Chapter 132 Personal Message
The sun was high in the sky. On the bed lay Shang Yuji, who had come to realize her own limitations. There was a noise at the door. She put her arm around the hair that was blocking her view and watched Jiang Xi bring out the belated breakfast.
She cried a lot last night, and now her eyes are swollen. She let out a soft groan, her elbows trembling as she struggled to sit up from the bed.
Her disheveled hair was casually pulled back, and her vision finally cleared up a bit.
The nightgown was loose, the drawstring at the waist was sluggish, and with a slight bend, one could see the other's masterpiece from the previous night.
Shang Yuji secretly regretted that she could no longer be deceived by Jiang Xi's lustful appearance when she went to drown. It was all because she was blinded by beauty at the time, and in the end, neither of them was happy. The situation was chaotic and a complete mess.
She raised her hand to cover her face, let out a meaningless wail, and then quickly fell silent.
My throat, my throat, please don't go on strike!
Jiang Xi took over the task of washing up. After a quick tidying up, his flushed face, still slightly red from lovemaking, was softened, and his lips were deep red. He wrung out the towel he was using to wipe his face.
Visibly moisturized, his whole body radiating joyful satisfaction, as if sensing her gaze, Jiang Xi folded the handkerchief, her face shy as she softly said:
"Ah Ji, eat something to fill your stomach first. You must be tired from last night, do you want to sleep a little longer?"
The red mole on her left cheek seemed to have absorbed a lot of energy, and was very bright red, which made her wet, fox-like eyes look even more alluring.
"..." Shang Yuji was silent for a moment, then suddenly understood her own actions last night; beauty had misled her.
She shook her head and refused: "No need, I won't be able to sleep tonight if I sleep any longer."
"Okay." Jiang Xi smiled and climbed to the corner of the bed to pick up the crumpled clothes before going to find the clothes she would wear when going out.
"He wore a light blue stand-up collar, diagonal-front long gown."
Jiang Xi responded, then quietly looked up. There were obvious marks on A Ji's neck. There shouldn't have been any marks in such a prominent place, but... but last night... he had gone too far. He had been intimate with her out of instinct, and A Ji hadn't refused... Through the loose nightgown, he could occasionally see red plum blossoms through the gaps. It was clear that they had been through a lot. Even now, recalling it, he could still feel the tingling sensation that ran deep down his spine and spread throughout his body.
Her crimson lips pursed slightly, and her cheeks flushed slightly. He took out his long robe and, as was his habit, placed his fingertips on the ties of her nightgown, deftly untying them.
At first, Shang Yuji didn't notice anything wrong, until the nightgown lost its function of covering her body. She lowered her head and clearly saw the dense marks, with what looked like finger marks on both sides of her waist. She said with some distress, "Won't it take two or three days to completely remove them?"
A cool fingertip brushed across the love mark, which resembled a red plum blossom, making her shiver. Jiang Xi, seeing this, hurriedly withdrew her fingertip, large tears streaming down her face: "It's my fault, Aji, I shouldn't have used so much force. Does it hurt? I'll go get some medicine..."
She grabbed Jiang Xi, who was pale and dejected, and closed her eyes to admit, "It's my own fault, it has nothing to do with you."
Jiang Xi was on the verge of losing her composure and was trying to leave. If she hadn't deliberately teased him at that crucial moment, things wouldn't have gotten so chaotic and unmanageable.
They enjoyed themselves, but paid a heavy price.
Moreover, when Shang Yuji opened her eyes, she saw his guilty and tearful appearance, which was both pitiful and tempting to possess.
They actually dared to test her with their beauty; she has the least resistance to temptation.
She grabbed the hem of his clothes, and the man brought himself to her.
"Hmph?" The moment the soft warmth covered her, Jiang Xi hummed softly, deliberately abandoning her armor and inviting the attackers to penetrate deeper.
The soft sobs slowly turned into sticky swallowing, occasionally punctuated by a few joyful gasps. Just as the guest was about to leave, the host seized the opportunity, turning the tables and pursuing her relentlessly.
Jiang Xi, who was eventually stopped by hand, reluctantly lay down on her lap as if he knew he was wrong. Fortunately, there was a heated mat in the room, so his clothes wouldn't get dirty.
“Ah Ji…” Her originally bright eyes were wet as if they had been washed, and her upturned eyelashes held tears that were about to fall. Looking down at Shang Yuji, she looked strangely cute.
She raised her hand and ruffled the top of his head: "Don't overthink it. If I'm not happy, I'll say so. If I don't say anything, it means I agree."
