A Mei went to the kitchen and specially prepared two seasonal dishes.
Carrying the tray into the room, she was just about to speak when she saw her husband sitting in the chair before the desk. His elbow rested on the desk, his right index finger pressed against his temple. He appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, the middle finger of his left hand, resting on the table, was tapping lightly and slowly in a regular rhythm.
Her husband was deep in thought.
A Mei quickly closed her mouth. Tiptoeing, she walked in small steps to Ansheng's side and gently placed the things down nearby.
Ansheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze cool and profound.
Seeing the depth in her husband's eyes, A Mei felt a slight unease. Worried, she called out softly, "Husband."
Ansheng did not respond with his usual gentle words as he always did with A Mei. His expression was grave as he looked down at the paper beneath his hand.
Following his gaze, A Mei saw three characters written on the paper under his left hand. She recognized them all and read them out softly.
"The Internal Supervision Bureau."
Ansheng turned his head to look at her, his voice low as he slowly spoke, "A Mei, do you know what the Internal Supervision Bureau was?"
A Mei shook her head; she had never heard of it.
Ansheng let out a deep sigh, his thoughts drifting far away, and explained to A Mei concisely: "It was an institution from the previous dynasty, overseen by the Chief Eunuch of that time. It reported directly to the emperor and wielded immense power. Later, its power grew so great that it endangered the imperial authority and the state, and that's why it was abolished."
A Mei tilted her head and asked, "How could it endanger the imperial authority and the state? Could its power really surpass the Emperor's?"
Ansheng gave a soft, humorless laugh. "You must understand, the emperor is also human, not some three-headed, six-armed being. He needs others to handle affairs for him. But if someone, using the authority granted by the emperor, fails to serve the emperor properly and instead concentrates power and acts autocratically, allowing their ambition to grow unchecked, then they become a threat to the emperor's position."
A Mei felt a pang of apprehension. "That serious? Then why would the emperor give such a person so much power in the first place?"
The corner of Ansheng's mouth lifted slightly. "Naturally, because the emperor initially did not believe he could slip from his grasp."
A Mei made an understanding sound, though she still found it somewhat perplexing. Remembering her husband said that person was a Chief Eunuch, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then... what happened to that person in the end?"
That person... Ansheng's thoughts drifted again. As a eunuch, who hadn't heard of the name of Eunuch Yan Bing from those days? That man, though not a true man, stood above ten thousand, second only to one. He was the powerful eunuch whom all the court officials hated to the bone yet were forced to bow before.
As for his end... it would not be an exaggeration to say he was torn apart by five horses, died without a whole corpse, and his ten lineages were exterminated.
Naturally, he would not tell A Mei such details, merely replying lightly, "He died."
A Mei's mouth opened slightly. Deep down, she seemed somewhat disappointed, but thinking that it was from a previous dynasty, it also seemed inevitable.
"Oh," she responded, then looked at Ansheng with confusion. "Since it's a matter of the previous dynasty, is there some problem? A Mei sees her husband seems deeply troubled."
Ansheng was silent for a moment before finally speaking slowly, "His Majesty intends to re-establish the Internal Supervision Bureau."
"Oh, His Majesty naturally does as he wishes. What does it have to do with us?" Her tone was both clueless and self-assured, the casual indifference giving Ansheng pause.
A hundred thoughts flashed through his mind. Ansheng couldn't help but smile, his tone meaningful. "A Mei is right. This humble one has overthought it. Since it is His Majesty, he naturally does as he wishes."
Seeing her husband's expression finally soften, A Mei's heart also eased. She brought the food before Ansheng, blinked her eyes, her gaze full of anticipation. "A Mei made this. Husband, taste it and see how it is, if it suits your palate."
Ansheng had always had a light appetite. He wasn't hungry, yet he ate the dishes bite by bite, savoring them carefully. He gave A Mei an approving look. "Not bad. It suits this humble one's taste quite well."
A Mei pressed her lips together, the corners of her eyes crinkling with happiness.
Today, A Mei was wearing a blue-green cross-collared ruqun dress. The neckline revealed a hint of skin, making her complexion appear even fairer and more delicate than usual. Combined with A Mei's smiling eyes and peach-blossom-like face, Ansheng felt a sudden stir in his heart. He couldn't help but say, "That dress is very beautiful. It makes you look truly lovely today."
This was the first time A Mei had heard her husband say she was beautiful!
A Mei's heart felt like it was about to float away with joy!
She only felt her face burning hot, her breath seeming to quicken a little. She turned her body slightly to avoid Ansheng's gaze, lowering her head with the shyness of a maiden in love, asking bashfully, "Really... really pretty?"
Ansheng made an affirmative sound. "When has this humble one ever spoken falsely?"
A Mei could hardly conceal her secret delight, yet also felt embarrassed. Her whole person became coy, her eyes darting glances at her husband—stealing one look, then after a while, stealing another.
Ansheng was amused by A Mei's sudden soft, bashful shyness. However, in his pleasant mood, he deliberately teased her. "Oh my, what's this? Your face is red again. Come, wife, come here and let this humble one hold you."
A Mei fled in a fluster, still carrying the tray.
She left Ansheng alone in the room, one eyebrow raised, thinking to himself that a woman's heart was becoming more and more inscrutable to him.
In the past, Ansheng had always kept A Mei by his side, and A Mei was also happy to be intimate with Ansheng. But today was unusual. Faced with A Mei not clinging close for an entire day, Ansheng felt somewhat helpless.
A Mei's shy, timid demeanor had indeed pleased Ansheng.
However, A Mei was often lively and charming, always clinging to him for kisses and hugs. He used to say she lacked propriety. But now, with her suddenly so quiet and well-behaved, Ansheng instead felt a bit unaccustomed to it.
At night, Ansheng pressed A Mei down onto the bed. Bracing himself on his arms, he slowly and deliberately began to undo A Mei's clothes. As he pulled loose her sash, his gaze, dark and unfathomable, fixed on A Mei. He drawled,
"A Mei, why were you avoiding this humble one today, hmm?"
A Mei lay obediently on the bed, pressed her lips together, met Ansheng's gaze, and spoke guiltily, "A Mei... didn't, didn't avoid husband."
Ansheng gave a soft laugh, his eyebrow slightly raised, deliberately putting a hint of coldness in his tone. "My wife's courage has grown. Now she dares to lie to this humble one."
A Mei's heart quailed with a touch of fear. Shyly, she turned her face away, but also felt some nervousness. She was also a little afraid her husband would be angry. Finally, she closed her eyes and explained in a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, "It was the first time husband praised A Mei as beautiful."
Ansheng was taken aback, as if he hadn't heard clearly. "What?"
A Mei let out a coquettish sound. "It was the first time husband praised A Mei as beautiful!"
A muscle twitched near Ansheng's eye. "That's all?"
A Mei nodded. Her eyes sparkled, not hiding in the slightest her little thrill and delight, and she asked Ansheng once more, "Does husband really think A Mei is beautiful?"
Ansheng: ...
Ansheng didn't know that, deep in A Mei's heart, she had been brooding over the incident where that fat councilor sent women before. She naturally trusted her husband, but for no reason, she lacked confidence in herself. Especially since her husband had said the beauties in the palace were even more stunning, and he hadn't fancied any of those.
Therefore, today, Ansheng's single sentence held particular joy for A Mei, leading to such a strong reaction.
