The secret agents of the Internal Depot brought news that there was a situation at the border.
An Sheng knelt before the desk. After a long while, a sound finally came from above him.
"Has this matter been investigated clearly?" Emperor Chengde's voice was flat, making it impossible to discern his joy or anger.
An Sheng's heart skipped a beat. Gathering his full attention, he replied cautiously:
"To answer Your Majesty, when your servant first learned of this news, I dared not believe it. I specifically issued a secret order and dispatched trusted men to Chancheng to investigate secretly. Only after confirming it repeatedly did I dare to present it to Your Majesty."
Emperor Chengde's expression gradually darkened. Kneeling before the desk, An Sheng held his breath. The entire hall was dead silent.
Emperor Chengde's silence lasted even longer than before.
"An Sheng."
"Your servant is here!"
"This matter is of grave importance. If it is true, and the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of War have noticed nothing for so long, it must involve many people. In a few days, I will grant you an imperial decree, allowing you to travel to the border to inspect the army and comfort the soldiers on my behalf. Once you arrive, you must investigate this thoroughly for me. Root out all the officials involved so they can be severely punished."
"Your servant obeys!"
An Sheng accepted the order and withdrew.
With only Emperor Chengde left in the hall, the ruler of the dynasty suddenly stood up, grabbed the inkstone from the desk, and smashed it fiercely against the floor.
The Emperor was furious, but more than that, he was deeply disappointed!
The reason was simple. When he was young and still the Second Prince, he was not favored by the late Emperor and was sent early to the army to be tempered. He spent many years in the military, personally experiencing the hardships of the soldiers, and was deeply moved by their righteousness in shedding blood to protect the country.
Therefore, whether as a prince in the past or as an emperor now, Emperor Chengde had always been generous and tolerant toward the generals and soldiers stationed at the border.
However, that tolerance and generosity were built solely on the foundation of the soldiers' wholehearted devotion to the country. No matter who it was, if they dared to harbor even a sliver of disloyalty, Emperor Chengde would never tolerate it and would naturally strike with thunderous methods.
In the evening, the family sat around the table for dinner.
An Sheng mentioned at the dinner table that he would soon be ordered to inspect the border.
A Mei was startled and asked, "Husband, are you preparing to leave right away?"
An Sheng replied, "It's not that urgent. There are still some matters to handle at the court and the Internal Depot. I need to make some arrangements before leaving. This is also good; the various branch offices set up at the border have been running for a while, and it's a good time for me to go over and check on them."
A Mei let out an "oh." Beside her, An Gui frowned deeply, his cloudy eyes full of worry. He spoke with a hoarse voice, "Everyone says you act on the Emperor's behalf, and this Internal Depot holds immense power and is at the height of its influence. The civil and military officials of the court already have many grievances against you. Now that the army is involved, who knows if this trip will be good or bad for you."
An Sheng chuckled dismissively, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Don't worry, Godfather. I just need to handle the Emperor's errands well. As for those who want to bring me down, we'll see if they have the lives to do so."
A Mei nodded vigorously beside him. "Mhm, Husband is right."
On the side, Douzi was picking at his food. He didn't quite understand what the adults were saying, so he just focused on eating. Today, there was a dish of braised pork knuckle on the table that was tender, juicy, and very savory. Douzi had picked up a couple of pieces with his chopsticks and couldn't help but want more.
Before he could reach out with his chopsticks again.
He suddenly realized that the pork knuckle had vanished into thin air, leaving only an empty bowl!
A Mei had a great appetite lately, finding everything delicious. She had just finished more than half of the braised pork knuckle, and when she turned her head, she saw her younger brother staring at her with wide, shocked eyes.
A Mei thought she had food stuck on her face, so she gently wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. "What is it, Douzi? Is there something on my face?"
Hearing A Mei's words, An Sheng turned his head, his gaze sweeping over A Mei's small face before landing on Douzi's astonished expression.
He saw Douzi swallow hard, a look of awe on his face, and say, "Sister, did you really eat all that pork knuckle?"
A Mei blinked.
An Sheng raised an eyebrow.
