A Mei was anxious, but she forced herself to maintain a calm facade.
Upon arriving at the palace gates, she no longer felt the helplessness and tension of her first visit. She walked briskly toward the guards and handed over An Sheng’s waist token, speaking clearly. "Officer, this is my husband's token. I have urgent business with him. Could you please pass word along?"
Aside from a nearly imperceptible tremor in her voice and a complexion slightly paler than usual, A Mei appeared no different from any other day.
The guard took the token, lowered his eyes to identify it, and then cast a subtle glance at A Mei. He nodded and turned to whisper a few words to the man behind him, who then disappeared with the token.
A Mei’s heart was heavy with worry for her brother and her father, and she fretted for her husband as well. She feared that her imprisoned kin were suffering, wondered if her husband’s hurried return to the palace had gone smoothly, and worried that her sudden arrival might not even reach him. She waited, the passage of time feeling agonizingly slow. Every breath she took felt like a struggle.
...
The Emperor sat expressionless upon the dragon throne. Below him stood Prince Su, the second prince.
An Sheng and Cui Gudao knelt respectfully at the base of the dais.
Once the report was finished, Cui Gudao suddenly kowtowed heavily, his voice filled with grief and indignation. "Your Majesty, I have failed your trust. I have only recovered 3.7 million taels of the tax silver. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
The Emperor sighed and waved his hand. "I grant you no guilt. I know you did your best, Minister. Rise."
Cui Gudao’s eyes reddened, looking deeply moved as he thanked the Emperor and stood up with trembling limbs.
"You may withdraw. An Sheng, stay."
...
By the time An Sheng emerged from the main hall, he was drenched in a cold sweat. As the chilly wind blew against him, he shivered, his mind becoming instantly sharp and clear.
With a stoic expression, he looked back at the center of power in this world. His teeth chattered with a mix of excitement and agitation; it took a long while for his heart to settle.
Just as he stepped away from the hall, a young eunuch came running toward him with a fawning smile. "Eunuch An, word came from the palace gate. Your wife presented a token and said she has urgent business with you. As soon as I heard, I rushed over to inform you."
At these words, the look in An Sheng’s eyes changed instantly.
A Mei waited and waited, until finally, the palace gates swung open.
Her taut nerves shattered the moment she saw her husband.
An Sheng had been both puzzled and anxious, but seeing A Mei standing safely at the gate, he let out a breath of relief. However, his sharp eyes immediately noticed her distraught expression. Before he could speak, A Mei’s tears began to fall.
"Husband!"
Ignoring the people following An Sheng, A Mei sobbed as she threw herself into his arms.
An Sheng caught her firmly, his heart aching. "Oh, what’s happened?"
He had been separated from A Mei for less than half a day, and they had agreed to meet at the An residence tonight. He couldn't fathom what could be so urgent that she would come to the palace gates to find him. But seeing her tears made his heart twist with pain. He didn't care to ask questions yet; he simply pulled her into his embrace and comforted her softly.
"Don't cry now, you poor thing. Tell me what happened."
An Sheng took a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears, coaxing her. "There, there, stop crying. I’m here."
Though his voice was tender, An Sheng was inwardly fuming. He had sent his wife home in good spirits, and not even half a day later, she looked this helpless and pitiful. A surge of violent rage roared in his eyes; he truly wished he could...
A Mei wiped her eyes and spoke quickly. "Husband, Douzi and Father have been arrested!"
She recounted the events of the afternoon to An Sheng. By the end, her eyes were red and she was sniffing, her words slightly frantic. "Godfather told me to find you. Husband, I only have this one brother, and my father... They said Douzi injured the grandson of Minister Sun. Douzi is such a good, obedient boy, and he's just a child. How could he hurt someone? Are they trying to frame us?"
An Sheng listened quietly to her outpouring. When he heard "Court of Judicial Review," his eyes darkened and flickered. Finally, he let out a slow breath and said softly, "Since it is the Court of Judicial Review, they are following a process. I will send someone to investigate the situation first."
A Mei’s heart finally settled. Then, An Sheng gently patted her arm. She blinked, realizing she was still in his arms, and pulled away with a blush.
Her husband gestured to the side, and three people stepped forward to bow to her.
"This servant is Wu Da."
"This servant is Xiao Zhengzi."
"Greetings, Madam!"
Aside from Hehua, A Mei saw two unfamiliar young eunuchs and looked at An Sheng in confusion.
An Sheng’s cold gaze swept over the three of them, but his voice was warm when he spoke to A Mei. "I hold Hehua's deed of indenture; she will serve you from now on."
He pointed to Wu Da and Xiao Zhengzi. "These two were trained by me and are my trusted confidants. From today on, they will take turns following you. It is inconvenient for me to leave the palace often, so if you have matters to attend to, let them run the errands. If you have messages, let them deliver them."
A Mei was moved by her husband’s thoughtfulness and gave a low murmur of agreement.
An Sheng originally had matters to handle in the palace, but naturally, his father-in-law and brother-in-law took priority.
As he had just returned to the capital, it was inconvenient for him to appear in person for certain things. He sent Wu Da and Xiao Zhengzi out first, then took A Mei back to the residence.
With her husband by her side as her pillar of support, A Mei felt at peace.
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long after returning home before Wu Da, Xiao Zhengzi, and An Gui returned to the manor together.
An Gui was tired. He took a sip of tea and rested for a moment. Meeting A Mei’s anxious gaze, he spoke slowly. "Douzi did indeed push the boy down, and he cut his head. That child is the young son of Minister Sun’s legitimate daughter."
He was brief and to the point.
A Mei’s heart tightened.
She saw her husband raise an eyebrow and let out a scoffing laugh. "Even if it were Minister Sun’s own son, such a trivial matter would not end up at the Court of Judicial Review. There must be more to it."
An Sheng was right. The Court of Judicial Review usually handled cases assigned by the Emperor, oversaw judicial trials, and reviewed major cases from the Ministry of Justice. Using it for such a small matter was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
An Gui nodded. "Indeed. Minister Sun’s son—the child’s uncle—currently holds a position in the Court of Judicial Review."
An Sheng smiled thinly. "No wonder."
Wu Da chimed in, "I have already passed along your message and handled the necessary bribes. However, that boy surnamed Song is still unconscious. The Sun and Song families have called for imperial physicians. If we want them released, we’ll have to wait a bit."
An Sheng nodded, then asked Wu Da, "Did you ask Douzi why he pushed the child?"
Wu Da replied, "I did. The young master said that Song Chengzhi always bullies him. Today, because of his name, the boy didn't just mock him, but mocked his elder sister as well. He pushed him in a fit of anger."
"How did he mock her?"
Wu Da repeated Douzi’s words verbatim.
When Wu Da finished, A Mei’s eyes instantly turned red, and a thousand thoughts and emotions flooded her heart.
An Sheng gave A Mei’s hand a reassuring pat. His dark eyes flashed with a ruthless glint, growing increasingly somber as a thick, swirling malice and madness threatened to overflow from within.
He spoke slowly, "The Emperor and the Second Prince have resolved to reinstate the Palace Internal Investigation Bureau. During tomorrow’s morning court session, His Majesty will appoint me to oversee all its affairs. I shall certainly find an opportunity then to offer my sincere... apologies to that Minister Sun."
