Chapter 95 Even the most sarcastic and cynical remarks about the past are now extremely...

As the New Year approaches, the swift and decisive purge continues in the Jiangnan region, with officials involved being investigated or exiled as appropriate. However, some officials and local figures closely monitoring His Majesty's southern tour have been surprised to find that while the Emperor's methods remain severe, certain details seem to show leniency.

This is not an act of condoning evil, but rather, compared to the past, this time, there is clearly more leeway in sentencing and the scope of those implicated, and the cruelty of extermination is less pronounced.

Before anyone could decipher the Emperor's intentions, a new decree was issued within two days, sent to all prefectures and counties. The decree severely reprimanded the remnants of the Pei clan from the previous dynasty and their corrupt officials in various regions for exploiting local areas and causing hardship to the people. Then, it changed its tone, stating that in order to show compassion for the people and allow them to rest, taxes in the Jiangzhe region would be reduced or exempted for three years.

This edict caused a stir throughout the Jiangnan region, large and small, with people spreading the news and expressing their gratitude for the emperor's boundless grace. Such a tangible reduction in taxes was undoubtedly the most reassuring measure after the purge.

The three soup shops under Shi Wan's ownership were naturally included in the list of tax-exempt businesses.

When the news reached Fuji Village, Shi Wan was having breakfast. The bowl contained wide noodles made from coarse flour, sprinkled with dried chili peppers, two spoonfuls of vinegar, and seasoned with garlic slices and pepper. Hot soup was then poured in, and a rich aroma instantly filled her nostrils. Shi Wan ate a whole bowl of the soft and chewy wide noodles and drank the soup clean before she was done eating.

Seeing that she had a good appetite, Caiyue was relieved. Two days ago, Shiwan returned looking tired. The two had been running the business together for a long time, and through their daily interactions, she had come to regard her as family. Therefore, she naturally hoped that they could get through this ordeal smoothly.

The day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve. The two sat together, quietly watching the fine snow fall outside the window and cover the ground.

Caiyue glanced at her, and finally voiced her doubts, "Wan'er, you said before... that you wanted to move to another place after the New Year. Does that still stand?"

Shi Wan snapped out of her reverie, nodded, and said, "It counts."

"Where do we go?"

"Let's go?" Shi Wan rubbed her face, trying to shake off the drowsiness after the meal. When facing Jiang Xu, she always had a sharp, self-protective edge, but when facing her close friend, her tone was exceptionally soft. "Let's go...?"

Where can we go if we just walk?

The whole world belongs to the king. Moreover, this grace of a three-year tax reduction has fallen on our shoulders. If we pack up and leave immediately, it would seem deliberate and arouse suspicion.

Furthermore... because Caiyue stayed, she had to give up all the hard work she had put into these shops, the reputation and resources she had painstakingly built up, and the peaceful and stable life she had lived.

Even though Shi Wan knew the risks of staying, she still couldn't help but hesitate at this moment.

Jiang Xu appears calm on the surface, but in reality, he is extremely cunning and stubborn. No matter how much effort he puts in, he will not give up until he achieves his goal.

but......

As she thought of the promises the other party had made, a vague and uncertain feeling welled up in her heart. Amidst her thousand suspicions, a few strands of trust also emerged.

Just as Shi Wan was speculating, Jiang Xu was wrapping things up.

The situation in the Jiangzhe region is gradually becoming clearer, and many positions are vacant in various places. They are just waiting for this year's autumn imperial examination so that a few people can be placed there, and then slowly infiltrated to regain control of the area.

With Lunar New Year's Eve approaching, his team had been working non-stop for a long time, and Jiang Xu had also been delayed for quite some time. Naturally, he was rushing to finish the work, hoping to complete it before the New Year. By the time the relevant matters were completely resolved, more than a day had passed.

After several days of recuperation, Jiang Xu was much better now. At first glance, he looked no different from before. Just then, a guard came in to report something. As he was walking out, he heard Shi Wan eating her New Year's Eve dinner, and he immediately turned around. "Prepare the horses."

*

The moonlight, serene and gentle, falls upon the withered tree on one side of the courtyard, casting sparse, slanting shadows. The tangled branches are reflected on the wall, swaying in the breeze.

Two lanterns hung in front of the door, as if wearing a glowing hat on the eaves, drawing a small warm yellow circle on the snow.

Caiyue went to answer the door. The door was ajar, and upon seeing the person outside, the relaxed joy on her face instantly froze, and her voice trembled slightly, "Your Majesty..."

Jiang Xu raised his hand to stop her from bowing. Today, he was dressed in a dark red casual robe with a black cloak over it. His dark hair was tied up with a simple jade hairpin, which softened his somewhat stern aura. However, his posture was upright and his demeanor imposing. He stood alone outside the door. Although there was only one attendant behind him, and everything seemed quite ordinary, his mere presence at the doorway immediately made the place feel somewhat cramped.

Upon hearing the noise, Shi Wan came out of the house. Seeing Jiang Xu arrive uninvited, her face darkened at first, then she felt an indescribable sense of irritation and powerlessness. She cursed inwardly and wanted to lash out and kick him out.

