Thanks to Cui Gudao, An Sheng became exceptionally busy in Tanzhou Prefecture.
While Cui Gudao was busy investigating, collecting evidence, confiscating properties, and recovering funds, An Sheng was busy receiving gifts, goods, and banknotes, while conveniently bailing people out from Cui Gudao's grasp.
Cui Gudao was so infuriated by An Sheng's shameless behavior that he glared and fumed all day long. In his fit of rage, he turned the entire Tanzhou Prefecture upside down, leaving everyone in a state of panic.
Finally, the day came for the imperial envoys to head back to the capital.
The officials of Tanzhou Prefecture waited early in the morning to see the envoys off. Lord Cui's face remained terrifyingly gloomy, while Eunuch An still wore his usual smiling, amiable expression.
With the crash of a brass gong.
The people of Tanzhou Prefecture, from top to bottom, finally saw off these two formidable figures—one demanding their lives, the other demanding their money!
"Husband, hasn't the mission ended? Why does Lord Cui still look so angry?" Remembering Lord Cui's indescribable expression before they boarded the carriage, A Mei set down the book in her hands and couldn't help but ask An Sheng.
An Sheng let out a cold sneer and spoke in a dark, quiet tone, "This is called 'a wise man submits to circumstances'."
Naturally, A Mei didn't quite understand, but she still nodded in earnest agreement. "Mhm, you are right, Husband."
An Sheng raised his eyes to meet A Mei's watery gaze, which was filled with trust and adoration. A smile involuntarily tugged at the corners of his mouth. They had been sitting across from each other, but he reached out and pulled A Mei into his arms, saying, "The matters involved here are far too complicated to explain in just a few words. I will tell you all about it when we have some free time at home, alright?"
A Mei sat obediently on her husband's lap. Hearing his words, she instinctively nodded, then shook her head. "I was just asking casually. If it's that complicated, you don't have to go out of your way to explain it to me. You are so busy, and I don't want to disturb you."
A smile lingered on An Sheng's lips. "My wife is truly sensible and sweet."
Her husband was praising her again. A Mei blushed shyly, resting her head against the crook of his neck, and said softly, "I am not as good as you say."
An Sheng raised an eyebrow. One arm wrapped around A Mei's slender waist, while his other hand pinched her delicate earlobe, gently rubbing it to feel the tender softness unique to a woman's skin. "Of course you are. If I say you are, then you are. Naturally, I know my wife's virtues better than anyone else."
A Mei felt a faint heat radiating from the earlobe her husband was pinching, and her face began to grow hot as well.
With her soft and delicate body in his arms, An Sheng was naturally happy to tease and coax her a bit more. But before he could make another move, Cheng Wu delivered another secret letter, along with several files.
A Mei was right. An Sheng was indeed very busy. Not only did they have to set off and rush back to the capital, but the official duties along the way seemed no less demanding than when they first came.
Official duties naturally took precedence. A Mei hurriedly slipped out of An Sheng's embrace and sat up straight, terrified of disturbing her husband.
An Sheng sat up straight and opened the secret letter. His gaze grew calm and profound, his expression turning serious and tinged with a cold edge.
If it had been the A Mei from when they first married, seeing her husband like this would have surely filled her heart with fear. But things were different now. A Mei quietly gazed at her husband's features. Thinking of his cold, harsh, and unfeeling expression from the past and when he was dealing with outsiders, and contrasting it with the gentle and tender way he treated her now, her heart melted into a puddle of absolute sweetness.
This was a secret letter sent to An Sheng by the Second Prince.
An Sheng's face was solemn. He read the letter back and forth three times before finally taking out a fire starter and burning the letter to ashes right in front of A Mei.
The entire carriage fell into silence. An Sheng lowered his eyes in deep thought for a long time. Finally, he looked up at A Mei, who had been staring at him all along, and met those watery, spirited eyes.
An Sheng was absolutely certain that within those eyes lay nervousness, worry, helplessness, as well as reliance and deep affection. She just looked at him so obediently and quietly. His eyes flickered slightly as he seemed to finally make up his mind. The icy chill in his gaze was replaced by tenderness as he spoke slowly, "A Mei, grind some ink for me."
"Yes, Husband." A Mei deftly took out the inkstone, paper, and brush, and began to grind the ink meticulously.
In the end, An Sheng wrote two letters and handed them over to Cheng Wu.
The entire convoy was in a state of rapid travel. Not to mention Cui Gudao's urgency to return to the capital to report on his orders, even An Sheng had to rush back as quickly as possible.
This return journey was unlike their arrival. When they came, the tasks were heavy and many things could not be rushed, so whether they slept in the carriage or at post stations, they rested relatively well. But this return trip was a hurried march. The whole convoy took turns resting and only set up camp when absolutely necessary. Tonight, they had to travel through the night. Fearing that A Mei would not be able to rest well due to the bumpy and swaying carriage in the dark, An Sheng ordered several extra cotton quilts to be laid out.
Although A Mei verbally protested that she wasn't that fragile, she couldn't suppress the joy in her heart. She didn't refuse, either, because she thought that this way, her husband could sleep a little more comfortably too.
The weather was growing colder, especially at night. Curled up in An Sheng's arms, A Mei felt exceptionally warm.
A Mei was dressed thinly. Holding her close, An Sheng's large hand habitually slipped under her undergarment. His hand lingered and explored upwards along the smooth, tender skin of her waist and abdomen, until it cupped her soft mounds, gently kneading and caressing them.
A Mei lay shyly in her husband's embrace, obedient and docile as she allowed him to do as he pleased.
A little while passed just like this.
The carriage kept swaying slightly, lulling A Mei into a state of drowsiness. With a trace of doubt in her heart, she quietly looked up at her husband.
She saw that his expression was faint, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was pondering over something.
A Mei blinked, feeling a sudden, slight clench in her heart. She shifted gently and reached up to cling to her husband's shoulders.
As soon as A Mei moved, An Sheng snapped back to reality. He looked down at the woman in his arms, only to see his delicate and lovely wife with a flushed face and closed eyes, pressing her moist, pouting lips right against his own.
An Sheng's heart stirred. He immediately took the initiative, capturing and devouring those trembling lips.
When the kiss ended, A Mei revealed a pair of dewy eyes, panting softly.
"Husband."
A Mei called out to him, her voice carrying an indescribable affection, as well as a hint of worry.
A surge of warmth welled up in An Sheng's heart. After a long while, he said, "It's nothing."
A Mei hummed in response, and her whole body relaxed.
An Sheng smoothed out the fluttering in his heart. He gently stroked the tired corners of A Mei's eyes and carefully wrapped her up in the blankets. "Go to sleep. The journey is exhausting, so I won't tease you anymore. Rest well."
A Mei nuzzled against her husband's chest, the corners of her lips turning up slightly, and finally fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.
