Coming from a military background, Lu Zhengfeng naturally possessed extraordinary martial skills. In his fury, he threw this punch with every ounce of his strength.
With a whooshing sound, the wind of the punch reached his ear. An Sheng had nowhere to dodge, yet he remained as unmoving as a mountain, calm and composed, clearly confident. He didn't even bat an eyelid, and a mocking smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
In a split second, a man in black silently appeared behind An Sheng and kicked Lu Zhengfeng's wrist. His movements were as fast as lightning, his footwork light and agile. In the blink of an eye, he had unleashed several kicks in succession, every move an aggressive assault.
A sharp pain shot through Lu Zhengfeng's wrist. Before he could react, he took several kicks to his body in an instant. With a heavy thud, he fell backward, crashing hard onto the ground before he could even cry out in pain, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
An Sheng narrowed his eyes and let out a sinister laugh. He stood up slowly and made a casual gesture. The man in black vanished in a flash, just as mysteriously as he had appeared.
An Sheng's smile was terrifying, laced with excitement and a thirst for blood.
"Lu Zhengfeng, you truly have a lot of nerve."
Lu Zhengfeng struggled to sit up from the ground, glaring angrily at An Sheng, his eyes filled with monstrous hatred. "My daughter is the only bloodline my late wife left me. Even if I die, I will absolutely not allow anyone to harm her in the slightest. No one!"
Looking down at him from above, An Sheng said coldly, "I must say, you are quite a good father. What a pity that you are so incompetent."
With that, he revealed an eerie, chilling smile. "Look at you, in this state right now. How about I send someone to bring your precious daughter over, so you two can stage a touching display of father-daughter affection?"
Overwhelmed by anger, Lu Zhengfeng spat out another mouthful of blood. He stared fiercely at An Sheng. "An, don't you dare! I am, after all, a third-rank official of the imperial court, a Cavalry General personally appointed by His Majesty, holding real military power. You are merely a eunuch. According to the system, we are of equal rank. To bully me like this, do you really think you can cover the sky with one hand and despise the law of the land?!"
An Sheng raised an eyebrow and said disdainfully, "So what? This Commander has His Majesty's decree. In this place, if I say one, who dares to say two? Let alone a mere third-rank official like you, even if you were two ranks higher, I could still investigate and deal with you!"
An Sheng's face darkened. "This Commander advises you: a wise man submits to his circumstances. Since His Majesty sent me here, do you really think you still have the ability to protect your daughter in the future? Hah! If you don't believe me, try and see if you can save your daughter from me tonight!"
A sharp, venomous gaze swept undisguised over Lu Zhengfeng. An Sheng twitched the corners of his mouth. "Let's see whether my methods are more formidable or your abilities are greater!"
These words felt like a sudden knife thrust into General Lu's chest, cutting his internal organs with raw pain and instantly clearing his mind.
His eyes red, he finally yielded. He cupped his hands toward An Sheng. "I was too emotional just now and lost my mind. I beg Lord An to be magnanimous!"
"Haha, hahaha." An Sheng burst into laughter. His shrill voice carried a crazed ruthlessness, making him sound even more eccentric and menacing.
"Then it depends on what is more important in General Lu's heart—your daughter, or something else."
............
An Sheng became truly busy at the border. Aside from inspecting the border defenses and rewarding the army, he turned Chancheng completely upside down, leaving everyone in a state of panic.
The Capital.
A Mei had been attending more banquets and gatherings lately. She gradually became a familiar face among the families of officials in the capital, growing increasingly skilled and comfortable with all kinds of social engagements.
After interacting with her a few times, everyone realized that although the wife of Commander An of the Internal Depot always maintained an indifferent expression, she was not as difficult to get along with as rumors suggested. However, Madam An was simply too young, only in her teens. Her husband wielded immense power, acted ruthlessly and unpredictably, and was a eunuch. Thus, people were even more afraid to associate deeply with her.
They didn't dare leave her out of their everyday invitations. If she didn't come, all was well; but if she did, they would carefully and cautiously entertain her. As long as they didn't offend or neglect her, everything would remain peaceful.
The days flowed by like water. On this afternoon, A Mei was organizing the letters she had written to her husband over the past few days. Just as she finished gathering them, a maid came in to report that it was snowing outside.
Attended by the maid, A Mei draped a fox-fur-collared cloak over her shoulders. She stepped out slowly and stood in the courtyard. A Mei blinked, feeling the cold wind gently brush her cheeks. Looking up at the swirling snowflakes, she found it breathtakingly beautiful. She felt the tranquility of the world and the long stretch of time, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart, wishing her husband could also see such scenery.
A deep longing suddenly welled up in A Mei's heart. She calculated the time; it had already been a month since An Sheng left.
"Sister, Sister."
Douzi called out as he ran in from outside, rushing right up to A Mei.
A Mei snapped out of her reverie and smiled faintly, reaching out to brush the snowflakes off Douzi's head.
"Is school over? Why are you back so early today?"
Douzi hummed in agreement. "We finished early. Once it started snowing outside, no one wanted to study anymore, so the teacher just let us out early."
A Mei looked at Douzi affectionately. "Since you're back early, go play for a while before doing your homework."
Douzi happily jumped up at once. "Yay! You're the best, Sister."
"Then Douzi is going to the street to buy candied hawthorns. Do you want some, Sister? Let's go together, okay?"
A Mei lacked interest. She waved her hand. "Sister doesn't want to eat any. Go buy it yourself."
Douzi blinked his little eyes and suddenly grabbed A Mei's hand, pulling her outside. "Come on, come on. Douzi knows you miss Brother-in-law, but you can't stay depressed all day like this."
At Douzi's words, an awkward look crossed A Mei's face. With one hand held by Douzi and the other holding a paper umbrella, she followed him outside helplessly. "What does a child know? When was I ever depressed!"
Douzi turned his head and stuck out his tongue. "Douzi can see it. Ever since Brother-in-law left, you just haven't been happy!"
A Mei's small face flushed slightly as she tried to explain. "Nonsense, how am I not happy? Hey, Douzi, slow down. Come under the umbrella with me, don't catch a cold."
......
Douzi got his wish and ate candied hawthorns with his sister. He held a candied hawthorn in one hand and pulled an envelope out of his robe with the other.
He said very seriously, "Sister, this is the letter Douzi wrote to Brother-in-law. You must have the messenger deliver it to him together with yours."
A Mei: ......
"Wait, Douzi, what kind of letter did you write to your brother-in-law?" A Mei asked.
Douzi's small face turned serious. Acting as if it were a matter of course, an undeniable duty, and completely justified, he said, "Naturally, to urge Brother-in-law to come home quickly."
A Mei: ......