He wrapped his arms around her legs, which were dangling off the bed, and rubbed against them, replying in a muffled voice, "If you don't like it, you must tell me, okay?"
Shang Yuji laughed out loud. He felt the vibration on his cheek, which was pressed against his thigh, and then he heard Aji say, "It's a pity, I like everything about you right now."
Jiang Xi suddenly raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes again, on the verge of sobbing.
Until she stepped on his kneeling thigh: "Get up now, or we won't be able to leave the house today."
"...Okay, I'll get up now."
Pushing open the door, a gentle breeze caressed her face. Shang Yuji went to the study to organize the things she had done over the past month.
Ever since the Jiang family learned that their former third young master had become a high-ranking official in the Imperial Guard, and that the maid who had served him had become the prime minister of the Great An Kingdom, they had tried to establish a connection with him. Later, Shang Yuji sent people to pressure the Jiang family, causing Master Jiang to bleed a lot of money to compensate for Jiang Xiqu's physical and mental losses, and only then did the Jiang family behave themselves.
Meanwhile, the subordinates sent over brought Madam Jiang the land deed to her old residence in Hebei Province, along with a reward, to help her divorce Master Jiang. After that, Shang Yuji had no further communication with her. Just as Shang Yuji knew that Madam Jiang's actions were inappropriate, Madam Jiang had indeed guarded Wu Yue's belongings for twenty years. What Shang Yuji gave her was not to forgive her on behalf of Jiang Xi, but rather as payment for her steadfast protection of the belongings. As for Madam Jiang's wish to see Jiang Xi one last time, Shang Yuji told Jiang Xi that it was up to him to decide whether to see her or not. Jiang Xi shook his head and refused. Before leaving the capital, Madam Jiang ultimately failed to see Jiang Xi.
Consort Shu, Wang Min, was released from the Cold Palace. However, the new emperor had a condition: Consort Shu's maternal clan was powerful, and after Wang Min was sent back to the Wang family, she needed to weaken the Wang family's power, or rather, the Wang family had to submit to the emperor in order to survive under his rule. Zhou Chaoyun promised Wang Min that if she fulfilled her expectations, she could be given an official position. Now, it seems that Wang Min is probably making a name for herself within the Wang family.
Nearly three months have passed since she set off from Yangzhou. Three months is not a short time. Sun Fengwan's ability to become the head wife of the bandits in Quanshan Mountain, Yangzhou, is no small feat. Now, she is leading the sisters from the stronghold to expand and strengthen the Xinhua Bookstore, opening branches throughout Yangzhou. She is also fulfilling her daily task of teaching literacy outside the bookstore, expanding the market, and training new young women. The experienced young women, each with their own tasks, set off with their recruited subordinates and basic books on bookstore management, starting from Yangzhou and heading towards the surrounding towns, aiming to open Xinhua Bookstores throughout Da'an.
Shang Yuji had discussed this matter with Zhou Chaoyun. Popularizing knowledge was the foundation for the implementation of the imperial examination system. Only by raising the education level of the people could they select practical talents to serve Da'an. Of course, haste makes waste; the imperial examination system naturally had shortcomings in its early stages. They would proceed step by step, first standardizing textbooks, and then supporting the establishment of schools in various regions. Currently, Xinhua Bookstore was jointly promoted by Shang Yuji and the Da'an court, making it a semi-state-owned enterprise. Therefore, local governments should support Xinhua Bookstore in setting up branches in towns and cities.
Officials in Nanyang, Pingchang, and Luoling were aware of the impending natural disaster. Relief teams from the three cities set off ahead of schedule, accompanied by trusted censors. These censors were authorized to exercise their law enforcement powers and execute any obstructive elements. It was rumored that the prefect of Nanyang, dissatisfied with the censor and believing the disaster was merely a hoax, had repeatedly obstructed the relief efforts. Ultimately, the prefect of Nanyang was executed, and the troublemakers were arrested, imprisoned, or had their sentences reduced. The officials in the other two cities, having heard the news, dared not take any significant opposition.
Most positions in the court are vacant. Interestingly, although there are fewer people than before, things are being resolved much faster. This shows how incompetent and lazy the expelled veteran officials were, holding positions without performing their duties and seriously affecting the operation of the court. However, the lack of personnel cannot continue indefinitely. Therefore, a special civil service examination will be held for all of Da'an to select talent and fill the vacant positions in the court.
