Chapter 40
Raindrops flew over with the wind, and Wang Shuhuai stood tall and unmoved in the wind. Minggui got an oil-paper umbrella from somewhere and held it over Wang Shuhuai's head with great effort, "Here it comes... Qi Wei's letter has arrived. It's on the desk at home. You were out, so I didn't have time to tell you."
Wang Shuhuai returned home without saying a word.
After entering the study, without even bothering to change his wet clothes, he found the letter in the corner of the desk and unfolded it immediately.
The letter is divided into two parts. The first half describes the movements of Prince Xin.
"On August 18, Prince Xin's Mansion sent gift boxes to the Xie family, the Xiao family, and Linglong Embroidery's shop, but Madam declined..."
Seeing the word "declined", Wang Shuhuai felt better. He heaved a long sigh, sat down on the armchair, and then carefully unfolded the second half of the poem, which contained much more eloquent information.
"On August 19, the young mistress did not go out for the whole day. Nanny took my sister to play in the back corridor. The two young masters, Xuan'er and Lin'er, were fighting, comparing whose father was more powerful. My sister danced with joy and called everyone she met "Daddy"..."
Wang Shuhuai's face darkened, but he found it funny for some reason.
"On August 20, the young mistress went to the municipal office..."
From then on, Xie Yunchu's whereabouts became very frequent, all concentrated in the city office and shops.
She is actually busy setting up a monopoly bureau, which is a wonderful idea.
Wang Shuhuai tried not to think about his wife's focused look. She was a very smart woman. There was nothing she couldn't learn as long as she put her mind to it... How could such an outstanding woman have... His thoughts suddenly stopped here.
She used to take care of him in every detail and serve the whole family, so she had no time for anything else.
Wang Shuhuai's mind suddenly became clear as if the fog had been cleared.
"He is not worth my trouble. I want to live for myself..."
So, she shifted the attention she once put on him to food, clothing, and dressing up... and running the store.
Wang Shuhuai slowly put the letter down, feeling mixed emotions.
It must be that he and his family have always taken her efforts for granted, and she is unhappy.
It is natural to take care of yourself, and Wang Shuhuai is happy to see it happen, but... there is no need to ignore him like this.
He got up and went to the inner room, changed into clean clothes and came out, thinking back to the fact that Xie Yunchu was busy opening a monopoly bureau. Based on his many years of experience as an official, he wrote a letter and asked someone to deliver it to Xie Yunchu in the capital, reminding her what to pay attention to, what to guard against, and where to start. He even listed some officials he knew in the letter, so that Xie Yunchu could find these people to solve any problems she had.
His wife wanted to do something, and he was willing to lend a helping hand.
Half a month later, Wang Shuhuai received a gift from Xie Yunchu, which was a brocade box.
Wang Shuhuai opened it and saw that inside were all the doodles or clay sculptures that Ke Jieer had made in recent days. There was also a bundle, which was the winter clothes that Xie Yunchu had prepared for Wang Shuhuai.
Wang Shuhuai looked at Minggui eagerly. Minggui continued to rummage through the bag, but apart from the brocade box and the clothes, there was nothing else.
Wang Shuhuai felt a little disappointed, but said nothing.
He had recently been on tour in Yuhang, and Liu Chang's case gave him an opportunity to establish his authority. At the instruction of Liu Qiliang, he came to Yuhang alone with the imperial sword in hand, opened a court to investigate the case, and beheaded Liu Chang in front of the people. The officials in Yuhang were shocked by him.
Should he voluntarily confess the occupied land and population, or wait to be beheaded?
There are two paths ahead.
The Yuhang nobles were in trouble.
Wang Shuhuai is famous. He was once a favored child of heaven and the top scholar of the imperial court. Now he is a rising star in the court. Facing the provocation of the fierce general of Western Chu, he stepped forward and changed the situation of the peace talks with his own strength, thus enhancing the prestige of the Jin Dynasty. Not everyone dares to touch the reverse scale of such a person.
Smart people choose to surrender, and once there is one, there will be two. The Yuhang nobles soon sided with one side.
It took Wang Shuhuai a month to shock the Yuhang officials, and the land measurement project was first carried out in full swing in Yuhang.
The eighth day of September was the wedding day of Madam Ming and Xie Hui, and the tenth day was Ke Jie'er's first birthday banquet. The palace held a grand banquet because Ke Jie'er was the first child of Wang Shuhuai and Xie Yunchu. The elders and in-laws all gave generous gifts. Ke Jie'er lay on the Luohan bed covered with a red brocade carpet to do the "Zhuazhou" ceremony. The little one was curious about everything. She picked up everything and played with it for a while, but was reluctant to choose. This made Xie Yunchu very anxious. The Duke was even more anxious than Xie Yunchu, fearing that his great-granddaughter would choose an unsatisfactory gift, so he picked up the good ones to test her. Finally, Ke Jie'er lost her patience and angrily picked up a pen and threw it in front of the Duke. Her heroic look made everyone laugh.
