Although the imperial physicians had confirmed that Minister Cui’s collapse had been caused by fasting—his qi and blood, yin and yang thrown into disorder, leaving his senses temporarily deprived of nourishment—
Who among the civil and military officials truly believed such an absurd explanation?
Especially when Minister Cui took leave from court the very next day.
Before long, rumors swept through official circles: that day, Minister Cui and Commander An, that treacherous eunuch official, had exchanged furious insults within the Ministry of Justice and even come to blows. In the end, the older Lord Cui had been no match for Commander An and had been knocked unconscious by a single punch.
One of the parties involved was at home on leave, while no one dared approach the other to ask. Yet the officials spoke with such confidence and excitement that one might have thought they had witnessed the whole affair themselves.
And so, the moment court was dismissed, officials gathered in little groups of three or five, once again whispering among themselves.
“Ah, Minister Cui is truly unfortunate. I heard long ago that he and Lord An had bad blood between them. And now His Majesty assigned him such an offensive task—naturally, to Commander An, that made him a living target.”
“Yes, indeed. To be honest, my wife’s younger brother serves at the Ministry of Justice. He said Commander An brought his wife there early yesterday morning. He was plainly looking for trouble. They treated him to the finest tea and food, yet he was still dissatisfied. He even ruined several koi that former Minister Zhuang had specially left behind.”
“Tch, exactly. I heard it too. Minister Cui’s face turned black with rage on the spot. The Ministry of Justice isn’t Commander An’s Internal Factory—how can he be so lawless?”
“You call that lawless? This is nothing. Have you all forgotten his usual ruthless methods? Hmph. And don’t forget whose favor he relies on.”
“Ah! Why does His Majesty place such trust in a treacherous wretch like—”
“Shh! Do you have a death wish? Watch your tongue, watch your tongue...”
—
An Sheng truly did not disappoint them.
When it came to holding grudges and seeking revenge over the slightest slight, if he claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.
Ever since the impeachment uproar, the officials of the capital had discovered that the Internal Factory had become even more brazen, violent, and tyrannical in its conduct. And anyone with eyes could see that, openly and covertly, the Internal Factory was specifically targeting those officials who had once impeached and accused An Sheng in court.
The blood flowing through the stone channels of the Internal Factory’s dungeons once again stained a corner of the hidden moat drains red.
Its ruthless determination to wipe out its enemies root and branch, its savage brutality, had thrown the capital’s officialdom into chaos and misery.
And Emperor Chengde, so long as the matter did not reach directly before him, tacitly permitted it.
But An Sheng never left loose ends when he acted. He always uprooted the grass and pulled out the roots, ensuring that no future trouble remained. How could there possibly be any fish that slipped through the net?
—
One morning, before dawn had fully broken, A Mei opened her eyes, sat up in bed, and began nudging An Sheng’s shoulder.
“Husband, wake up. Hurry and get up.”
“Husband, husband~”
Woken so early by A Mei’s fussing, An Sheng’s head began to ache. With a helpless sigh, he stretched out an arm and pulled her back into his embrace, pressing her head against his chest. His voice was low and husky with sleep.
“My dear little madam, it’s finally my day off. Let me sleep a little longer, will you?”
A Mei furrowed her brows and reached out to poke An Sheng in the cheek, grumbling, “But didn’t you promise yesterday that you’d accompany me to Lord Cui’s residence today to offer our congratulations?”
An Sheng’s face twisted slightly, and he did not even lift his eyes. “Then sleep for another hour. There’s no need to get up so early, sweetheart.”
A Mei’s little face immediately fell. She cast An Sheng a sidelong glance, her small lips nearly pouting up to her nose. “Oh dear, could it be that my husband doesn’t want to go with me after all?”
An Sheng suddenly let out a cold snort. Opening his eyes, he lowered his head to look at A Mei in his arms and smiled through clenched teeth. “My dear wife, Minister Cui is marrying off his daughter. You want us to go offer our congratulations? Let’s not even mention that Cui Gudao would be furious—are you truly not afraid that the wedding celebration might turn into a funeral?”
A Mei blinked and asked in return, “Huh? Isn’t Lord Cui on good terms with my husband? Why would he be angry?”
“On good terms?”
An Sheng burst out laughing. “My dear wife, just where did you get the idea that the two of us are on good terms?”
A Mei replied as though it were only natural, “You are! Although the two of you are always trading barbs, A Mei still feels that you treat Lord Cui differently from everyone else, and that Lord Cui treats you differently too.”
“Is that so?” An Sheng arched a brow and gave a brief hum, his tone faintly amused and filled with deeper meaning.
“It is.”
An Sheng curled his lips into a smile and sighed softly. “You’re still too innocent. In this world, how many genuine friendships are there? If you ask me, bonds founded on mutual interests are the strongest of all.”
As he spoke, An Sheng put his arms around A Mei and sat up with her. “Very well. Since my wife wishes to go, I’ll accompany you there. But let me make one thing clear first: that Cui Gudao is as stubborn as an ox and never spares me a bit of courtesy. If we go and they truly don’t welcome us, you’re not allowed to cry.”
A Mei immediately nodded like a chick pecking at grain. “Mm-hmm! Don’t worry, my husband. I won’t.”
……
“My lady, which outfit shall you wear today?”
“Hmm, let me see. How about this moon-white dress?”
“Very good.”
“My husband, which piece of jewelry should I wear with it?”
“My wife is naturally beautiful. Anything would suit you.”
“You’re flattering me again. Hurry, choose one. Choose!”
“All right, all right. Don’t rush, my dear. Allow me to select one carefully for you.”
——
