"What? A birthday celebration?" Prefect Du's face instantly darkened.
"Yes, this is an invitation Eunuch An specifically sent for you, sir."
Prefect Du took the invitation from his advisor and opened it. The more he read, the uglier his expression became.
Finally, he snorted heavily: "This Eunuch An truly is insatiably greedy."
Not only was he holding a birthday celebration, but he had also specifically put out the word: no gifts, only banknotes. The reason given was that too many gifts would be inconvenient to carry...
This was practically no different from daylight robbery!
Not just Prefect Du, but everyone who had previously sent gifts to An Sheng had also received invitations. This infuriated all the officials and wealthy merchants of Minjiang Prefecture. In private, they cursed this person as shameless and insatiably greedy. No wonder he had meticulously recorded all the gifts before; it was clearly to make it easier to demand more wealth.
But despite their private curses, when facing Eunuch An, they all wore expressions of being overwhelmingly honored and utterly delighted.
The courier station, which had just quieted down for a couple of days, became bustling again.
Because of the preparations for today's birthday banquet, the station had been noisy with comings and goings since early morning. The noise woke A Mei inside the room. As usual, she was nestled in An Sheng's embrace. As soon as she stirred, An Sheng awoke.
"It's still early. Sleep a little longer." An Sheng's hands habitually caressed the smooth skin of A Mei's back. He lowered his head to plant a kiss on her hairline.
They had slept late last night, and A Mei was very tired. She turned over in An Sheng's warm embrace and sat up slowly, still half-asleep.
From An Sheng's perspective, as A Mei sat up, the quilt slid from her skin. He saw it slowly reveal itself from her slender neck downwards... that... tenderness was suddenly exposed, marked with reddish-purple traces, clearly left by him the previous night.
A Mei, still in a daze, noticed her husband's gaze. Belatedly, she looked down and saw the startling redness on her front. She suddenly remembered the frenzy of last night when her husband's warm mouth had kissed her there. Hastily, she gathered the quilt to cover herself, lowering her head in shyness, her heart pounding wildly.
"Why cover up? Haven't I seen it all before?" An Sheng chuckled softly.
A Mei was young, and her mother had passed away early. She had only learned about matters between men and women through her husband. Although she now knew such things were normal between husband and wife, she still couldn't help but feel unbearably shy.
A Mei's sparkling eyes met An Sheng's dark ones, her gaze filled with dependence and sweetness. She whispered, "I just... have to cover up."
An Sheng raised an eyebrow, deliberately breathing by her ear: "We've been married for so long now. Why do you still blush and get shy around me so easily? I didn't see you this shy last night when I was attending to you."
"Husband, what are you saying... A Mei won't talk to you anymore." A Mei was overcome with an inexpressible shyness, her neck flushing red as she hung her head.
An Sheng pulled A Mei into his arms. The feel of her smooth skin against him brought satisfaction and comfort. A hint of mischief unique to their intimacy played at the corner of his mouth: "Be good, A Mei. Tell me, was it three times or four times last night?"
A Mei was utterly stunned.
If her face had been the shy pink of a maiden in love before, now it was a crimson flush of shock and shame!
Such an explicit question was a tremendous shock to A Mei. Ever since they had consummated their marriage, An Sheng had become as if addicted, and things had spiraled out of control. A Mei spent her days immersed in a sweet torment...
A Mei's lips trembled. It took her a long moment to utter: "I said I didn't want to anymore, husband, how could you..." Before she could finish, she buried her head in An Sheng's chest, refusing to speak no matter how he coaxed her.
By the time the two of them dawdled out of bed, it was quite late. All the subordinates had already prepared for the birthday banquet.
A Mei had been by An Sheng's side all along, hearing about both major and minor matters, so she naturally knew today was not her husband's actual birthday.
This birthday celebration was grand, with a continuous stream of guests. As Eunuch An's wife, A Mei naturally needed to make an appearance.
Not only was Eunuch An known for his lust, but the reputation of his wife, Lady An, for being jealous had somehow spread throughout Minjiang Prefecture. Today, all the attendees were uniformly men.
A Mei sat obediently by An Sheng's side. When he raised his cup, she would sip some fruit wine along with him. No matter who spoke or what was said, she just listened quietly.
After several rounds of drinks, An Sheng put down his cup and swept his gaze over everyone in the room.
The previously noisy environment fell silent. Everyone was waiting for Eunuch An to speak.
An Sheng parted his lips, his sharp voice carrying a chilling coldness: "Today, everyone has honored me by coming to celebrate my birthday and lend their support. I am pleased. So, I shall say a few more words. His Majesty has ordered me to accompany Imperial Commissioner Lord Cui on an inspection of tax affairs. I presume there's no need for me to elaborate; you all understand the gravity. This mission is urgent and the task heavy. Since Lord Cui has been delayed by other matters, I shall speak a few words on behalf of the court."
Prefect Du led everyone in rising and bowing: "We, your humble officials, are all ears."
An Sheng curled the corner of his mouth: "As a palace eunuch, I have always kept a deep distance from official matters. Now, having received His Majesty's favor with this assignment, I naturally must execute it well."
Prefect Du immediately responded: "Since Eunuch An enjoys His Majesty's reliance, you will undoubtedly accomplish the task admirably."
An Sheng looked at Prefect Du with a half-smile, waved his hand, and someone from behind came forward to present a booklet.
"Prefect Du, I am in a good mood, so I'll give you a protective talisman. You must take it back to your residence and study it carefully."
Prefect Du's eyebrow twitched. His mind raced. Under the intense gaze of the crowd, he accepted the booklet with a smile.
...
"Husband, what was that 'protective talisman' you gave that Prefect Du?" A Mei was burning with curiosity. As soon as the banquet ended, she immediately sought an answer from An Sheng.
An Sheng was currently looking at an official document with a grim expression. Hearing her question, he scoffed: "What protective talisman? It's clearly a death warrant I gave him."
"How did it become a death warrant? What is it really?"
"You shouldn't ask about..." An Sheng shook his head. Some things were beyond A Mei's understanding. But meeting her large, inquisitive, and slightly confused eyes, he changed his tone. He explained in terms she could grasp: "This Prefect of Minjiang Prefecture holds a fourth-rank official position. He has been entrenched here for many years; his connections and prestige are naturally unshakable. But bureaucracy is complex and deeply rooted. Some things are done because one has backing, a powerful patron, which is why they fear nothing. Isn't that right?"
A Mei understood. She nodded: "Yes, it's bullying by relying on power."
"Then tell me, when it comes to bullying by relying on power, is his power greater, or mine?"
"Yours, of course, husband. You work for the Emperor. Who in the world can surpass the Emperor?"
A trace of arrogance tugged at An Sheng's mouth: "That's correct. Some things, that self-righteous, so-called upright Lord Cui cannot or will not do. But I can."
"But, husband, what exactly did you give him?"
An Sheng narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully, "That is confidential. You just need to understand that under the vast sky, there is no land that is not the king's territory. The Emperor, as the supreme ruler, holds all matters under heaven within his grasp. A bunch of self-important buffoons. It's a truth I've understood since childhood, yet so many of them still fail to grasp it."
Just then, a subordinate entered from outside.
"Reporting to Eunuch An, a message from Lord Cui."
Hearing it was from that Cui Gudao, An Sheng's face turned exceedingly dark. He took the letter and quickly read its contents.
"Hah, quite swift indeed!"
"Spread the word. I shall set off and leave Minjiang Prefecture tomorrow. Let's see if they can seize this opportunity or not."