The gift Wang Shuhuai prepared for his daughter was sent to the capital three days later. Although it was late, at least he remembered it, and Xie Yunchu didn't take it seriously.
After finishing the work in Yuhang, Wang Shuhuai returned to Jinling.
It was already late autumn, and the yard was all withered and yellow.
Because he was often away from home, there was no extra decoration in the study. When he left Beijing, he did not bring anything else with him except the ivory ball, some books and clothes. Now looking at the deserted study, Wang Shuhuai told Minggui,
"Go buy a pot of calamus."
Among the "Four Graceful Flowers and Plants", orchid, narcissus, chrysanthemum and calamus, Xie Yunchu liked calamus the most, saying that calamus had lush green grass and strong vitality, which perfectly matched his temperament. Wang Shuhuai had never paid attention to these things, so he just followed her.
The empty study was filled with familiar potted plants, which made me feel much better.
September 15th is another full moon night.
Wang Shuhuai was very successful in Yuhang. Many officials in Nanjing flattered him and invited him to drink. Wang Shuhuai went.
The man who never went to brothels or pleasure boats, in order to socialize, put aside his image of a well-mannered gentleman and greeted the officials with ease.
Naturally, there are also beauties to accompany you.
The Eight Beauties of Qinhuai lived up to their reputation. They were proficient in everything from playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, to pitching pots and brewing tea. At the signal of the Jinling prefect, the girl in the lead, named Li Meiniang, moved towards Wang Shuhuai gracefully. Her sexy figure was faintly visible under the veil. The prefect's eyes turned red at the sight of her, but because today's target was Wang Shuhuai, he could not help but give up her.
"Shuhuai, Mei Niang is the most outstanding artist in our Jinling. She has been selling her art but not her body for all these years. The only one who can make her take the initiative to toast is our governor, and Shuhuai, you are the second one," he then winked at Li Mei Niang, indicating that she should show some skills.
Li Meiniang was a veteran in the world of romance and could tell at a glance that Wang Shuhuai was an extraordinary person. His face alone was enough to outshine all the elegant young men in Jinling, not to mention his unique aura that looked distant and indifferent, yet always with ease.
In addition, he is extremely talented and wise. Out of ten things in the world, he alone possesses eight of them.
She would be willing to die if she could spend a night with a man like this.
Mei Niang walked slowly over, slowly knelt down in front of Wang Shuhuai, gently pinched a cup of special flower wine with her slender fingers, and handed it to Wang Shuhuai, with a seductive look,
"Master Wang, Master Wang, this wine is my exclusive recipe, called 'Lan Yue'. Master, please try it. If it doesn't taste good, Master Mei Niang will let you do whatever you want tonight."
The officials laughed, "Maybe Mei Niang deliberately exposed her flaws to attract Prince Wang."
Li Meiniang smiled without saying a word, only her pair of clear and beautiful eyes were glued to Wang Shuhuai like silk threads.
Wang Shuhuai was dressed in a white shirt, spotless. When Li Meiniang approached, he straightened his waist, raised his hand to hold the wine and kept his distance.
Her figure is as graceful as jade, upright and elegant.
He used his wine glass to lightly brush away Li Meiniang's jade arm and said to the prefect,
"I am henpecked..."
The prefect was stunned. He met Wang Shuhuai's eyes that did not allow for discussion. He felt very sorry, but he could not force him.
"Madam, you are so beautiful that you can win Shu Huai's heart."
Wang Shuhuai smiled but said nothing.
Wang Shuhuai refused the invitation but could not resist the magistrate's offer of wine, so he returned to the mansion drunk.
Minggui and Lengshan supported him on both sides and led him into the study.
The bright moonlight illuminates the dark desk.
He dismissed the servants and bent over his desk alone.
When the beauty approached him today, he keenly discerned the scent of pear blossoms on her body.
Xie Yunchu also has this kind of fragrance.
Tonight, the fifteenth, is the day she promised him.
The man who had always been restrained and self-controlled had his eyes reddened by the wine, and the scorching heat flowed through his limbs. He closed his eyes, and what he saw was darkness, and also brightness.
Her long and slender eyebrows, her bright red lips, her pair of almond-shaped eyes full of water, and her charming figure that had always been well hidden... and even the night before leaving Beijing, when she was pressed against the bed rail by him and she called softly, "Second Master, spare me..."
I slept in a daze all night.
When I woke up in the morning, the autumn light was bright and dewdrops rolled down the branches.
Wang Shuhuai watered the pot of calamus himself, and fir handed him the letter from home in the capital across the windowsill.
There were those from the Duke, his father and mother, and even his third and fourth brothers who begged him to buy some pens, ink, paper and inkstone to take back.
Finally, all that remained was Qi Wei's biweekly bulletin.
Qi Wei first told him about the child's situation in detail. Wang Shuhuai was genuinely happy to learn that Sister Ke was now walking steadily. He could even imagine the scene of the child jumping into his arms. Then he reported Xie Yunchu's whereabouts. She still went to the city office and shops, and occasionally went to the Xiao family, the princess's home, and Wang Yining's mansion... It can be seen that she was fulfilled and busy.
