Chapter 46 His aura changed

Born into wealth and privilege, Jiang Yinyue had seen all sorts of foxes, but she never expected that there would be a silent one in her own den.

If it weren't for his injuries...

The young lady, unable to move, grumbled in dissatisfaction as she was held by the hand on the back of her neck. The touch between their skin sent a tingling, numbing sensation through her body, making her legs feel weak and powerless.

When Wei Qin released his hand, his eyes were slightly closed and his lips were slightly pursed; he was still feigning sleep.

bunk!

Jiang Yinyue wiped the moisture from her lips with the back of her hand, and angrily tried to grab the man's neck, but her fierce words were nothing more than a tickle on his skin.

"I'll let it go since you're injured."

Thank you for your understanding.

Jiang Yinyue snorted, but not forgetting her serious business, she scooped a spoonful of medicine and stuffed it into his mouth.

He scooped spoonful after spoonful, not spilling a drop, unaware of the sneaky figure outside.

"Woof!"

"Oh my god."

The old doctor, caught by Qi Bao, patted his chest, took out a fluffy ball from his pocket, and tossed it into the air.

Qi Bao darted out with a whoosh.

"She's so easy to fool, she doesn't seem like someone raised by the Crown Prince's side."

The old doctor sighed and continued wandering around the courtyard. When he found a suitable open space, he started tinkering and planting a few seeds in the enclosed incense burner.

Wei Zhongchun limped out and asked, puzzled, "What are you doing, sir?"

"I feel a connection with your Wei family, so I'm giving you ten pills. They will sprout next spring and can be mixed into your daughter's medicine pot."

Wei Zhongchun smiled and thanked him, saying it was all thanks to the kind heart of the old doctor.

Early in the morning, the two Wei brothers went to Shangzhi together.

When Wei Zhongchun inquired about his niece Wei Huan's marriage, he asked, "Have you and your elder brother found a suitable family for Huan'er?"

Compared to Wei Ying, who was constantly taking medicine, Wei Huan, thanks to her cousin Wei Qin, became a hot commodity among matchmakers.

Wei Bochun knew he was owed a debt of gratitude to his nephew, and smiled modestly. He and his wife secretly selected a suitable family for their daughter, not daring to boast about it, for fear that their niece Wei Ying would be upset and develop a heart condition, which would only worsen her already frail health.

"I think Duan Feng, the Saltworks Supervisor, is a good man. I have already reached a verbal agreement with the elders of the Duan family."

Duan Feng, the assistant director of the saltworks, came from a family of salt merchants. He was a scholar who passed the imperial examination and held the rank of eighth grade official. In the eyes of the couple, he was a promising young man with a wealthy family background, a trustworthy young man.

Wei Zhongchun scratched his cheekbone. "Duan Sicheng, he works at the same salt field as me, and he's a man who can get along with everyone."

He can be eloquent anywhere.

After saying goodbye to his elder brother, Wei Zhongchun dragged his legs into the salt field and found Duan Feng chatting with someone by the salt stove.

Thinking that they might become family in the future, Wei Zhongchun stepped forward and took the initiative to greet them, without mentioning his niece, and just chatted about some trivial family matters.

The dignified Duan Feng sized up this ninth-rank official, with whom he rarely made friends, and bluntly cut to the chase, "Vice Envoy Wei is trying so hard to get close to me, so I'll ask you to pass on a message to your brother. No matter how incompetent I am, I would never be interested in a woman like Wei Huan. Don't keep indulging in wishful thinking."

Wei Zhongchun could not hide his surprise, "What does Director Duan mean? What kind of woman is my Huan'er?"

"Short-sighted, lacking in talent and learning, she doesn't even qualify as a girl from a modest family."

Would a gentleman speak so recklessly assail a woman?

What a hypocrite!

The honest man Wei Zhongchun was enraged and stepped forward to argue, but was tripped by Duan Feng's subordinate.

Glancing sideways at the middle-aged man who was lying on the ground unable to get up, Duan Feng said sarcastically, "So Wei the Cripple has a temper too? Or did he become arrogant because his family produced a second-place scholar? To tell you the truth, everyone in the salt merchants' circle is saying that Wei Qin will not be valued by His Highness the Crown Prince, and no matter how much merit he makes, it will be useless."

Wei Zhongchun struggled to his feet, his face flushed, and said, "A man who is two-faced is no gentleman!"

Duan Feng and his subordinates exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

After struggling for a long time, he finally managed to utter this sentence.

They say fathers and sons complement each other, no wonder the son is so sharp and the father is useless!

