Chapter 10 Wei Qin, I want to take a bath

The capital city.

In the deep palace, amidst towering pavilions and jeweled white marble bridges, Emperor Shunren, who had not yet settled down for the night, leisurely fed the fish under the glittering palace lanterns.

A white marble bridge was built over the sleeping quarters, with flowing water and schools of koi carp beneath it.

"Judging by the time, Jiangning should be making preparations."

An old man with white hair, who was standing to the side waving a feather fan, smiled without saying a word.

No one dared to let the emperor's words fall to the ground, except for this white-haired old man.

Emperor Shunren threw out all the fish food, and a kneeling palace maid wiped her fingers.

"Smooth sailing doesn't temper a person. I've gone to great lengths to set this up. This is the first time the Crown Prince has faced a difficult situation. I hope he can withstand the pressure, live up to my expectations, and stabilize the morale of the Jiangning army."

The white-haired old man stepped forward, still waving his feather fan despite the cold weather, dispersing the lingering scent of rouge that surrounded the emperor.

His voice was hoarse but tinged with laughter, "This old minister dares to offer a word of advice to Your Majesty. His Highness the Crown Prince has encountered a difficult situation, one that he personally severed from the bond of love."

"Father-in-law! Why bring up something you shouldn't say!"

Despite the emperor's scolding, the white-haired old man's smile remained unchanged, his aged eyes long and narrow like willow branches.

Strangely enough, the father-in-law mentioned by the emperor was not Dong, the father of Empress Dong, but Cui, the father of Empress Yide.

Sixteen years after Empress Yide's death, Grand Tutor Cui was still referred to as the Emperor's Father-in-Law. Court officials often joked that two tigers cannot share the same mountain, so they called Grand Tutor Cui the Great Emperor's Father-in-Law and Chief Minister Dong the Lesser Emperor's Father-in-Law.

The Crown Prince is the second son in line. His elder half-brother has already passed away, along with his mother, Empress Yide.

That year, Emperor Shunren was filled with grief and self-reproach. If he had not broken the rule of "establishing the eldest son as heir, not the most virtuous one" and insisted on making his second son the crown prince, his first wife would not have chosen to perish in the fire.

The melodious sound of the silver zither cannot dispel the melancholy in my heart.

The coral pillow is exquisite, yet it does not add warmth to the brocade quilt.

Emperor Shunren would occasionally reminisce with Grand Tutor Cui about the past, sighing and lamenting that his hair had turned white with grief.

Grand Tutor Cui would often fan himself silently, seemingly at peace, but when he was deeply grieved, he would become taciturn. In order to remember his eldest daughter, Grand Tutor Cui and his wife had a second daughter, Cui Shihan, who was granted the title of county princess at birth and settled in Yangzhou.

The past is like smoke. The white-haired old man walked out of the palace gate with his hands behind his back, without looking back at the magnificent palace. When he got into the carriage, he was stopped by a sixth-rank military officer on duty.

The captain, panting as he chased after the carriage, adjusted his helmet and said, "My repeated self-recommendations to the Ministry of War have been completely ignored. I beg the Grand Tutor for guidance: is there any possibility of a transfer?"

Known as the "know-it-all" of the court, Grand Tutor Cui had extensive connections and was well-informed, often offering insightful advice and solutions to people's problems. The captain, eager for promotion, waited for many days and finally got the chance to ask for his help in person.

Grand Tutor Cui slowly waved his feather fan and said with a leisurely smile, "Let's take a gamble."

The coachman cracked his whip and drove the carriage away, leaving the captain standing there overjoyed.

Upon returning to his residence, Grand Tutor Cui received a letter from his family in Yangzhou. Without opening it immediately, he glanced at the old man who had delivered the letter and casually gave a place of residence, saying, "This person is skilled in treating arthralgia. Go and consult him as soon as possible."

The old man, who had lived in Beijing for nearly fifty years, had no idea that such a famous doctor lived in a remote corner of a back alley.

Grand Tutor Cui returned to his study and opened the letter sent by his second daughter, Cui Shihan.

In her letter, Cui Shihan asked her father whether they should properly entertain the distinguished guests from the Eastern Palace.

"Distinguished guest..."

The slender, dark eyebrows of Grand Tutor Cui showed the ripples of time.

Sixteen years have passed.

His eldest daughter died sixteen years ago, filled with resentment.

