Chapter 15 What did Miss dream about last night?

Jiang Yinyue woke up from a sweet dream where her brother stuffed a chicken leg into her mouth. She pursed her lips in a daze and found that her lips were clean and oil-free.

It was a dream.

I dreamt of my brother whom I haven't seen in a long time again.

Three years of war brought peace to the border of Da'an. From her brother's letters, Jiang Yinyue could feel his growth. His mentality had transformed from a spirited young general into an experienced and valiant warrior. Only the soldiers guarding the border knew the hardships he had endured.

Now that the country is at peace and prosperity, it's time for my elder brother to be transferred back to the capital.

Jiang Yinyue was looking forward to meeting her brother and imagining how his appearance had changed when she suddenly smelled the aroma of food. She turned her head and realized that there was no one beside her.

Wei Qin carried the tray to the table and arranged the food on plates.

The woman, awakened by the aroma of chicken legs, followed the smell of food to the table, but didn't forget to greet the cook, "What time is it?"

"The third quarter of the hour of Yin."

"It is against etiquette to eat first."

"There aren't those rules at home, so go ahead and wash up."

Jiang Yinyue walked to the window with some skepticism, peeking through a crack to see where her parents-in-law were in the main room. The doors and windows of the main room were tightly closed, and it seemed that the elderly couple had not yet gotten up.

Logically, Wei Zhongchun should be on duty at 5:00 AM, but it's already 3:45 AM, so there's no time for him to pay his respects.

Jiang Yinyue felt relieved and accepted Wei Qin's service with a clear conscience.

Besides being waited on hand and foot.

Sitting in front of the dressing table that Wei Zhongchun had personally crafted, Jiang Yinyue, unaware of the situation, raised her face and let Wei Qin wipe it.

Wei Qin applied gentle pressure, and as he brushed against her lips, he couldn't help but recall the two words those pink lips had uttered the night before.

elder brother.

His hand movements paused slightly.

Feeling a little itchy from being wiped with the cloth, Jiang Yinyue smiled shyly and reminded Wei Qin that he had gone too far.

But Wei Qin didn't stop, continuing to rub the two pink cherry blossoms until they were a deep red.

A slight pain spread across her lips, and Jiang Yinyue instinctively backed away, looking at the man in front of her with confusion, vaguely sensing his slight displeasure.

"What’s wrong with you?"

"What did you dream about last night, Miss?"

Am I talking in my sleep?

"Hmm." Wei Qin's gaze was indifferent, as if a snow lotus was frozen deep within his pupils.

Jiang Yinyue smiled, her smile as beautiful as a flower. "I dreamt of my brother. He's grown taller and stronger, his skin is tanned dark, and his teeth are especially white when he smiles."

The bond between siblings is a lifelong connection. When Jiang Yinyue mentions her brother, she cannot hide her longing and desire to reunite with him as soon as possible.

The icy light in Wei Qin's eyes softened, and a snow lotus bloomed. He had never met his brother-in-law, Jiang Taolue, but from people's accounts, the most outstanding young general was described as both talented and handsome, quite different from Jiang Yinyue's description.

Jiang Yinyue didn't think much of it. She took a cloth and wiped herself, then turned to face the bronze mirror, waiting for Wei Qin to style her hair.

Wei Qin's skills were no less than Hong Mei's; she quickly tied her hair into a cloud-like bun and inserted a pomegranate hairpin at an angle.

The pomegranate blossoms were a vibrant red, a perfect match for a red dress. Jiang Yinyue hesitated, glancing at Wei Qin in the bronze mirror, and asked uncertainly, "Does it look good?"

For three years, she has never worn a bright red dress.

The young woman with fair skin and red dress was naturally beautiful. Wei Qin nodded, which amused the woman in the mirror.

Knowing that he was a man of few words rather than stingy with praise, Jiang Yinyue adjusted her delicate hair and didn't take it seriously.

**

After the meal, Jiang Yinyue stood in front of the house and watched Wei Qin and her father-in-law go to work. She noticed that several neighboring houses in the alley were peeking out and looking around.