As evening fell, the quiet backyard echoed with Zhang's cursing and Wei Huan's sobs.

Jiang Yinyue pulled Wei Ying aside and asked, "What happened?"

With a terrible expression, Wei Ying quietly explained the reason.

"This Duan Feng is a hypocrite, a mere fraud!"

Unlike her sister-in-law, who only condemned Duan Feng, Jiang Yinyue sensed something was amiss. Duan Feng was a man of principle, always putting on airs; why would he not only suddenly go back on his word regarding the marriage but also ridicule people for no reason?

Something unusual happened.

Wei Ying is going to the Zhou family clinic for a follow-up appointment today, and Miao Die, who is accompanying her, is wiping away Wei Huan's tears. Jiang Yinyue whispers a few words to her mother-in-law and then entrusts Wei Qin to her mother-in-law and the old doctor's care.

The two girls led Uncle Song to the clinic, and by sheer coincidence, they encountered Duan Feng, who was admiring flowers with his cousin, by the water's edge along the way.

Wei Ying tugged at Jiang Yinyue's sleeve, "Sister-in-law, it's him."

As Duan Feng watched the two women lead the servant past him, he couldn't help but laugh and said, "Isn't this the second young lady of the Wei family? No wonder she's called 'Medicine Pot,' she even smells of medicine when she walks."

The man's flippant tone was extremely unpleasant to Wei Ying. "You lecherous scoundrel."

"You flatter me. I don't even think much of your sister, let alone a broken-down medicine pot like you."

"you!"

Uncle Song angrily said, "Minister Duan, watch your words!"

How could the master and mistress have chosen such a scoundrel?

Duan Feng didn't take it seriously, completely ignoring Uncle Song. He smiled and looked at the sulking Wei Ying. In terms of appearance, she was much prettier than Wei Huan. It was a pity that she was a sickly girl and would be a burden no matter which family she married into.

Jiang Yinyue, who had been at odds with the sons of high-ranking families since childhood, suddenly smiled, attracting Duan Feng's attention.

Looking at the strikingly beautiful woman with an unfamiliar face, Duan Feng raised an eyebrow, vaguely guessing her identity. "What brings you here?"

"Is it possible that Duan Sicheng's sudden change of attitude towards the Wei family is related to Yan Hongchang because there are salt merchants or salt officials in the family?"

Duan Feng's gaze suddenly turned cold. "Stop talking nonsense. The Duan family, from top to bottom, is upright and honorable."

"The Yan Hongchang case involves a wide range of issues. Honest people yearn for justice, while only those with a guilty conscience would jump up and down in protest." Jiang Yingyue smiled innocently, looking completely naive. "Duan Sicheng is like a clown, which inevitably makes me suspicious."

"If we don't see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much!"

Duan Feng turned and left without waiting for his cousin who was traveling with him.

Wei Ying remembered something, "Sister-in-law, after passing the imperial examination, this person went to the capital to take the metropolitan examination, but failed. He once wrote a letter of invitation to join your father's family."

"With such character, he's not even fit to carry my father's shoes."

Every word of their conversation reached Duan Feng's ears, and the man clenched his fists, his face turning ashen.

Wei Ying nodded. The humiliation she felt from being insulted by Duan Feng was relieved by her sister-in-law's counterattack, but the reputation of being a sickly person still weighed heavily on her.

The young girl followed her sister-in-law into the clinic with her head down, and saw a man in a silver robe leaning against the medicine shelf.

"Thank you, artist."

"What a coincidence."

Xie Jincheng, who didn't know how he met Doctor Zhou, was about to make a joke when he inadvertently noticed that the little girl's eyes were red.

"What's wrong?"

Wei Ying sniffed. "It's nothing."

"We can chat even if there's nothing else to talk about."

Wei Ying lowered her head sullenly. Few people understood her sadness, and even most of her neighbors thought she was sentimental, fragile, and pretentious.

Over time, she became hesitant to confide her inner turmoil to others.

The seven emotions arise from the heart. This frail, sickly person was consumed by the emotions of fear and worry, always concerned about holding others back. His way of alleviating his sorrow was to sit by the window year-round, gazing out at the glimmer of light.

Xie Jincheng rested his elbow on the medicine cabinet, propped his chin on the heel of his hand, and said lazily, "My wife's worries are written all over her face. I hope everything goes well for her."

As dusk settled, Wei Ying carried her medicine bag toward Jiang Yinyue, but out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't see the figure in the silver robe.

Jiang Yinyue pointed to the medicine cabinet, on which was a painting: a lush persimmon tree laden with fruit.

The four large characters on it read: "May all your wishes come true."

