Chapter 3 Your humble servant Wei Qin greets Your Highness the Crown Prince…

With the moon high in the sky, the simple and secluded mountain inn gained a touch of brilliance with Wei Xichen's arrival.

As the man entered the gate, he heard from the innkeeper that Jiang Yinyue had woken up and was feeding the yellow dog in the side courtyard. He couldn't help but chuckle. Just as he was wondering whether he should sit down and chat with her, a maidservant lifted her skirt and ran forward.

"Your Highness, the Empress and Lady Jiang had a disagreement, and she's been keeping to herself in her room."

Why?

"Her Majesty was concerned about Lady Jiang's health and specially ordered someone to prepare bird's nest soup. However, Lady Jiang did not appreciate it and even offended Her Majesty with her words."

Wei Xichen turned his foot away from the side courtyard and went straight to Yan Zhuyi's room, asking the maid Jiang Yinyue on the way if she had eaten the bird's nest soup.

The maid felt deeply unlucky and bowed, replying, "Your Highness, Lady Jiang fed the bird's nest to the dog."

Unexpectedly, a slight smile appeared on the Crown Prince's lips, tinged with a hint of emotion.

That's something she would do.

The prince and his concubine were placed in the brightest room in the post station. A wisp of sandalwood incense wafted from a bamboo incense box, adding a touch of elegance, but it seemed a little out of place in the simple room.

When Wei Xichen pushed open the door and entered the guest room, he saw Yan Zhuyi leaning against the small couch, holding an embroidery hoop and threading a needle to embroider a purse in the style of a man.

The accompanying spices were arranged in a bamboo basket on the kang table, their fragrance refreshing and delightful.

"Did you have a quarrel with Yinyue?"

Wei Xichen naturally sat on the other side of the small couch, casually sniffing a spice.

His gentle demeanor was even warmer under the lamplight. He was known for his easygoing nature, and he didn't talk about important matters of the court. It seemed that no trivial matter could disturb his mood.

Apart from......

Yan Zhuyi paused, shaking her head sullenly. "It was I who offended Madam Jiang. I have to apologize to her tomorrow morning."

"She won't hold a grudge over a minor argument."

Judging from the Crown Prince's tone, he seemed to understand Jiang Yinyue better. Yan Zhuyi put down her embroidery frame and sat down beside the Crown Prince. "I don't want to put Your Highness in a difficult position. It's alright to be a little more courteous to her."

The woman's eyes were slightly upturned, her expression tender and affectionate. Shuma's kindness and beauty could be transformed into a confidante, adding charm to her delicate features.

Wei Xichen chuckled and glanced at the diamond-shaped window shrouded in night. "It's getting late. You should rest first. I still have things to take care of."

"Your Highness must be tired from your journey. Please rest. I can help you relax."

"No need for you to trouble yourself, you can rest now."

As he spoke, he stood up, the jade brocade robe brushing against the woman's palm, smooth yet difficult to grasp.

Yan Zhuyi watched the Crown Prince leave, then picked up her embroidery hoop and continued stitching, but the lines became crooked and no longer smooth.

Some old memories sprouted like seeds after Jiang Yinyue reunited with him, constantly emerging.

Where is she?

Three years ago, during the assassination attempt, Yan Zhuyi, who happened to be passing by, witnessed the Crown Prince, dressed in a python robe, lying in the bushes. She also clearly remembered that after the Crown Prince regained consciousness, his face showed undisguised worry. He asked her if she had seen a little girl, and her answer was... no.

But she clearly heard Jiang Yinyue's choked words before she left.

"Brother Crown Prince, I'm going to lure the assassins away, not abandon you. Wake up, please be alright."

Yan Zhuyi wished she hadn't heard Jiang Yinyue's words, so she could stay by the Crown Prince's side without guilt. But she did hear them, and she was powerless to change her fate. At the tender age of sixteen, she was sent by her father to a powerful family in the capital to be a concubine.

She was only sixteen years old, yet she was to become the second wife of an old man in his seventies. She was unwilling to accept this, and refused to be a crabapple tree crushed by pear blossoms.

Just as she was about to enter the city, an assassination attempt suddenly broke out. Amidst the flashing swords and flowing blood, she became separated from her family's servants and hid in the bushes in the distance. There, she inadvertently encountered an unconscious man in a python robe and a beautifully dressed girl with a disheveled appearance.

