Wanxiang Pavilion

“I appreciate your kindness, but I cannot accept this punishment.” Governor Wu laughed loudly upon hearing this. “That fragrant dew was a gift from His Majesty. I have always been loyal to the Great Yan and loyal to His Majesty!”

"General Wei, I've got a great idea!" Jiang Jin raised an eyebrow and looked at Wei Shu.

"In that case, why don't we wait and see who steps forward? What do you think, Governor Wu?"

"Lady Wei, would you like to go fishing?" Governor Wu stroked his beard and smiled. "I also enjoy fishing very much. Why don't we see if we can catch a big fish?"

"General, what do you think?" Wei Shu glanced at Jiang Jin upon hearing this. "Why are you calling me General now? Just now you were calling me Wei Shu."

"Wei Shu, stop with your sarcastic remarks! Kill me or torture me as you please, why all this trouble!" Jiang Jin threw the dagger from her sleeve at Wei Shu. "If you're so capable, then kill me."

"Jiang Jin, that's all you know how to do." Wei Shu smiled, touching the familiar dagger. "Once something is given away, I won't take it back."

"Then I thank you very much, General." Jiang Jin bowed. "Does the General think the plan is feasible?"

“It’s worth a try.” Wei Shu stood up and dusted himself off. “I will report this to His Majesty, and the final decision will be made by His Majesty.”

"Jiang Jin, are you still going to stay here?" Wei Shu asked through gritted teeth, seeing Jiang Jin still motionless.

"Of course I'll go back with the general. Jiang Jin bids farewell to the governor and his wife." Jiang Jin bowed and followed Wei Shu out of the room.

Upon passing the main hall, Jiang Jin saw Zheng Xi disguised as a commoner. She shook her head slightly and then left the temple.

"You haven't uttered a word the whole way; are you contemplating your fate?" Wei Shu snorted coldly as he boarded the carriage.

"Aren't you coming up? Do you want me to carry you up myself?" Wei Shu looked at Jiang Jin with a cold face.

"Of course I'm afraid the general will kill me to silence me!" Jiang Jin stepped onto the supply wagon, cautiously observing Wei Shu's expression.

"Don't worry, just as you said, I won't touch you for now." Wei Shu straightened his sleeves and looked at Jiang Jin with a cold expression.

"Jiang Jin, don't let me find out you're up to something again next time."

"Thank you very much, General." Jiang Jin's tone softened upon seeing this.

"What is there to thank me for?" Wei Shu closed his eyes and stopped looking at Jiang Jin.

"Of course, it was because the general was willing to let Governor Wu off the hook, without directly reporting it to the emperor."

Jiang Jin understood Wei Shu's plan, but she was somewhat surprised that Wei Shu would actually let Governor Wu go.

“Jiang Jin, you’re overthinking it. I just don’t want others to use me as a pawn. Besides, His Majesty isn’t a cold-hearted person. If he submits his confession before the truth comes out, His Majesty will likely spare him for the sake of the people of Yuezhou,” Wei Shu explained to Jiang Jin, unusually.

“Wei Shu, I understand your difficulties and I know that you should be loyal to His Majesty, so it is best for me to do this. At most, you will only be guilty of negligence.”

Hearing Jiang Jin's words, Wei Shu was taken aback. "So you plan to take on this matter all by yourself?"

"Others may not understand our relationship, but His Majesty should know it best. If I acted impulsively, His Majesty shouldn't hold a grudge against you. Besides, considering I'm just a pawn, he should at least leave me a proper burial, right?" Jiang Jin said calmly, clutching her dress.

"You're not afraid of death, are you?" Wei Shu chuckled, pulling back the curtain to look out at the woods.

"I just feel that if an honest official is forced to take sides, then it should be the responsibility of the imperial court." Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu firmly.

"If only by taking sides can one seek protection and do things for the people, then what right do we have to criticize them?"

“Jiang Jin, the imperial court is not a place where anyone can have their own opinion; even His Majesty must weigh the options.” Wei Shu lowered the curtain and looked at Jiang Jin seriously.

"The Crown Prince and the Third Prince are locked in a fierce struggle, and now the Fifth Prince has joined the fray. Many powerful families are also involved, making the court situation extremely complex and the capital a hotbed of intrigue. Even in-laws must be treated with caution. Isn't Princess Zhaoyang the best example? Although she is a princess, she remains unmarried. Is it because of her noble status that no one dares to marry her?" A shadow fell over Wei Shu's eyes.

"It's because her younger brother is the Crown Prince, right?" Jiang Jin took a sip of tea.

"The Crown Prince's faction wants to use the princess's marriage as a bargaining chip, but His Majesty is unwilling to do his best to stop it. The neutral parties do not want to get involved, but they have no choice but to push out the collateral branches. As a result, the princess's marriage is caught in a dilemma."

"Not bad." Wei Shu gave Jiang Jin an approving look. "So, who do you think the Crown Prince's faction will favor more?"

"How would I know?" Jiang Jin was somewhat wary of Wei Shu's question.

"The Yang family or the Wei family?" Wei Shu muttered to himself, but his eyes remained fixed on Jiang Jin.

“The Yang family are pillars of the state, but they don’t have any unmarried men of marriageable age. And Wei Sanlang is a good-for-nothing. How could it be either of these two families?” Jiang Jin placed the teacup on the small table.

"Although the Yang family is neutral in the court, they are veterans of three reigns. It just so happens that the fifth young master of the Yang family has just lost his wife. As for the Wei family, they have some strength in the army, which can fill the gap in the Crown Prince's military strength."

“A widower and a good-for-nothing, how could His Majesty agree to that? Besides, if the Crown Prince becomes too powerful, it would not be a good thing for His Majesty.”