**

Duan Feng returned home with a furious expression, and the atmosphere became tense as soon as he entered the door.

The Duan family was not a high-ranking or wealthy household, but they were quite well-off. Three or five servants stood outside the guest hall, swords drawn and ready to strike.

The head of the household and his wife sat in the seats of honor and secondary guests.

An uninvited guest, overstepping his bounds, sat in the host's seat, accompanied by an old doctor with a face full of wrinkles, wrinkles that had stood the test of time.

Duan Feng, bewildered, strode into the guest room and pointed at the uninvited guest who had usurped the place, "Wei Qin, are you confused and have mistaken this place for your own home? Do you think this is the humble Wei family?!"

Wei Qin's half-disheveled black hair was not adorned with a crown, but was tied up in a bun with a jade hairpin. He wore a dark gray round-necked robe and a black outer garment draped over his shoulders. He was pale and haggard, and his aura seemed to break free from some kind of restraint, exuding a deep and sinister coldness.

Upon hearing Duan Feng's question, Wei Qin, who had been resting his chin on his hand with his eyes closed, opened his thin eyelids, his long, narrow eyes resembling the wings of a phoenix spreading its wings.

"It's not terrible to mistake one's own family for another; what's terrible is to implicate one's entire family."

Duan Feng stared in shock at the man in the main seat, as if he were having an illusion. He was not facing the silent scholar from a poor family, nor the unassuming sixth-rank judge who had wiped out Yan Hongchang's lair in one fell swoop, but a high-ranking person whose sharpness was obvious.

"Stop spreading alarmist rumors and explain yourself clearly!"

Duan Feng stepped forward aggressively, making a move to pull Wei Qin off the main seat. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right knee and bent to his knees against his will.

Another sharp pain shot through his left knee. Before he could react, he was already kneeling before Wei Qin, looking up at him with his head held high.

The two pills rolled down one after the other to Wei Qin's boots.

Wei Qin stepped on one and slowly crushed it.

The old doctor standing to the side put away the gesture of flicking out the pills and habitually made a gesture of holding a golden whisk.

A golden whisk sweeps away the dust.

But the old doctor's hands were empty. He lowered his sleeves, looked down at Duan Feng kneeling on the ground, and spoke in a sharp tone with a deep voice, "You nobody, it's not even your turn yet, and you're already jumping up and down. You're too impetuous and will never amount to anything!"

Duan Feng tried to get up, but his knees were both painful and numb. "Who are you?!"

"An unknown person, a mere doctor."

"Then what are you so arrogant about!"

Just as Duan Feng was about to unleash a torrent of curses, a stack of papers suddenly floated down from above.

Light as snowflakes.

Duan Feng's heart was frozen in the swirling snow.

He looked down at the handwriting above; it was indelible evidence of embezzlement.

Not only is there evidence of his crimes, but also evidence of crimes committed by Duan's uncles and other members of the family.

A soap boot stepped on Duan Feng's shoulder, applying pressure little by little.

Duan Feng's back bent, and he abandoned his arrogance, trembling as he raised his hand and slapped himself.

The crisp slaps only stopped after Wei Qin and the other man left.

Duan Feng fell to the ground, losing his imposing presence.

As the old man and the young man walked out of the guest hall, the Duan family's retainers retreated again and again on guard. Their arrogance vanished along with their hosts, and even the Duan family's dogs were wagging their tails at the two of them.

On his way back, Wei Qin stopped at a rouge shop.

The old doctor yawned and accompanied the young man inside.

The makeup artist greeted him with a smile, "What would you like to choose, young master?"

"Makeup powder".

The makeup artist led the two to a cabinet filled with various face powders, intending to introduce them one by one, but Wei Qin said bluntly, "I want the best."

"The most precious face powder in our shop is made from pearl powder. We only store one box a year as our prized possession, and it's hard to find a buyer. You should choose a more reasonably priced one, sir."

"I want the best."

The makeup artist held up three fingers and smiled sheepishly.

The old doctor asked, "Three thousand taels?"

"...Three hundred taels."

"I thought it would be very expensive."

"......"

Three hundred taels for a box of face powder isn't expensive? The makeup artist thought the old man was showing off his wealth, but then she saw him pull out a silver note, exactly three hundred taels.

The makeup artist was shocked and her body trembled with excitement. "They really are true masters of seclusion in the city! The old saying is so true!"

The old doctor chuckled, hands clasped in his pockets, "That's not how you use the phrase 'living in seclusion in the city,' but I like it nonetheless."

When the old man and the young man returned to the Wei residence, they were blocked in front of the gourd-shaped gate by Jiang Yinyue, whose face was cold and stern.

