Chapter 87 Another year of longing, the anniversary of her death.

The soup has an extremely rich flavor, and the various medicinal herbs blend together quite skillfully with the ingredients themselves. Far from overpowering the other ingredients, they enhance the soup's deliciousness and bring out its full potential.

The fatigue from days of paperwork was strangely soothed, and the soup in the white jade pot was soon reduced by more than half. Jiang Xu put down the spoon, looked up at Prefect Wang, and said in a light tone, "This soup is quite unique, fresh but not greasy, and the medicinal aroma is also well blended."

Halfway through the banquet, Prefect Wang, seeing that Lord Jiang had been rambling on and on without revealing his preferences or attitude, racked his brains for a long time. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly stood up, as if he himself had received the praise, and said with a smile, "Lord Jiang likes this soup; that's a blessing for this soup!"

Seeing his beaming face and his eyes darting left and right, Jiang Xu nodded slightly, asked no more questions, and simply said, "A reward."

Beside him, Shi Wan immediately understood and took out the prepared reward money and handed it to the servants on the prefect's side. From Wang Sihu's perspective, Shi Wan was also handsome and elegant, not to mention that his every move was extremely nimble and he had the demeanor of a great man.

Look at your own servants standing to the side receiving their reward money, the difference is huge!

He became even more convinced that this Lord Jiang had a powerful background, and his flattering words became even more perfect, with a touch of sincerity, as he said, "Lord Jiang is truly a kind-hearted man! This soup was made by a shop in a small village down below. I heard that the shop owners are a young couple who fled from the north. Although they are young, their skills are quite good."

"If you like it, tomorrow is the day of Minor Snow, and I will send someone to deliver a bowl of it with a different flavor to you!"

However, Jiang Xu had already turned his gaze away and changed the subject. In an instant, everyone at the table began to perform their respective duties, casually flattering Jiang Xu.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, he subtly discussed various topics while mentally filtering through them. As the banquet drew to a close, clues such as the Pei Sheng family's recent unusual financial situation or the missing former emperor gradually formed a larger network, becoming clearer over time.

After sitting for a short while, Jiang Xu casually made up an excuse to take his leave. Although the rest of the group, led by Prefect Wang, wanted to stay longer, they could only respectfully see him off.

The next morning, as dawn broke, Jiang Xu, accompanied by his trusted confidants, quietly began the search.

......

*

In the afternoon, during the Minor Snow season, a few winter plum blossoms sprouted from the eaves of the alley, still carrying the scent of frost, blooming alone in the cold.

The golden sunlight shone down, and the fragrance of winter plum blossoms blended with the aroma of food rising from the swirling smoke on one side. Caiyue was watching the fire by the stove, while Shiwan was efficiently greeting the diners coming and going.

Suddenly, a commotion arose in the distance. As it drew nearer, several well-dressed men, who appeared to be government officials, approached. From a distance, they seemed to be carrying something in their hands. Their comings and goings attracted the attention of passersby, and soon the commotion grew considerably.

"Make way, everyone! It's a joyous occasion!" Several constables were subtly surrounded in the center of the crowd. The leader of the group had a proud and happy expression on his face, and his tone was quite polite.

Seeing that the other party was coming towards her and Caiyue, Shiwan subconsciously stood up, put down what she was holding, and only concealed the faint wariness in her eyes. She wiped her hands before going out to greet them.

Caiyue followed closely behind. As soon as the two stopped, the head constable walked over, looked Shiwan up and down, and cupped his hands in a smile, "You must be the young master of the Wang family?"

Seeing Shi Wan nod and return the greeting, the constable's smile widened. "Congratulations! The soup you delivered yesterday was greatly appreciated by a distinguished person. The person praised the soup highly, and the prefect also said that your cooking skills are excellent, bringing great honor to our place!"

As he spoke, he gestured to the people behind him, "You must keep these ten taels of silver safe." Without waiting for a reply, he handed over the items.

Shi Wan took the money almost subconsciously. As soon as she got the money, she felt envious or jealous looks from all directions. This amount of money was a considerable sum for Fuji Village. Even in a more prosperous place, it would be enough for an ordinary family to eat and wear for several years.

Shi Wan hurriedly replied, "I am unworthy of such praise from you distinguished guests. It is just a small business. I am very grateful for your kindness."

Caiyue, standing to the side, was both surprised and delighted upon hearing this.

After delivering the message, the constables exchanged a few more polite words to confirm that the message had been conveyed, and then left with smiles. Once they were gone, the crowd erupted in commotion.

He kept saying, "Brother Wang, your skills are truly excellent!"

He added, "From now on, our Fuji Village will have to rely on you two!"

Such compliments were endless, and long queues formed in front of the soup shop even when it closed for the day. This momentum continued unabated the next day, and it even seemed to be getting hotter.

