A Mei didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Douzi's words. She gently poked his little head.
"You child, your brother-in-law already has enough to worry about out there, don't cause more trouble for him!"
"But, but..." Douzi blinked, looking earnestly at his older sister. "But Douzi doesn't want you to be sad, sister."
A Mei had watched Douzi grow up since he was little. Hearing him say this, she actually felt a deep sense of comfort in her heart.
However, A Mei shook her head slightly, her face turning serious. "Douzi, listen to me. I am not sad. It's true that I miss your brother-in-law, but that is just longing, not unhappiness. Your brother-in-law is a capable man and a government official. He is so skilled and powerful that he can even go on inspection tours on behalf of the Emperor. I am too busy being happy for him to be sad. You have to understand, the more capable your brother-in-law is, the less likely he can stay at home all day to keep me company."
At this point, A Mei looked into Douzi's slightly confused eyes. She pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and explained it in simpler terms: "Right now, everything our big family uses for food, shelter, and daily life is earned by your brother-in-law out there. You need to understand how hard it is for him, and more importantly, you need to be grateful. Without your brother-in-law, we wouldn't have the comfortable life we have today. Can you understand that, Douzi?"
A Mei rarely spoke to Douzi so seriously. Firstly, because Douzi was young, and secondly, because she herself hadn't understood so many principles in the past. But ever since she married An Sheng, she had seen more, heard more, and learned more by his side. She felt increasingly grateful for how good An Sheng was to her; he had truly taught her so much.
A Mei admitted that she didn't know much and wasn't quick to grasp profound concepts, but she wasn't stupid. She remembered every single good thing An Sheng had done for her, piece by piece, deep in her heart.
When she woke up at midnight and couldn't fall back asleep because she missed her husband, she would dig up these memories from the bottom of her heart and savor them carefully. Whenever she did this, the happiness in her heart felt just like when she was a child and finally got to eat the malt candy she had craved for so long. That sweetness seeped all the way into her soul, staying sweet from her childhood all the way to the present.
Countless times, she couldn't help but secretly rejoice and feel fortunate. How lucky she was to be able to marry her husband!
Douzi was awed by A Mei's serious expression. He nodded firmly. "Sister, Douzi understands. Brother-in-law is good to us, so we must be good to him too."
"Good boy, Douzi. That's exactly what I mean."
Naturally, Douzi's letter did not end up in An Sheng's hands.
This year, the bitter winter in Chan City was even harder to endure than in previous years. Biting winds raged everywhere, and the snow was deep. The sharp, freezing gales howled past, impossible to escape. Yet, the weather was nothing compared to the officialdom of Chan City, which was as chilling as ice and piercing to the bone!
An Sheng satisfactorily stored the blood-stained lists and case records one by one into the black box on his desk. Standing to the side was the trembling, terrified Commander Wu. His face was devoid of color, and he stared in horror at the cruel, cold, and bloodthirsty Commander An before him. He shivered for a long time before finally managing to speak, "Lord An, you can't... you can't kill anymore!"
Good heavens, if he kept killing, there would be no one left in Chan City. Ever since this Commander An arrived, the sky over Chan City had truly changed!
At this moment, An Sheng didn't even try to hide the excitement and brutality in his eyes. He gave Commander Wu a cheerful twitch of his lips, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. Pinching his voice, he spoke leisurely:
"Commander Wu, we have barely just begun. My painstaking efforts are all for your sake, wouldn't you say?"
Commander Wu forced a smile that looked worse than crying. "Yes, yes, but..."
An Sheng's face darkened, and he sneered coldly, "Hmph, there are no 'buts.' If the subordinates are disobedient, naturally we must execute one as a warning to a hundred. Since Commander Wu is lax in his governance, too lenient with others, and cannot bring himself to do it, I have no choice but to do it for you. There is no need to thank me, Commander Wu!"
Commander Wu felt as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat, unable to go up or down.
This wasn't executing one as a warning to a hundred; it was clearly exterminating everyone to eliminate future troubles permanently. Commander Wu's heart was bleeding!
Emperor Chengde had sent An Sheng to investigate the case, and An Sheng had done exactly that. He investigated what needed to be investigated, but once things were clear, he didn't even give anyone a chance to argue or appeal. He just launched into a massive massacre. It was utterly cruel, tyrannical, and completely deranged!
Now, the entire officialdom of Chan City was undergoing a massive purge. An Sheng's methods were truly, truly...
If Commander Wu wanted to protect himself, he had no choice but to swallow his broken teeth and endure it!
An Sheng stared at Commander Wu with a half-smile. His expression relaxed, making him appear quite amiable. But if one looked closely at his face, they would find that his smile seemed laced with poison. An Sheng spoke in an earnest tone, "Commander Wu, border smuggling can be a major or a minor offense. Tell me, if it were just privately reselling some tea and porcelain on regular days, that would be one thing. But tell me about these horses and ochre... tsk tsk. In the eyes of His Majesty, that is treason, betraying the country for glory, biting the hand that feeds you, a crime unforgivable even by death. Having investigated to this point, Commander Wu, tell me, have I been good to you or not?"
Commander Wu sweated like rain, his teeth chattering as he said, "Eunuch An's great kindness is like a second lease on life. This official will never forget it. In the future, I will naturally devote myself entirely to Lord An, even if it means my brains are smeared on the ground!"
An Sheng was satisfied, the corners of his mouth pulling into a triumphant arc. "That's right. I have always liked dealing with smart people like Commander Wu."
"Come, come, let's chat a bit more about whether you have any close friends or acquaintances in the Ministry of Works and the Censorate. Given our current friendship, when I return to the capital, I will certainly look after them. Commander Wu must surely tell me everything without holding back. General Lu has already chatted quite a bit with me. If what the two of you say doesn't match up, I will be quite angry."
In an instant, Commander Wu's face turned ashen, as if he had plunged into an ice cave, and his heart finally sank to the bottom.
In this dynasty, ore mining and weapon forging were always the responsibility of the Ministry of Works and the Censorate. If they dug deeper, it could even implicate the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet. At the thought of this, An Sheng suddenly became so excited that his whole body trembled slightly, and he couldn't stop grinding his teeth.
Endless greed and ambition briefly surfaced in An Sheng's eyes, carrying a terrifying bloodthirstiness and cruelty.
"Ha, haha."
Suddenly, a sharp laugh echoed throughout the entire room.
For him, An Sheng, this trip out was truly worth it!