But she never wrote him a reply.
Wang Shuhuai took advantage of the day off today and took Lengshan to the market to buy some toys for Ke Jie'er. Thinking that Xie Yunchu loved beauty now, he bought a set of kingfisher jewelry to take back. When he returned home, dusk was falling and faint sobbing sounds could be heard from under the dimly lit corridor. Wang Shuhuai frowned and stepped in, only to see Minggui squatting in the corner crying, holding a letter from home.
Wang Shuhuai was puzzled and walked over to ask, "What's wrong with you?"
Minggui wiped away her tears, stood up and bent towards him, "Qi Wei brought me a letter from home. My wife fell down while working and broke her bones... It hurts a lot..." Minggui cried more and more, "My heart hurts too."
Wang Shuhuai looked at the long-servant with tears streaming down his face, not knowing what to say for a moment. After a long while, he managed a few words of comfort.
"Your father and mother are both working in the mansion, and there are many people at home. They will definitely hire a doctor for her. It won't be a problem."
Minggui choked up and said, "I understand this truth, I just feel bad... I wish I could feel the pain for her."
Wang Shuhuai was stunned, a little confused, "You can't possibly feel pain for her, don't say such stupid things."
Minggui curled his lips and said, "Second Master has never liked anyone in his heart, how can you understand my feelings?"
Before he finished speaking, Minggui realized that he had said something wrong and suddenly stopped talking. Seeing the cold-looking young master's brows slowly frowning, Minggui hurriedly picked up the new bag and fled to the corridor.
"Master, my clothes are wet, I'm going to change them."
The hazy yellow light shone around Wang Shuhuai. His cheeks were covered with light, and he looked warm and gentle, but his eyes were dim and cold. He had never thought about whether he liked a woman or not, just as he had never thought about whether the woman liked him or not. She was his wife and he was her husband. It was natural for them to give to each other and fulfill their respective responsibilities step by step.
Until now, he has watched his wife drift away, out of reach, coveted and ignored.
I can no longer remain calm.
A few days later, Qi Wei sent a letter by carrier pigeon. The letter was of a high quality. After receiving the letter, Leng Shan immediately went to the yamen to find Wang Shuhuai.
At that time, Wang Shuhuai was discussing the matter of submitting a memorial with Liu Qiliang.
"His Majesty is very concerned about the Yuhang incident and ordered me to return to the capital to report it to him in person. More importantly, the Yuhang incident has shaken some old-timers in the court. They can't sit still anymore and put pressure on His Majesty. I have to go back to help the Princess plunder the battlefield. Shuhuai and Songjiang matters will be put on hold. You can go there when I return."
Wang Shuhuai originally planned to use a siege tactic to first capture the surrounding counties and then plot against Nanjing. However, now that the court is restricting him, he must give up.
"Everything is up to you."
Wang Shuhuai caught a glimpse of Lengshan peeking out of the door, so he put down the letter and came out quietly. Lengshan handed him the letter.
Wang Shuhuai opened it, glanced at it, and his eyes suddenly froze.
Turning around, he looked at Liu Qiliang who was looking through the accounts in the courtroom, and suddenly raised his lips and spoke,
"Sir Liu, I still have some doubts about the Yuhang memorial and need your guidance. How about I go to your residence tonight to have dinner?"
Liu Qiliang thought that his son would marry Wang Shuhuai's sister and treat him like his own nephew.
"That would be the best. You are alone and have no one to take care of you. If that doesn't work out, you can stay at my place."
Wang Shuhuai accompanied Liu Qiliang back to Liu's mansion. Liu Qiliang had a concubine serving him. Upon hearing the news, she prepared a table of dishes.
After Liu Qiliang left the capital, he behaved rather dissolutely without the restraint of his wife. He drank a few sips of wine and even invited a beautiful woman to play the piano in the courtyard to entertain him.
Wang Shuhuai had a bright and cheerful face. While urging people to drink, he slipped a small bag of croton powder into the wine without leaving any trace. Liu Qiliang got a stomachache that night after drinking it. When he woke up the next day, he was in so much pain that he could not get up and just lay on the bed crying.
"You ignorant woman, you have ruined my plan. I should have gone back to the capital today, but you have delayed me. Will I not be scolded by His Majesty?"
The concubine knelt in the main room and sobbed in grievance, thinking that it must be a spy sent by the lady who was secretly harming her.
Wang Shuhuai stayed at Liu's house last night. Upon hearing the news, he dressed neatly and appeared outside Liu Qiliang's door. He went forward to visit his boss and gently stroked the back of his weak hand.
"Don't worry, Mr. Liu. We need to slow down the matter of Songjiang. Besides, I am in charge of all the affairs of Yuhang. It is more appropriate for me to return to the capital to see the emperor. Your health is urgent. You should recover first. I will be back to join you soon."
That gentle and handsome smiling face was like the bright moon and fresh breeze, sincere and earnest.
Liu Qiliang had nothing to say and was told this and that.
On that day, Wang Shuhuai left Minggui behind and returned to Beijing by water with his secret guards.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