**

As the curtains were rolled up in the early morning, Jiang Yinyue breathed out thin smoke. She shook her wind-blown sleeves and shivered from the snowflakes falling from the eaves.

This winter is unusually cold, with snow falling in both Huainan and Huaibei. Even birds are huddled on branches, unwilling to sing out loud.

When the postman brought breakfast, Jiang Yinyue had already packed her bags and was preparing to continue her journey. No one knew when a musket had appeared in her bag, not even she herself.

The musket that the Crown Prince had taken away eventually returned to her hands, now with a larger bullet inside the barrel.

On the long and arduous journey ahead, Jiang Yinyue turned to look at the dark green sedan chair behind the carriage, and couldn't help but tug at Wei Qin's sleeve, silently protesting.

Taking a shortcut through the mountains and fields was meant to shorten the journey, but Yan Zhuyi had two guards carry her sedan chair behind her. Was she afraid that her relatives and neighbors in Yangzhou wouldn't know that this was a gift from a high-ranking official of the second rank to curry favor with her?

Jiang Yinyue sensed something; Yan Zhuyi's visit wasn't solely for the purpose of visiting her family. Things were different now; she was no longer a bargaining chip used by her father to curry favor.

"You are neighbors, have you ever heard of any family in Yangzhou who has ever embarrassed Yan Zhuyi?"

Wei Qin, who was driving, looked at the woman who was peeking out from behind the curtain, and used one hand to push her back inside, saying, "It's cold outside."

"I'm not cold." Jiang Yinyue poked her head out again, waiting for Wei Qin's reply.

"The daughter of the prefect."

Tell me about it.

Wei Qin calmly recounted some past events he had witnessed, without asking Jiang Yinyue why she was interested. He seemed to have predicted that Yan Zhuyi's visit to her relatives would result in her crushing those who had looked down on her.

**

A group of people traveled at a leisurely pace, traversing mountains and valleys, passing through cities. Unbeknownst to them, the north wind gradually subsided, a light rain moistened the frozen ground, and the remaining snow quietly melted away, finally bidding farewell to the extreme cold of the year.

In February, the east wind blows, and the willows begin to sprout.

The further south you go, the warmer the weather becomes, with willow branches budding and plum blossoms in full bloom, and the air filled with the light of mist and the shadows of flowers.

Wei Qin's ramie shirt finally looked a bit normal.

Jiang Yinyue withdrew her gaze from him, holding the topographic map and carefully identifying the route. Having already been delayed for several days by that tattered sedan chair, she planned to cross the next county town without stopping.

The maid Han Yan said frankly, "Your Majesty had abdominal pain last night and was sweating profusely with any movement. She needs to go to the small town to seek medical treatment."

Jiang Yinyue closed her eyes to regulate her breathing, not wanting to confront Yan Zhuyi directly. After all, Yan Zhuyi was a concubine of the Crown Prince, and her delicate body was not suited for long journeys, as she was prone to minor and major illnesses every three days.

The small town was bustling with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares at the morning market. The group weaved through the throngs of people and found a clinic along the way.

It was inconvenient for outsiders to be in the clinic, so apart from one maid who accompanied them, everyone else left.

The gynecologist who was on duty had just taken Yan Zhuyi's pulse when she suddenly stopped and subconsciously looked at the pretty woman in front of her.

"My lady has been married for three years?"

The word "marriage" was slightly jarring, but Yan Zhuyi nodded without changing her expression.

The female doctor smiled and took her pulse again. There are many hidden masters in the city, and even the locals might not know that this female doctor, who rarely sees patients, is an itinerant physician.

The diagnosis revealed that the woman before him was still a virgin.

If a woman has not had sexual intercourse for three years after marriage and is otherwise healthy, it is likely due to her husband's actions.

The gynecologist, not wanting to ask too many questions, simply instructed Yan Zhuyi, "Madam, your liver qi is stagnant and you are depressed. You should try to relax. I will prescribe some medicine to soothe your liver, regulate your qi, and clear blockages in your meridians."

Thank you.

Is she depressed? That's certainly true. Yan Zhuyi ordered her maid to hand over extra reward money, showing her generosity.

**

While waiting, Jiang Yinyue pulled Wei Qin to the beverage shop diagonally opposite and ordered two bowls of sweet soup.

The two sat by the window. Jiang Yinyue glanced at the four guards pacing outside the window and unconsciously stirred the almond paste in her bowl.

"It's a lingering ghost."