She did not recognize the Crown Prince's identity, but she knew that the person wearing the python robe was a member of the imperial family.

A crazy thought grew in her mind. The moment the man woke up, the moment he asked her about the girl's whereabouts, her eyes were empty, and she tilted her head and shook it slightly, "I didn't see her. I saved you."

**

In the stillness of the night, with her eyes half-closed and sleepy, Jiang Yinyue finished feeding the yellow dog in the dimly lit courtyard, and then wiped her fingers, which were sticky with bird's nest soup, on the dog's fur.

The yellow dog, having had a hearty meal, wagged its tail and followed Jiang Yinyue around happily.

Jiang Yinyue, feeling bored, picked up the yellow dog and put it on the stone table, patted her shoulder, and said, "Come on up."

The yellow dog hesitated on the stone table, its front paws working busily, before leaping up and pouncing on Jiang Yinyue's shoulder.

The person and the dog stepped back. Jiang Yinyue hugged the yellow dog and stood still, then lifted it back onto the table.

After several rounds, the yellow dog no longer hesitated and pounced on the woman's shoulder again and again.

"You trust me that much?"

A single meal was enough to repay a debt of gratitude, but it was worth more than the trust between people! Back then, she was speechless and few people believed that she had lured away the assassin. How could a spoiled brat like her have the courage to put herself in danger?

A thin layer of sweat beaded on her forehead, dispelling the chill after the snow. Jiang Yinyue sat on a stone stool through her cloak, allowing the yellow dog to lie comfortably on her lap.

"I can't bear to see human suffering, yet I don't like interacting with people. Don't you think that's contradictory?"

The yellow dog stared at her with its round eyes, but it was unclear whether it understood what she was saying.

"It's not contradictory. I hope for peace and prosperity for the country, but I also appreciate tranquility."

A clear, melodious voice rang out, accompanied by soft footsteps. Then, the footsteps faded away, and a person stood alone in the side courtyard.

Jiang Yinyue didn't turn around. Suddenly, she felt very cold. She hugged the yellow dog to draw warmth, but the previous liveliness was gone.

Before dawn, with the wind howling and the sky darkening, a shadow fell over the woman's brow. After a moment, she put down the yellow dog, slowly stood up, and turned to greet him.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

A fleeting moment of brightness, a fleeting moment of indifference, fell upon Wei Xichen's blinking eyes.

"No need for formalities with a lonely guest when reciting poems to the moon."

"Your Highness is too kind. There is a difference between the Crown Prince and the wives of officials."

The old friend's appearance remained unchanged, her voice was the same, and even her stubbornness was as strong as ever. But she was no longer the girl who could be coaxed into smiling with a gentle voice. Her expression was indifferent, keeping people at arm's length.

This was something Wei Xichen had never encountered before. Even when he confiscated the property of court officials and exiled them, they would still kneel and thank him for sparing their lives.

He was the second son in the royal family. From birth, Emperor Shunren bestowed upon him the character "Chen," bypassing the eldest prince and appointing him as the crown prince, breaking the rule of appointing the eldest son rather than the most virtuous. It can be said that he had a smooth life from birth, surrounded by admirers and never being neglected.

But he knew the reason for Jiang Yinyue's indifference; her resentment still lingered.

"Let's sit down and talk."

Without probing the source of the woman's indifference, Wei Xichen walked to the stone table and sat down. His upright posture and graceful demeanor were etched into his very being. He tapped the table and said softly, "Sit."

His tone was gentle, yet it carried the unyielding authority of someone in a superior position.

Minister Jiang Song has always supported the Crown Prince and his interests are closely tied to the Crown Prince's. As the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, Jiang Yinyue has been warned by her father many times over the past three years that even if the marriage does not happen, there are still interests involved, and she must not do anything to disobey or criticize the Crown Prince.

Jiang Yinyue sat down opposite the Crown Prince, across the entire stone table, and looked down at the yellow dog lying at her feet, quietly waiting for him to continue.

Wei Xichen couldn't help but recall the image of the young girl waiting for him to finish his work in the East Palace many years ago. Although she was bored and restless, she refused to leave. She would smile and raise her pretty face whenever he occasionally looked up. She could be happy all day because of his slightest response.

She was born with a fiery spirit, she shouldn't be dull.

"How have you been these past three years?"

Jiang Yinyue turned her gaze away from the yellow dog and replied calmly, "It's quite nice. Living a secluded life, tending to flowers and plants, the days pass by quickly."