"Where did you go?"

Wei Qin handed over the makeup box, "I'm going to buy makeup powder."

For a box of makeup powder, he disregarded his injuries? Anger surged to her head, and Jiang Yinyue looked at the old doctor with his eyes closed and lips pursed, "Didn't you say that Wei Qin was not allowed to go out? How come you're aiding and abetting evil?"

"When some people become assertive, I can only bow my head and humble myself."

Jiang Yinyue grabbed the makeup box from Wei Qin's hand and pretended to throw it away.

The old doctor grinned, "Slow down! Wait a minute!"

Three hundred taels!

Seeing how much the old man valued it, Jiang Yinyue looked down at the exquisite makeup box and asked, "You must have spent a lot of money on this, right?"

Wei Qin said calmly, "Three taels of silver."

The old doctor gritted his teeth, chuckled, and agreed, "Yes, it's really expensive."

Jiang Yinyue was in a bad mood and had no interest in opening the makeup box to examine the texture of the powder; her face was full of complaints.

The young couple, who had closed the door, walked one after the other to the edge of the bed.

Jiang Yinyue shifted her chin.

Knowing full well what was going on, Wei Qin undressed in front of her.

Fortunately, the wound did not bleed.

Jiang Yinyue belatedly looked away and urged him to quickly put on his clothes.

“Lord Wei can move around freely now, so there’s no need for me to feed him medicine hand in hand anymore.” She pointed to the medicine soup on the table, “Drink it while it’s hot.”

Wei Qin sat down on the small couch and pressed his forehead. "I feel a little dizzy. I'll take a short rest."

Jiang Yinyue stared at the man lying on the couch with her arms crossed, feeling both angry and amused. However, Wei Qin's body temperature and physique were different from ordinary people, and he was able to recover his energy in a short period of time.

Even the swordsman Han Jian couldn't do that, and he's still recuperating.

The old doctor, sitting in front of the stove brewing medicinal food, stroked his face, which was as thin as a cicada's wing. When no one was around, he added a thousand-year-old ginseng and a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains to the porcelain bowl.

The capital city, the palaces.

Emperor Shunren, whose shoulder blades were sore from being massaged by the imperial eunuch, put down his imperial pen and casually uttered a single word: "Get out."

Jiang Song, who was standing to the side, smiled and asked, "Would you like to serve His Majesty?"

"No need. Your methods are not as skillful as my Grand Eunuch's. If it weren't for his paranoia, I would not have allowed him to retire to his hometown."

Cao Angui, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, was seventy years old in the late spring and submitted a memorial requesting to take up an official post, but Emperor Shunren repeatedly rejected it.

Everyone in the court knew that the Grand Eunuch had a deep-seated worry. He often talked to others about how his adopted son, who had jumped into a well and committed suicide, had become a vengeful ghost in the palace, causing him sleepless nights and loss of appetite.

The vengeful ghost would claim life. The old eunuch's reason for retiring was that he wanted to get away from the well in the palace, live a few more years, travel the world, and let go of a regret that could not be undone.

It just so happened that Emperor Shunren was also afraid of his son taking his life, and he was annoyed by the old eunuch's nagging, so he granted his request to resign.

"I wonder where Cao Angui has traveled to!"

Jiang Song didn't forget to crack jokes and let his imagination run wild.

Emperor Shunren laughed and scolded, then waved his hand, "Go back to your Ministry of Justice."

"Your subject takes his leave."

As Jiang Song descended the jade steps in front of the palace, he encountered the top two scholars, the Zhuangyuan and Tanhua, who were on the same list as his son-in-law.

"This humble official greets Your Excellency, Minister."

The two spoke in unison, and Jiang Song nodded with a smile.

Jiang Song returned to his residence late at night and began writing a letter home. As he wrote, he summoned his daughter's personal maid, Hong Mei.

The woman was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit with a knife at her waist. Unlike Cui Shihan, the county magistrate who also liked to wear tight-fitting clothes, she was tall and slender with a shapely figure and long, beautiful legs.

"To take Miss back to the capital?"

Jiang Song nodded. "It's time for Niannian to return to the capital."

"The young master is about to return to the capital to assume the post of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Wouldn't it be redundant for a maid to go to fetch the young lady at this time?"

Jiang Song smiled but remained silent.

Only those who have been through it can understand the nuances.

Judging by the time they've been apart, the young couple should have developed feelings for each other by now. It's the perfect time for them to be deeply in love. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and their passion will only burn brighter.

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Author's note: 100 little red envelopes! [Sprinkling flowers]