She strode forward, first taking Caiyue's arm, whose face was pale with fright, and whispered a few words of comfort. Then she helped her inside. As the door closed slightly, she turned around and said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Jiang Xu let her scold him. Shi Wan was wearing a moon-white jacket and a cherry-red skirt. A string of colorful, cheap beads hung on her slender waist, which looked like a child's handiwork.

His gaze fell on Shi Wan's face, which was slightly flushed from excitement and the cold air, and he said in a low voice, "Today is New Year's Eve, and I was just thinking... we've known each other for four years, but we haven't been able to sit down together and have a New Year's Eve dinner like this yet."

As he spoke, Jiang Xu unconsciously recalled Shi Wan's previous escape. His tone lowered, carrying a deliberately revealed, unskilled sense of pitifulness. "You and..." he blurred out her name, then continued, "We once celebrated New Year's Eve together. I was outside the door at the time and could only catch a glimpse from afar. It was inevitable that I would feel...jealous."

Shi Wan looked at her quietly, glancing at Jiang Xu's overly pale lips, her expression unchanged, and said, "You came so quietly, and you scared Caiyue like this. Given your current status, why are you dressed so ostentatiously?"

As she spoke, her gaze lingered briefly on Jiang Xu. "If the neighbors see this, how am I supposed to face them? Are you deliberately trying to cause me trouble?"

"Shut up!" Shi Wan's expression grew even colder. "Your Majesty, I've said it before, don't bring up the past again."

"You are now the emperor, a person of noble birth, and should not come to such a remote place. I cannot accept your kindness. If you have truly repented as you said before, then please understand the difficulties of us common people and let me go."

After speaking, seeing that Jiang Xu was still standing in front of her without moving, and glancing at the person waiting respectfully behind him, Shi Wan became even more irritated. On the contrary, the person behind Jiang Xu was extremely perceptive to her gaze. When their eyes met, the other person nodded and bowed in a friendly manner.

"May you be well, Madam." The young and handsome man, about twenty years old, was someone Shi Wan had served Jiang Xu for a long time. Now that he was the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he naturally knew the identity of the person in front of him.

Therefore, following the example of His Majesty's subordinates, they also called her "Madam".

After he finished bowing, he respectfully said, "This servant, Shi Wan, greets Madam." As he spoke, he was about to say a few words to explain for the person who was reluctant to speak up and play the victim, but unexpectedly, the two people in front of him looked at him together.

One felt a sense of realization and unease, the other resentment and mockery.

Shi Wan: "?"

The next moment, a woman's voice, which sounded like a half-smile, was heard, "Jiang Xu."

"You're really persistent."

“Even when I’m not in front of you, I can still come up with new ideas.” Shi Wan spoke cryptically, and mindful of the unfamiliar eunuch, she ultimately toned down her sarcasm.

The three of them had been lingering at the door for quite a while. Shi Wan was already worried about the people inside the house, so when she saw this, she didn't want to say anything more and simply closed the door herself.

With a "thud," the two were instantly shut out of the door.

Jiang Xu was taken aback for a moment, thinking to himself that he had already lost a lot in the few days since they last met. His heart had been feeling unbearably pricked by needles for a long time, and it was only after he had suppressed it as much as possible that he could wait until today.

Unexpectedly, Shi Wan's temper has become increasingly worse.

This was even more intense than when the two reunited a few days ago.

But... at this moment, facing the familiar sarcasm, he felt a strange mix of loneliness and joy.

Thinking it over, he didn't turn around and leave. Instead, he strode a little further away, stopped and waited. Looking up, he could only hear the sounds coming from inside through the wall. He could only hear the rustling of the wind and snow.

Just like back then.

After a moment, Jiang Xu chuckled softly.

Shi Wan was dressed in cherry red today, which matched his dark red robe quite well. Although he now loathed red, Jiang Xu couldn't bring himself to dislike her wearing it.

The two stood together, and looking at each other... it even resembled wedding attire.

and......

Tonight, Shi Wanru was just like the night they met again. Her eyes were full of aggression and wariness, and her red lips kept chattering. The words she spoke were still sarcastic and taunting.

This is good, it's always better than dreaming.

...in a dream.

Jiang Xu suddenly snapped back to reality. The gust of wind made him shiver involuntarily, and after a moment, his breathing became even again.

In his dreams, Shi Wan would never speak to him like this.

In his dreams, she was taciturn and aloof. For nearly a thousand days and nights, Jiang Xu had dreamed of Shi Wan many times, but in the end, not once did he dream of her like he did today, or like the day before. Even if she spoke words of sarcasm or ridicule, they would be perfectly acceptable.

The warm breath, the soft or rapid breathing, every single thing...

It's not a dream.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xu felt that the more than two years of torment had finally found its home.

He deliberately endured and avoided the situation, deceiving himself by subtly probing and searching all the way. Finally, today, he was able to use the excuse of New Year's Eve to express himself fully.

Finally, I was able to see her.

For a moment, he felt a deep sense of peace.

In the sky, the moonlight slanted down, turning the white breath exhaled by the man silvery, and the snow beside the path was quite deep.

Jiang Xu mounted his horse and looked up at the thin clouds in the sky, where the moonlight was hazy and indistinct.

The next moment, the night wind blew by.

The moonlight shines again, and the clouds part to reveal its brilliance.

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Author's Note: Here I am~ I can't imagine how cheerful I'll be after get off work tomorrow [pity]