute the whole family? Oh no, that’s so sudden!”
Seeing that her eyes held nothing but intense curiosity, without the slightest trace of fear or worry, An Sheng’s body trembled. At last, he burst out laughing.
The next moment, he gathered A Mei into his arms and tousled her until she was practically upside down, accompanying her little whimpers and complaints with a sigh.
“My dear wife, my precious treasure, don’t worry. I clawed and struggled my way up for so many years to reach my position today. If I can’t even protect my own wife and family, then I might as well go and smash my head against a wall right now.”
A Mei: “…”
A Mei could barely hear him. She was too busy squirming in An Sheng’s arms, trying to escape his playful attack.
“Ah! Stop, you’re messing up my hair!”
“Husband! Hahaha, that tickles!”
“Husband, you’re awful!”
“Hmph, we’re about to eat! You—you have to stop now!”
…
After the two of them continued fooling around for a while, An Sheng finally stopped under A Mei’s vehement protests and offered a sincere apology.
He even personally coaxed and waited on A Mei throughout breakfast. Only then did she smile again.
It was then that An Sheng slowly told her what had happened at court that morning.
A Mei’s expression grew solemn. When she heard that her husband had asked the emperor and his fellow officials to spare her, her eyes inevitably reddened.
She could not stop herself from sobbing. “Husband, do you really think that if you died, I could go on living?”
An Sheng hugged her back into his arms, his voice gentle even as the words he spoke were unbearably cruel.
“You’re my wife. If things truly came to that, then even if His Majesty spared your life, there would be far too many people who would come after you. You still wouldn’t be able to survive. That is the truth.”
“That’s why I deliberately used retreat as a way to advance. His Majesty still relies on me now—how could he truly want my life? No matter what, he will protect me.”
Hearing An Sheng say this, A Mei gave a quiet hum, her heart finally settling a little. She continued listening, but when she heard that Emperor Chengde had instructed Lord Cui to handle the matter in its entirety, she could not help speaking up. “You mean Lord Cui, Cui Gudao?”
“Mm.”
The worry A Mei had been carrying finally lifted. She let out a breath, lightly patted her chest, and a smile spread across her face. “That’s wonderful. Lord Cui is known for his uprightness and impartiality. He’ll surely clear your name.”
An Sheng: “...”
The entire room fell into an almost eerie silence.
Even An Sheng, who had remained utterly calm and unshaken in court earlier that day, changed color.
Shock and hesitation appeared in his eyes, but more than anything, there was something strange in his expression.
After a long while, he finally spoke, drawing out the words as he asked in return,
“Clear my name?”