Then they heard Douzi continue with sincere admiration, "Sister, you're amazing! I don't think even Brother-in-law can out-eat you. You're definitely the biggest eater in our family!"
A Mei: ...
Seeing his wife's face visibly redden with embarrassment, An Sheng cast a disapproving glance at Douzi and coughed softly.
"What does a child know? Your sister is at the age where she is still growing, so naturally, she needs to eat more."
It would have been better if An Sheng hadn't spoken. As soon as the words left his mouth, A Mei felt awkward hearing them. She glared at Douzi crossly. If she didn't know Douzi was innocent by nature, she would really think the child was mocking her for eating so much.
An Gui smiled from the side to help A Mei out of her predicament. "She has indeed gotten plumper than when she first married into the family. Being able to eat is a blessing. After the New Year, A Mei will only be seventeen. It's more fortunate for a woman to be a bit plump."
"Yes, my in-law is right. Ever since A Mei married into your family, she no longer looks as skinny and frail as before. Now I see she has a rosy complexion and is full of vitality. It shows how much you and my son-in-law cherish and care for A Mei on a daily basis. This child is enjoying a blessed life," A Mei's father chimed in with a look of gratitude.
A Mei couldn't sit still anymore.
She put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm done eating."
As she spoke, her bright, watery eyes blinked as she stared at An Sheng, her gaze full of embarrassment and a plea for help.
An Sheng, who had a few slices of bamboo shoots held in his chopsticks and had not yet put them in his mouth, paused immediately. He simply put down his chopsticks, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, his eyes carrying a trace of helpless doting. "I am also done eating. Godfather, Father-in-law, please continue your meal. I will take A Mei back to our room first."
...
As soon as A Mei returned to the room, she sulked in silence. It was simple—no one would be happy to be called a big eater and then told they had gotten fat.
After all, girls have a natural sensitivity to the concepts of fat and thin.
A Mei looked down at her small belly, which was slightly bulging from having just eaten, and couldn't help but reach out to pinch the soft flesh on her waist. She pouted, slightly swaying her waist from side to side, and looked pitifully at An Sheng beside her as she spoke:
"Husband, come over and see if A Mei has really gotten fat."
An Sheng stepped closer and stood in front of A Mei. His large hands gripped A Mei's waist. He had always liked the slightly soft touch in his hands. His deep gaze happened to fall on the curves of A Mei's chest, which were also a bit fuller than before. He slightly curled his lips. "Mhm, of course you're not fat, but you do feel a bit rounder and plumper than before."
That clearly meant she had gotten fat!
A Mei felt terrible.
An Sheng was amused by A Mei's pitiful look, as if the sky had fallen. Stifling a laugh, he pulled A Mei into his arms. "Oh my, is it that serious? Look at how unhappy my wife is."
"How is it not serious? You all said I got fat," A Mei said indignantly, resting against An Sheng's chest.
Although An Sheng didn't quite understand A Mei's inexplicable little tantrum at the moment, he still coaxed her patiently. "My little lady, what an injustice. That was clearly Godfather who said it. When did I ever say you were fat?"
A Mei gave a delicate harrumph, then suddenly narrowed her eyes. As if a thought had just struck her, she looked up, cast a sidelong glance at An Sheng, and asked, "Then does my husband actually prefer me to be on the thinner side or the plumper side?"
An Sheng's expression turned extremely serious as he answered without hesitation, "What does thinner or plumper matter? I love A Mei exactly as she is."
"But A Mei eats so much. Will you laugh at A Mei for having such a big appetite?"
An Sheng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How could I? Our family has immense wealth; could we possibly lack enough to feed you?"
A Mei finally felt completely at ease.
Watching A Mei transform from sulking to instantly beaming with joy, her eyes curving into happy crescent moons, An Sheng couldn't stop the corner of his eye from twitching.
A Mei leaned her whole body into An Sheng's embrace. Harboring a secret little delight, she couldn't resist nuzzling her rosy cheeks against An Sheng's chest again and again. "My husband is so wonderful, indulging A Mei's whims like this."
An Sheng: ...