Shang Yuji took some time to visit the craftsmen's mansion, which had been recruited by Zhou Chaoyun's recruitment order, at Sun Wang's invitation. She had a "friendly and profound" exchange with the craftsmen and left before sunset. For a moment, she was reminded of Geng Zhi in Yangzhou City. They were all terrifyingly talented researchers and master craftsmen!
To eliminate any potential threat and prevent Zhou Ao from becoming a second Zhou Yun, Zhou Chaoyun decreed that he be executed in the autumn. Although rebellion and usurpation are crimes that would cost the entire royal family nine generations their lives, Zhou Chaoyun would not allow the entire royal family to play a game of elimination with Zhou Ao and Zhou Yun. In the end, only Zhou Ao would lose his head.
The magnificent, ornately decorated Second Prince's residence was confiscated and converted into the First Medical College directly under the jurisdiction of Da'an. Using local materials, the entire residence was divided in two according to needs: one half for training doctors, and the other half for accommodating patients and facilitating student practice. The first dean, Dr. Fang Mu, whom Shang Yuji had been longing to see, was on his way to the capital. Thanks to Elder Yan for speaking on her behalf and Elder Fang for his kindness, she would gladly accept the two sages of the medical profession. She would also take in the Xuanhu Valley sect, who would be drawn by them, as well as all the other truly skilled doctors in Da'an.
Similar to the previous life, the emperor passed away before the new emperor ascended the throne. The emperor who had previously sat on the highest throne and commanded the world fell ill, and his condition was no different from that of an ordinary person when seriously ill. He was paralyzed in bed and could not even speak clearly. It was only after hearing that Wang Min and He Zhong had seen him that Zhou Chaoyun went in to express his filial piety.
The emperor's affairs had little to do with Shang Yuji. She was only momentarily surprised when she learned of them, and then hurriedly took Cheng Xiao to visit Granny Cheng. Granny Cheng's abilities were recognized, and she planned to manage the land in the fields before returning to the capital. Speaking of the Ministry of Agriculture, the curved plow that Shang Yuji had submitted had undergone testing and had been handed over to the Ministry for promotion and dissemination throughout Da'an.
...There are so many things to do. If it weren't for the support of the imperial court and the entire Da'an, Shang Yuji was certain that she could never have accomplished this. One person's strength is not enough to handle everything, so one must rely on the strength of the collective.
After finishing her work, Shang Yuji let out a sigh of relief. Since becoming the prime minister, she had been extremely busy every day. Fortunately, the court had been largely cleaned up, her colleagues were friendly, and her superiors were considerate. Even those who disliked her dared not provoke her for fear of being entangled in bad luck. Although she was physically tired, she was not mentally exhausted by the bad atmosphere in the workplace.
When Jiang Xi went to see Aji, she put down her paper and pen and stopped her needlework. She first massaged Aji's wrists, which were sore from writing for too long, and then carefully massaged her aching waist.
Then it was Shang Yuji's turn to sit on his lap and lean back against him, slipping between the fingers of his hand resting on his waist and squeezing his knuckles.
The Prime Minister's study is spacious and bright, with carefully designed window views. Looking out the window, the magnolias outside have finished blooming, but their branches and leaves are lush and verdant, complementing the waterside pavilions, cool terraces, and small ponds in a beautiful and harmonious way.
The two snuggled together, whispering intimate words. Shang Yuji's eyes crinkled with laughter, and Jiang Xi echoed her sentiments, though the blush on her ears lingered.
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Author's Note: Working hard to finish this~ This book has exceeded the estimated word count by a huge amount [crying emoji] I'll have to use my time management skills now [starry-eyed emoji]
Just a little spoiler: the storyline where the two return to the mortal world should be part of the main story, but considering some readers might not want to see the mortal world portion in the main story, it will be moved to a side story that connects to the main narrative. [starry-eyed][let me see]
I'm currently finishing up some foreshadowing from before, but it might be a bit late and I might have missed some [crying emoji]. If the author didn't write them down, they probably forgot about them [crying emoji][crying emoji].
Just like when Xiao Jiang was making candied hawthorns, he actually did it, but he thought that the sweeter the candied hawthorns, the more Xiao Shang would like them. As a result, he had a sudden inspiration and put in too much sugar. The final product was cloyingly sweet, and Xiao Shang ordered him to be careful not to have a sudden inspiration when cooking.
I always remember I'm going to write this but I keep forgetting [heartbroken][heartbroken] I'll just put it here as a little snippet~ [rose][rose]
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