Jiang Jin suppressed her impatience and calmed herself, trying to get some information out of Wei Shu.

"So, even though the princess has been of marriageable age for four years, His Majesty still hasn't chosen a husband for her." Wei Shu stopped the conversation when he couldn't glean anything useful from Jiang Jin's expression.

"Your Majesty can't keep the princess waiting to be married forever, can you?" Jiang Jin cautiously probed again.

"Trying to find out about the Emperor's affairs is no small matter!" Wei Shu glanced at Jiang Jin indifferently. "You seem particularly concerned about the Princess's affairs."

"If the general wants to accuse me of meddling, he should just say so directly. Why use the young master as a pretext?" Jiang Jin felt as if he were walking a tightrope on a cliff, each step fraught with difficulty, not daring to reveal the slightest flaw.

"It's good that you know it yourself." Although Wei Shu hadn't gleaned any useful information, his wariness of Jiang Jin remained unchanged.

The two remained silent, leaving only the sound of the carriage churning through the mud. Once inside the city, Jiang Jin glanced at Wei Shu, then carefully lifted the curtain to look outside. The signboard of Wanxiang Pavilion came into view.

Jiang Jin had a plan in mind. If she wanted to enter the brothel without leaving a trace, she would have to make good use of Wei Shu.

As night fell, Jiang Jin, unusually, did not draw the curtains. "General, why don't you come to the bed?"

"Jiang Jin, what's wrong now?" Wei Shu lay on the ground, his eyes flickering as he looked at Jiang Jin, who was only wearing her undergarments.

"Isn't this just me trying to fulfill my duties as a wife?" Jiang Jin said with a smile as she squatted down beside Wei Shu. "General, don't you want to?"

Jiang Jin reached out and touched Wei Shu's face. "General?" Wei Shu pushed Jiang Jin's hand away.

"Go to sleep now, or don't blame me for being impolite!" Wei Shu's face darkened slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised suspicion.

"Wei Shu, I'm your wife. I misunderstood you before, so now I don't even have a chance to make amends?" Jiang Jin's face showed hurt, but her heart was clear.

"Jiang Jin, all we need is a formal title!" Wei Shu immediately knocked Jiang Jin unconscious, placed her on the bed, and covered her with a thin blanket.

For several days, Jiang Jin had been pestering Wei Shu relentlessly, and Wei Shu, unable to bear it any longer, moved into Zhou Cong's room. That night, seeing that the time was ripe, Jiang Jin changed into Hu clothing and slipped into the night, followed by Wei Shu.

"This young man looks unfamiliar. How about I choose a few suitable women for him?" The mother noticed the jade pendant at Jiang Jin's waist and led him upstairs.

"Peony and lotus, come quickly to welcome our guests!" Zheng Xi bowed gracefully to Jiang Jin as she entered the room. "My lord, what tune would you like to hear?"

"Does my wife have any confidence in my husband's methods? I've come today to seek your guidance." Jiang Jin said, but her hands were already writing rapidly with a brush.

"My lady is too kind. I am a lowly person and I am afraid that such tricks would offend your ears."

Zheng Xi nodded and accepted the two letters. He pointed to the music playing outside the door and mouthed the words "someone is there."

"It's nothing, perhaps my husband just likes it." Jiang Jin immediately recognized the person outside the door.

“Every husband has a different personality, and the methods used to deal with them will vary.” Zheng Xi sat down opposite Jiang Jin.

“My husband is a…” Jiang Jin was at a loss for words for a moment, “…a kind and good person. I had many misunderstandings about him before, so I want to make amends now.”

"According to what you say, my lady, your husband shouldn't be too angry with you." Just then, a knock came at the door.

"Jiang Jin, come out!" Wei Shu's tone showed dissatisfaction but not anger. Zheng Xi glanced at Jiang Jin with some concern.

"Nothing." Jiang Jin opened the door, and Wei Shu, dressed in black robes, looked at Jiang Jin with a gloomy expression. "Coming to a brothel so late at night, Jiang Jin, your audacity has certainly grown!"

“My lord, you are mistaken. I have only come here to learn.” Jiang Jin stood beside Wei Shu. “My husband is ignoring me, so I have no choice but to come here to seek his guidance.”

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Wei Shu glanced coldly at Zheng Xi.

"I've arrived!" Jiang Jin nodded slightly to Zheng Xi as she followed behind Wei Shu.

As the two walked down the street, Wei Shu exuded a cold aura. "Do you know what Wanxiang Pavilion is?"

"I came here to find out, of course. Does the General despise me for not being a virtuous woman?" Jiang Jin had achieved her goal, and her tone became somewhat lighthearted.

Wei Shu gripped Jiang Jin's arm tightly. "Do you know that Yuezhou might have been under someone's surveillance all along? You went out alone in the middle of the night without anyone with you. Are you trying to go to hell by yourself? Jiang Jin, if you want to die, then go ahead and die, but don't dirty my eyes!"

Jiang Jin looked at Wei Shu and smiled, "General, how did you know I came here to be monitoring me?" Jiang Jin's face appeared somewhat blurry in the moonlight.

"Wei Shu, you've never trusted me, have you?" Jiang Jin narrowed her eyes, not wanting Wei Shu to have any doubts, so she had to strike first.

"Jiang Jin, I don't trust anyone. Why do you think you'll be the exception?" Wei Shu's cold eyes were fixed on Jiang Jin.

"Yes, I won't be your exception, but you don't need to be on guard against me all the time. General Wei, do you think I have ulterior motives and will harm you?" Jiang Jin deliberately put on a sad expression, but in reality, she had been secretly observing Wei Shu's expression.

"Isn't that right?" Wei Shu chuckled awkwardly. "You didn't harm me, did you?"