"And Wei Qin..."

"Shared interests, harmonious relationship."

Jiang Yinyue instinctively answered first, raising her voice slightly compared to her previous reply.

As for the fact that they had not consummated their marriage for three years, that was a private matter that had to be kept behind closed doors and could not be told to outsiders.

Three years ago, Wei Qin had not yet passed the imperial examination. He had no home or salary in the capital, but that did not stop him from becoming a sought-after son-in-law by the powerful and wealthy in the capital. He lived up to expectations and became the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination, serving as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a seventh-rank official.

The story of Wei Qin being forced to marry into the Jiang family after failing the imperial examination was widely circulated. Most people sympathized with this newly appointed second-place scholar from a poor family, who was chosen as a second-best option by the infamous young lady from a high-ranking family.

Wei Xichen knew that Jiang Yinyue had been observing mourning for her mother for three years. Counting the days, the mourning period had just ended. Logically, couples should not have sex during the mourning period, but that was none of his business. Today, he happened to meet Jiang Yinyue and just wanted to have a calm and peaceful talk to make up for his past debts.

In the assassination attempt, she abandoned him and fled for her life, showing no sense of morality. However, it is only natural for a naive young girl to be afraid of bloodshed and flee in panic.

Human nature is self-centered and cannot be examined too deeply. He let it go, but he often felt guilty for using her to pave the way for Yan Zhuyi out of youthful impulsiveness.

The scolding and ridicule she suffered were caused by him, and he should make amends.

"Although the rank of sixth-grade salt transport commissioner is not high, it is considered a lucrative position by many. Minister of Revenue Tao Qian valued Wei Qin because he was from Yangzhou and had performed admirably in the Hanlin Academy, so he took the initiative to recommend him to the Ministry of Personnel. The Minister of Personnel then consulted my opinion..."

Wei Xichen stared intently at the woman opposite him. "I have had little contact with Wei Qin and do not know his character."

He approved Tao Qian's recommendation without fully understanding the situation, probably out of some personal favor.

Jiang Yinyue understood the Crown Prince's unspoken meaning, but she kept a straight face and didn't move. She couldn't bring herself to show gratitude after suffering so much injustice.

Her unwillingness to accept the favor was no different from that of a stubborn kitten, which amused Wei Xichen.

The old official Fu Zhong, waiting in front of the moon gate of the side courtyard, sighed and shook his head. It had been a long time since he had seen His Highness the Crown Prince smile so heartily. There were major errors in the salt accounts of Yangzhou in the Ministry of Revenue. His Highness the Crown Prince was inspecting the Jiangning Garrison this time, and he was also carrying a secret imperial edict. He would be supervising the salt affairs of Yangzhou as the Salt Inspector. This might cause a commotion in Yangzhou, but apart from his trusted old servant, even Consort Liangdi was unaware of this matter.

After all, the Empress's father is currently the Salt Commissioner of Yangzhou.

The pressure on a crown prince is unimaginable to ordinary people.

Fu Zhongcai had watched the Crown Prince and Jiang Yinyue grow up, and over the years, he had noticed that the Crown Prince only relaxed when he was with Jiang Yinyue.

The old eunuch sighed silently, and as soon as he turned around, he was startled by the sudden arrival of the post station worker.

"What's up?"

"Reporting to the steward, Editor Wei has arrived."

Fu Zhongcai was startled and turned to look at the couple in the side courtyard. The moonlight seemed to cast a beam of light between them, and then cracked open a fissure in the icy snow.

Wei Qin, a compiler from the Hanlin Academy who had arrived under the stars and moon, appeared behind the postman. His ramie robe fluttered in the wind, and he was handsome and elegant.

Everyone says that the second-place scholar in the 23rd year of Shunren's reign was the most outstanding. Fu Zhongcai, who had seen countless people, nodded and smiled, "Editor Wei came to reunite with his wife. Fortunately, there were no major incidents. Good things often come with difficulties."

Thank you.

Wei Qin bowed once, and after Fu Zhongcai tactfully moved aside, he walked straight to the moon gate, bowed again, and said, "Your humble servant Wei Qin greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

His expression was cold, his eyes sharp as knives, and his features striking.

A note from the author:

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Little Wei is here! The battleground is about to begin; let's wait for the Crown Prince to slap us in the face! [Let me see!]

It's another punctual day, posting at 8 PM.