An Sheng's new residence was located on West Chang'an Avenue, not far from the imperial palace. It was originally the mansion of a prince from the previous dynasty. After the change of dynasties, it was reclaimed by the royal family. Following the deposition of the former crown prince, His Majesty bestowed it upon the Second Prince. The Second Prince had left the palace to establish his own estate many years ago and had always been upright and frugal, so this mansion had remained vacant.
Now that it was awarded to An Sheng, it saved him the trouble of purchasing and furnishing a new place.
Wu Da led his men to escort A Mei and An Gui over. Over there, Xiao Zhengzi and Hehua were already waiting in the courtyard with a dense crowd of people.
On the way, Wu Da had already given A Mei a general overview of the new residence. A Mei was mentally prepared, but seeing so many people at first glance still startled her. However, she didn't show it on her face and walked over with a composed expression.
A Mei and An Gui slowly stepped forward and sat on the only two grand armchairs in the courtyard.
The crowd knelt down in a sweeping motion.
"Your servants greet Madam and the Old Master!"
A brief silence followed.
Sitting in the seat of honor, A Mei noticed her godfather beside her didn't speak, so she gave a soft sound of acknowledgment and said, "Rise."
Everyone stood up and waited respectfully.
Xiao Zhengzi approached A Mei holding a tray. His high-pitched voice was loud enough for everyone present to hear clearly: "Madam, these are the deeds of indenture for all the servants in the estate. These servants were personally selected by the Master. Per the Master's request, they have all signed death contracts. The Master said that all these deeds are to be managed by Madam. Please look them over." When he mentioned the words "death contracts," Xiao Zhengzi emphasized them heavily, making the hearts of the servants present tremble uncontrollably.
Once a death contract was signed, it was recorded in the government's slave registry, giving the master the absolute power of life and death over them.
A Mei calmly took the deeds, flipped through a few at random, and then placed them back on the tray. "Good."
A Mei's gaze swept over the crowd, her face serene. She pondered for a moment, and her crisp voice, though not loud, carried an unprecedented seriousness: "Since you have entered our An estate, you should be well aware of our Master's identity. I won't say much else. Do your work well and serve your masters properly, and I will naturally mete out rewards and punishments fairly. Do you understand?"
The crowd knelt down again: "Yes, Madam!"
Beside her, An Gui suddenly let out a cold chuckle. His sinister gaze swept across the crowd, and his sharp, hoarse voice was eerie and malicious: "From now on, every single one of you better work with your heads tied to your belts. Your Madam might be kind-hearted, but I and your Master are not so easily fooled. If you want to die, I will naturally grant your wish!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's hearts trembled. Some of the younger maidservants were so frightened they outright started crying.
Even A Mei couldn't help but sneak a glance at her godfather.
All matters concerning the servants were handed over to Xiao Zhengzi. A Mei didn't want to manage them either. Since they were her husband's people, she was naturally at ease and happy to enjoy the leisure.
Wu Da guided A Mei and An Gui, giving them a tour of the estate. As she walked, A Mei marveled inwardly. It truly lived up to being a former prince's mansion; it was incredibly large.
After touring around, A Mei finally found a moment to sit down and have a cup of tea with her godfather. Seeing that there was no one around, A Mei let out a breath, relaxing her entire body, and couldn't help but mutter to her godfather, "Godfather, was what A Mei said just now okay? I was a little nervous. By the way, Godfather, why did Husband buy so many servants? How much silver must that have cost?"
An Gui glanced at A Mei and spoke with a smile, "No wonder Sheng'er used to tell me you had no ambition. Now that Sheng'er serves as the Commander of the Inner Depot, although it is only a third-rank official title, this Inner Depot answers only to His Majesty. Its power is so vast that no other official position can sway it. And you, as An'er's wife and now the mistress of the An estate, will undoubtedly enjoy endless wealth and glory in the future. Don't let your heart ache over a tiny bit of silver."
A Mei felt a little embarrassed by her godfather's words, but she still couldn't help acting coquettishly, "Godfather, A Mei knows what you're saying. Husband also told A Mei he would give me fine clothes, exquisite food, and flocks of servants. But A Mei doesn't care about these things. Don't worry, A Mei definitely won't make Husband lose face in front of outsiders in the future. But right now, there are no outsiders around. We are all family. With Godfather here, A Mei naturally wants to say whatever is on her mind. Don't you agree?"
An Gui's old face instantly wrinkled with a wide smile: "You child, no wonder Sheng'er likes you so much. What a sweet mouth."
"Not at all, A Mei is just stating facts."
Hearing her godfather say that her husband liked her made A Mei feel both shy and secretly delighted. She couldn't suppress the corners of her lips from curling up.
...
When An Sheng returned to the estate in the middle of the night, a servant reported that Madam had fallen asleep in the study.
An Sheng stepped into the study and saw A Mei resting on the desk. Her face was rosy, and her red lips slightly parted as she breathed, sleeping soundly.
An Sheng leaned over, gently picked A Mei up in his arms, and walked towards the bedroom.
This movement woke A Mei. In his familiar embrace, A Mei didn't even open her eyes. She comfortably nuzzled against An Sheng's chest and called out sweetly, "Husband."
An Sheng replied with a soft sound, his eyes curving slightly: "Why did you fall asleep on the desk again?"
A Mei slowly opened her eyes, gazing at her husband with reliance and joy: "A Mei wanted to wait for Husband to come home. A Mei went to look, and our bedroom is so big. But because it's so big, and it's the first night staying there, A Mei felt a little scared alone, so I wanted to wait to go together with Husband."
With a smile on his lips, An Sheng quickly entered the room and placed A Mei on the new bed. Their faces were close together, and An Sheng deliberately let his warm breath brush against A Mei's reddened nose: "You poor thing. I told you I wouldn't let my wife sleep alone in an empty bed, yet I still came back so late, making A Mei scared. It's all my fault."
Hearing An Sheng's words, A Mei only felt that her husband cared for her deeply and was full of affection. A Mei's heart was brimming with sweet joy, and her bright, watery eyes gazed at her husband with shy tenderness.
An Sheng's heart skipped a beat under A Mei's undisguised, love-filled gaze.
He saw the usually shy A Mei wrap her arms around his neck, pucker her small lips, and lean in for a kiss. A dark gleam flashed in An Sheng's eyes, and he cooperatively lowered his head.
A Mei's heart was pounding. Imitating how her husband usually did it, she carefully traced the shape of her husband's lips with her own, and then extended her soft little tongue, gently prying open An Sheng's lips bit by bit.
It was a kiss as gentle as water, yet for A Mei, it was both inexperienced and bold.
A Mei loved kissing her husband. That lingering, intertwining affection during their blushing, breathless exchanges always made her heart flutter like a deer and filled her with leaping joy.
It brought even greater delight to An Sheng. At this moment, both of their bodies and minds were joyous and perfectly united.
When the long kiss ended, A Mei shyly shrank into her husband's embrace.
An Sheng held the warm, soft beauty in his arms. His eyes were dark and deep, and his voice was low and slightly husky as he breathed against the tip of A Mei's bright red ear: "Last night you kept saying you couldn't take it and accused me of bullying you. Now you still dare to provoke me like this. Tell me, am I bullying you or not?"