Wei Qin looked out the window, his slender index finger tapping lightly on the spoon handle. Since the Crown Prince left, these four men, unlike the other guards, had stayed by his side without leaving his side.

It must have been a special order from the Crown Prince.

The woman, who didn't want to feel guilty, to encounter danger on her journey.

Entrusting Yan Zhuyi to the couple was merely a pretext; their true intentions lay elsewhere.

"Let them be."

Jiang Yinyue ignored it, silently drank a whole bowl of almond paste, and then leaned against the window, idly scanning the entire long street.

An inn came into view. Under Wei Qin's care, her left knee had fully recovered. It was originally a minor dislocation, but the timely treatment left no hidden dangers.

"Wei Qin, I want to take a bath."

The two went to the inn, followed closely by four guards.

The innkeeper, who was calculating with his abacus, chuckled and said, "All the top-class rooms are fully booked today. Would you two like a lower-class room?"

After a short bath, Jiang Yinyue ordered a room with the character "人" (ren, meaning person) and, as she followed the waiter upstairs, turned her head to look at the four eyesores.

When the waiter brought the bathwater and filled the bamboo tub, Jiang Yinyue blocked Wei Qin, who wanted to avoid suspicion, and closed the door with her other hand. "The four of them are acting suspiciously. I'm worried about them. You stay here with me."

"I'll go stand guard outside the door."

"No, you're right here."

With Wei Qin around, she could feel at ease in the unfamiliar city.

The room was small and without partitions, not even a screen to block the view. Wei Qin pulled out an embroidered stool and sat down, turning his back to the bath tub and taking a small sip of the tea brought by the waiter.

He was oblivious to the coarse and astringent taste of the tea, his usually calm expression freezing slightly when he heard the splashing of water behind him.

The speed at which one drinks tea slows down accordingly.

The room was quiet, except for the sound of water.

Jiang Yinyue comfortably scooped up the bathwater and poured it over her body, occasionally glancing at Wei Qin, who sat motionless and as steady as a mountain.

In her mind, Wei Qin was the same as a virtuous gentleman who could remain unmoved by lust.

The past three years have also confirmed this fact.

The soapberries at the inn were too coarse, so she picked one up and put it down again, gripping the edge of the bucket with both hands, revealing her wet little face. "There are goat milk soapberries in my bundle, could you get them for me?"

Wei Qin's back twitched slightly, a soft panting sound. He took out a fragrant soapberry from his bundle; it was warm to the touch, milky white, but not as white as the woman's skin in the misty steam.

When the soap was being handed over, their fingertips inevitably touched.

The rough calluses inadvertently brushed against a smooth surface.

As delicate as porcelain.

Jiang Yinyue took the soapberry and submerged herself in the water.

Bubbles floated upwards.

Wei Qin didn't linger, turning his back to the camera, but the scene from just now still uncontrollably reappeared before his eyes.

The woman, who was completely naked, had wet hair that draped over her chest and back, with her rounded shoulders partially hidden in it.

He walked to the window, opened it a crack, pinched his high nose bridge, and suddenly smelled the lingering scent of soapberry on his fingertips.

The physically fit man gazed absentmindedly at the bustling traffic outside the window until a "whoosh" sound came from behind him.

The sound of someone emerging from a bath.

Then came the rustling sound of fabric.

"That's fine."

When Wei Qin turned around, Jiang Yinyue had changed her clothes. The lighter fabric, which was thinner than what she wore in winter, clung to her damp skin, highlighting her graceful figure.

She stood by the bathtub, wringing her hair, tilting her head to reveal a section of her fair and pink neck.

Wei Qin walked over, took a cloth and gently wiped her long hair, his movements were so gentle and meticulous that he didn't even miss her earlobes.

Jiang Yinyue's ears were sensitive and itchy. She shrank her neck and looked like a lazy, contented cat, almost leaning on Wei Qin for support.

She tilted her head back and smiled, intending to say that she was a little hungry, but what she saw was Wei Qin's prominent Adam's apple.

Exceptionally sharp.

She looked at it curiously until her vision was covered by a cloth.

Wei Qin changed to a clean white handkerchief and covered her eyes.

Even after experiencing the trials of love, she remains a woman who knows nothing about passion and desire.

Wei Qin's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the woman's lips, which had turned crimson from her bath.

The sharp protrusion rolled slightly.

A note from the author:

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We're almost in Yangzhou!