The grand hall was solemn, a silence so profound it was terrifying.
An Sheng knelt prostrate on the ground for a long time, not daring to even breathe heavily. Finally, a sigh came from above.
"You are saying, the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household tried to kill you?"
The aged voice carried the weight of imperial authority, pressing down on An Sheng until he could scarcely breathe.
"Your Majesty, this servant dares not lie. That is exactly what the guard said. If not for this servant having some martial skill for protection, I would already be headless."
This was no falsehood. Besides the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, no third person in the palace knew An Sheng possessed martial arts. This was also one of the reasons the Empress Dowager had sent An Sheng to serve the Emperor.
Then came a deathly silence, until finally the Emperor sighed and waved his hand.
An Sheng immediately withdrew from the hall without a sound.
For three consecutive days, An Sheng performed his duties as usual. The entire palace seemed no different from before, though An Sheng did notice the absence of several familiar faces, including the Chief Eunuch serving before the Emperor, Eunuch Su.
The upheaval occurred two days later. The sky was clear for miles, and An Sheng was attending closely to the Emperor during his meal. Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the hall. Commander Min, the head of the Imperial Guards, led a team of men striding swiftly into the hall. With a thud, he knelt and reported, "Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince is forcing his way into the palace!"
An Sheng was in the midst of pouring wine for the Emperor. Hearing this, his heart jolted in alarm, but his face showed nothing, his hands remaining steady as he finished filling the Emperor's cup.
"Heh."
The Emperor took in the reactions of everyone present, then let out a low chuckle, though the mirth did not reach his eyes.
...
"What happened next? What happened after that?" A Mei couldn't help but ask.
Inside the An residence, An Sheng shot A Mei a sidelong glance and said irritably, "Since I'm standing here perfectly fine, what do you think?"
A Mei shrank back slightly from her husband's harsh tone, pursing her lips, looking utterly pitiful.
Turning to An Gui beside him, An Sheng's impatience towards A Mei vanished. "Godfather, the palace will be very busy from now on. Your son likely won't have time to return for a while."
"Mm, I know," An Gui nodded, then continued, "There's a carriage waiting at the gate. Don't delay too long, hurry back." With the palace currently short-handed, An Gui urged An Sheng to return.
An Sheng nodded with an "Mm," and stood up.
He walked to the door, glanced back at A Mei, who was standing obediently with her lips pursed, staring longingly at him. An inexplicable warmth stirred in his heart. Then he shot her another sidelong glance and snorted, "Are there nails on the ground? Can't you move?"
A Mei blinked, looking as if she didn't understand.
It was An Gui who pointed at An Sheng for A Mei. "Why are you standing there foolishly? Go see your husband off."
Only then did A Mei understand and quickly followed.
An Sheng walked ahead, A Mei trailing behind with small, hurried steps, head bowed. Crossing the courtyard, An Sheng stopped. A Mei, lost in her thoughts, walked right into his back.
"Ah!" A Mei covered her nose, her eyes welling up with tears as she looked at An Sheng.
Seeing A Mei's timid expression, An Sheng felt a surge of irritation. Adopting a mocking, singsong tone, he said, "What? After just a few days apart, you're already avoiding me? Seems to me you don't want me back at all. You'd be perfectly content if I never returned to this residence."
A Mei shook her head, pouted, and spoke with grievance, "A Mei didn't, A Mei missed her husband. A Mei longed for her husband to come home."
These words caused An Sheng's heart to clench strangely, stirring an indescribable delight, though he didn't show it on his face, maintaining his cold expression. "Oh? Tell me, how exactly did you miss me?"
A Mei blinked and answered honestly, "The nights you were gone, A Mei couldn't sleep well."
This was true. Ever since sharing a bed with An Sheng, A Mei had slept soundly every night. After An Sheng left, not only did she sleep poorly, but a few nights ago she even kicked off the covers and caught a chill.
But to An Sheng's ears, this brought to mind A Mei's sleeping posture since their wedding—like an octopus clinging to him all night. His eyebrow raised, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
"Enough. From now on, you are not to say such things to anyone but me. Not even Godfather."
A Mei nodded emphatically. "Mm, A Mei listens to her husband."
Then An Sheng took a plump, round pouch from his robe and tossed it into A Mei's arms.
A Mei fumbled to catch it, looking at An Sheng in confusion. "Husband, what is this?"
An Sheng said impatiently, "Can't you see for yourself?"
A Mei hurriedly opened it, then her eyes went wide. "This... so much silver!"
"Look at your pitiful, uncultured self!" An Sheng glared at her, exasperated. "When you go out, buy whatever catches your eye, whatever you want. Have several new sets of clothes made for yourself. If it's not enough, go ask Godfather, or wait until I come home next time and I'll give you more."
A Mei had genuinely never seen so much money. She shook her head. "Husband, this is too much for A Mei to spend. Should A Mei give it to Godfather for safekeeping?"
An Sheng stared at A Mei for a long moment, both annoyed and amused. "This bit of silver isn't even as much as the nobles give out in casual rewards. I'm telling you to keep it, so keep it. You are part of my household, you represent my face when you go out. If you continue to be this timid and stingy, you might as well stay inside the residence and never go out! As for Godfather, he doesn't lack this trifling amount."
Only then did A Mei carefully put the silver away. Her heart felt as sweet as if she'd eaten honey, and a smile spread across her face.
"Thank you, husband."
Seeing A Mei's smiling face, An Sheng's own heart eased considerably. In his good mood, he untied a token from his waist and gave it to A Mei.
"This is my personal token. If anything urgent happens at home, take this to the palace gates and find someone. They will naturally inform me."
A Mei held the token as if it were a treasure, her whole body visibly brightening with joy.
"Then... can A Mei go see her husband if there's nothing wrong?"
"Heh, you think the imperial palace is a place anyone can..." Meeting A Mei's hopeful gaze, the sarcastic remark died on his lips. An Sheng gave a low cough. "If you truly wish to see me, the second day of every month is the palace visitation day. If I get too busy and don't return for a long time, you can present the token to request an audience."
A Mei immediately beamed with delight. "Mm, A Mei will remember!"