Aside from the main store where Shi Wan herself works, the other two newly opened branches are also packed with people. The soup on the stove is quickly emptied, and the shop assistants are busy as bees.

The same thing happened for the next few days. Although business was getting better and better, Shiwan felt more and more uneasy.

Another day, at night.

As soon as the two returned home, Shi Wan called Cai Yue into the room. In public, the two always referred to each other as husband and wife, and to prevent their secret from being exposed, they always slept in the same room.

Tang Yun is with Qiao Zuyi. The little girl is almost seven years old now. Since the group settled in Fuji Village last year, she has been attending school for more than a year. Every night when the shop closes, the group takes turns tutoring her.

Inside, an oil lamp was burning, and the charcoal brazier emitted a warm glow, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Shi Wan sat on the couch, just as Cai Yue finished bathing and was twisting her hair with a handkerchief. "A Yue, I'm feeling uneasy."

Seeing Shi Wan's serious expression, Cai Yue suddenly realized something and couldn't help but ask, "Wan'er, do you mean... you think business has been 'too good' these past few days?"

"Too much of a good thing is bad, and prosperity inevitably leads to decline." Shi Wan did not deny it. "I always feel like I'm being watched by something."

Caiyue thought for a moment, then noticed that Shiwan's gaze was lingering on the marks on her ankle, her eyes flickering slightly. She wondered if Shiwan was recalling those unpleasant memories from the past, so she said, "Then... why don't you go out and lay low for a while? You can use the excuse of studying to improve your skills, which makes sense."

"Inside the shop, once this storm passes, perhaps everything will return to normal."

......

*

At the end of the second year of Yuanxi, a collateral branch of the Pei family was suddenly executed one after another, causing all the lowly soldiers in the Jiangzhe area who were involved with Pei Sheng to live in fear.

Inside a courtyard.

Jiang Xu was reviewing memorials alone. A few of the memorials sent from Luoyang happened to involve several veteran officials from the previous dynasty, so they were all placed on Jiang Xu's desk.

As midnight approached, he finally put down his vermilion brush, leaned back in his chair, and gently rubbed his temples. However, compared to when he first arrived, he looked even more weary now.

The affairs of the court were endless and troublesome. Since ascending the throne two years ago, he had been like a fully drawn bowstring, working day after day without a moment's rest.

Now, another year has passed...

Once this brief period of time passes, November 11th, the Xinmao day, will be the anniversary of Shiwan's death.

Thinking of this, intense emotions surged and roared, once again flooding my heart.

After hundreds of days and nights of reflection, the longing only intensifies.

As soon as Jiang Xu came to his senses, his fingers trembled violently. He realized that, without him noticing, the vermilion brush had already drawn a sharp red mark on the memorial, like a dripping bloodstain, which was extremely glaring.

Seeing this, he unconsciously took a deep breath, trying to suppress the surging pain and suffocation in his chest.

The room was eerily quiet, with only the sound of rain pattering outside the window, one drop after another.

Near the house, the guards held their breath, not daring to even breathe loudly. Everyone knew that the closer the day approached, the more unpredictable His Majesty's mood became. Therefore, everyone in charge was extra careful, fearing that the slightest mistake would incur his wrath.

However, Jiang Xu was completely unaware of what was happening inside the house.

He was too tired.

As soon as I relaxed, an unprecedented fatigue seeped out from the very marrow of my bones.

This time, it wasn't physical exhaustion, but rather a complete mental and physical depletion, as if... the last breath that had sustained him through the past two years of living like a walking corpse had suddenly vanished.

For a fleeting moment, Jiang Xu even had an absurd thought.

If we stop here, will we... be able to find a moment of peace?

As if to confirm his idea, a moment later, a familiar, slight spasm came from his stomach caused by irregular eating habits.

Jiang Xu subconsciously raised his hand and gently pressed it, but his thoughts were somehow pulled back to the bowl of soup he had drunk at the banquet a few days ago.

The pure and delicious taste, mixed with just the right amount of medicinal aroma, leaves a faint warmth in the throat after swallowing.

More importantly, it tastes amazing...

It is quite familiar.

"Shi Wan." Jiang Xu suddenly spoke, his voice unusually hoarse from the long silence.

The person who had been standing guard immediately said, "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"At the last banquet, there was a soup..." Jiang Xu's voice was flat, yet carried an undeniable stubbornness. "You said before that the shop was in a nearby village?"

Shi Wan's heart skipped a beat, wondering why his emperor would suddenly bring this up. He cautiously replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

“It’s in Fuji Village outside the city, about half an hour’s journey from here. I’ve checked, and the shopkeeper has a clean background and nothing unusual.” He didn’t understand why His Majesty suddenly asked about this again.

"Prepare the horses." The next moment, Jiang Xu stood up.

In his movement, he knocked over the pen holder on the table, but he didn't even look at it. He just grabbed the cloak draped to the side and said, "Let's set off immediately."

"Go to Fuji Village."