Jiang Yinyue found it somewhat amusing and deliberately lingered at the door for a while, letting them scrutinize her. Afterward, she sat down in the courtyard with her mother-in-law, Madam Gu, for a casual chat.

Putting aside the past three years, Jiang Yinyue often interacted with women from high-ranking families and even ladies of noble birth, mostly exchanging pleasantries and pleasantries. She had never had any contact with a woman like Gu, who was not good at speaking.

Not all impoverished families were fallen noble clans. Any family whose genealogy recorded officials of the eighth rank or above could be considered impoverished. The Wei family was the latter. Old Master Wei once served as a county magistrate of the eighth rank. Currently, the eldest son of the Wei family, Wei Bochun, is an eighth-rank salt tax commissioner, while the second son, Wei Zhongchun, is of a slightly lower rank, serving as a ninth-rank deputy salt field commissioner.

As for the two daughters-in-law of the Wei family, the eldest daughter-in-law, Zhang, came from a salt merchant family, while Gu lost her parents at a young age and lived with her uncle, who was an official in the county. Through her uncle's matchmaking with Old Master Wei, she married the second son of the Wei family.

Gu's experience of living under someone else's roof fostered a submissive and accommodating nature, but Jiang Yinyue noticed that whenever the woman talked about her adopted son, her words were filled with joy and she unconsciously revealed her pride.

“Achin is like me, quiet and reserved, so please bear with him.”

Jiang Yinyue didn't see this as a woman's polite flattery, but rather as a form of humility and self-deprecation cultivated while living under someone else's roof.

While praising others, one belittles oneself.

"Being steady and taciturn is a good thing. In the court, intrigue and backstabbing are rampant, and speaking too much can lead to mistakes."

Madam Gu looked up in surprise at her daughter-in-law sitting in the morning sun. Unlike the noble lady she had imagined, the woman in front of her was delicate and pretty, like a blooming peach blossom, lush and vibrant, without the haughty and aloof air of someone standing on a cloud.

When her son sent a letter home that year, he said that he had been chosen as a son-in-law by a high-ranking official of the second rank. She and her husband were both surprised and uneasy. Even though her father-in-law repeatedly sent letters to invite them to a meeting, the couple did not dare to accept the invitation. Firstly, the journey was too long and her husband's ten-day leave was not enough to make the round trip. Secondly, they felt ashamed and worried that the high-ranking family would look down on them, so it was better not to meet.

The couple felt they couldn't help their son's career, so they didn't want to hinder him. Some people considered marrying into the family dishonorable, and occasionally some would half-jokingly criticize Wei Zhongchun, saying he was just being a sour grapes.

The couple usually just laughed it off, saying that others can say whatever they want, and that they should just focus on doing their own thing.

Madam Gu smiled, making no mention of the morning's decision to excuse them from paying their respects. She had discussed this with her father-in-law and husband for several days before making this decision. Initially, they had worried that noble ladies would scoff at their fussiness and consider it a poor imitation, but now it seemed they had been overthinking it.

However, Old Mrs. Wei passed away early, and the old man disliked elaborate rituals, thus omitting the custom of his children and grandchildren paying their respects to each other morning and evening.

Jiang Yinyue chatted with Madam Gu for a while longer when she suddenly heard a horse neighing in the back alley.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she ran to the backyard following the sound. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a big, furry head peeking in.

It was that scraggly horse, chasing lightning.

The back alley was quiet and secluded. No one who had brought the horse was found. Jiang Yinyue gently stroked Zhu Dian's neck, lost in thought.

A note was stuck in the saddle of Zhu Dian. Jiang Yinyue unfolded it and glanced at it. Although she did not recognize Han Jian's handwriting, no one could imitate his tone.

"His Highness the Crown Prince will soon be visiting Yangzhou to reward the salt merchants. Please, Madam Jiang, behave yourself."

What?

She was trying to avoid it at all costs.

Jiang Yinyue was amused and wondered what role Han Jian had in issuing this warning to her. Was he Yan Zhuyi's confidant, close friend, or confidante?

On the other side, Yan Hongchang, the Salt Transport Commissioner, was sitting in his official residence, meeting with Wei Qin, the Salt Transport Commissioner directly appointed by the Ministry of Personnel.

With the birth of a concubine in the Eastern Palace, Yan Hongchang had already secured his position as a third-rank salt transport commissioner.

Having been neighbors and acquaintances with Wei Qin, Yan Hongchang's short mustache swayed left and right as he said, "Come on, have a seat."

He gently blew on the covered bowl, without signaling his subordinates to serve tea to Wei Qin, saying, "Given the friendship between our two families, my dear nephew should have gone to the Yan residence last night to catch up with old friends."

Once Wei Qin was settled, he carefully examined the young man in front of him. The boy in his memory who had carried a trunk and traveled alone to the capital for the imperial examination was still taciturn and cheerful, but his appearance was even more beautiful than before.

The food and wine at the Minister's residence are truly nourishing.

Things are different now.

The second-place finisher in the imperial examinations was already dazzling enough, and coupled with his status as the son-in-law of a high-ranking official, the young man was no longer a poor scholar with limited talent.

The Salt Transport Judge was in charge of regional salt affairs, supervising the transportation, taxation, and storage of salt. He connected the imperial court with local authorities, strengthening the imperial court's control over local salt affairs.

This is a job that not just anyone can do. It's not just as important as being an imperial envoy, but it's comparable to being an imperial envoy.

While Yan Hongchang was instructing his adjutant to lead Wei Qin to meet with the officials of the Salt Transport Bureau, a trusted aide said, "Wei Qin is the transport commissioner appointed by the imperial court, so you need to take good care of him. Besides the salt fields, there are also the salt merchants, transport merchants, field merchants, and general merchants. None of them can afford to make a mistake. Remind them that too much talk leads to trouble."

The confidant nodded, and later, when he brushed past Wei Qin, his expression was somewhat subtle.

Wei Qin recalled the words of Tao Qian, the Minister of Revenue, who had told him that the Yangzhou Salt Transport Office was deeply entrenched and that if he were to launch an investigation in the Ming Dynasty, he would inevitably encounter obstruction from some forces.

Tomorrow...

Did the imperial court send others to investigate secretly?

When Wei Qin walked out of the government office, a peach blossom fell on his shoulder. Qingming Festival was approaching, and winter had passed by unnoticed.

Spring arrives earlier in Yangzhou than in the capital. Busy on the road, early spring passes by in the blink of an eye, and the scenery along the way is overlooked.

**

On a spring night in Yangzhou, amidst the willows and gentle boats, a talented scholar expresses his passion, but whether his feelings are deep or shallow remains unclear.

A thousand lights illuminate the night market, candlelight shines through the curtains, who leans on the railing in sorrow?

The stage was filled with dancing and singing, with gentle music playing and beautiful women dancing gracefully. It was a truly enchanting night scene, where people were deeply in love.

As the moon waned, Wei Qin walked along a long street filled with the fragrance of rouge and saw a storyteller standing in front of the window of a teahouse, recounting unofficial court history to the audience.

Two young men approached together, but were stopped by the smiling waiter at the teahouse.

"Sorry, we are fully booked today."

"We all came here because of its reputation."

"There's nothing we can do, it's just too popular. Please come again next time."

The two left disappointed, and Wei Qin didn't linger either, stepping into the ordinary alleyways, his feet treading on the slanting shadows of the trees.

Suddenly, a man and a horse galloped from the other end of the alley, and just by the sound of their hooves, one could tell they were exceptional steeds.

The young woman in a tight-fitting outfit straddled it, holding the reins with the grace of a swallow.

As she passed Wei Qin, the young woman glanced at him sideways, her sharp eyes revealing a hint of shrewdness. She quickly looked away and spurred her horse past him.

"drive!"

At the age of fifteen or sixteen, his deliberately lowered voice was hoarse, like that of an elderly person.

A note from the author:

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This is the first update. There will be a second update tonight, right after! [heart emoji]