Chapter 59 Indulging in the Shadow of a Princess
"appointment?"
“Hmm.” Yan Ning nodded and said, “I’ll ask him to be the military supervisor and help me make a trip to Jiangzuo to investigate the specific situation of the Jiangzuo army.”
He roughly recounted to others the problems he had discovered since accepting the position of Governor of Sizhou and the military power in Jiangzuo. Li Yunru was greatly surprised: "Is the military power in Jiangzuo really this chaotic?"
She had always thought that only the Imperial Guards in the capital were affected.
Yan Ning stroked her hair, somewhat helplessly, "Things are far more complicated than we thought."
"Will Songji be in danger?"
That was the first thing that came to her mind.
“I sent someone to go with him to ensure his safety. If anything happens, we will get back to him immediately.”
When people mentioned this, Li Yunru didn't say anything more. After all, he had done the best he could to protect her, and indeed, as he said, Song Ji was talented and shouldn't have to waste his life on her.
He deserves to achieve something great.
In fact, she had tried to mention to her father in the past that she wanted to give Songji an important position, but for some reason, he never responded.
Now that Yan Ning is doing this, it can be considered a different path leading to the same goal. If it really succeeds, it will be a good thing.
"Do you blame my father?" she asked after a long silence.
He knew perfectly well that the military power in Jiangzuo was now controlled by people planted by various powerful families and could not be easily used for his own purposes. It was a mess, yet he still treated it as a good thing and handed it over to the Yan family, letting him take over and making them the target of everyone's criticism.
"No, I don't blame you."
Yan Ning picked up a strand of her hair and twirled it around her knuckles, saying, "This is a power struggle among those in positions of power, it's normal. Since the Yan family chose to take it on, they should have been prepared to bear all the consequences, besides..."
He paused, looked down at her, his eyes gentle, "Didn't Emperor Xuan give you to the Yan family and to me? You are more important than anything else."
Li Yunru looked up at him and said, "Yan Changjun, have I ever told you that you have made great progress in your studies? You are doing really well now, so well that I am afraid that I will really be reluctant to let go when the time comes."
Her arms were wrapped tightly around his waist. "I don't want to give you to anyone else, not anyone else!"
Yan Ning chuckled softly, lowered his head to touch her forehead, nose to nose, and said, "Even if the princess wants to give it to me, I will not allow it."
"Liyang, believe me, I'm here for you. This will pass. Please don't say 'I don't want it' so easily, okay?"
He said, "I can be your shadow, cry with you, laugh with you, and do many, many things with you."
She had never really believed in such promises, thinking they were nothing but fleeting illusions, and that indulging in them would only hurt her, just like she had done in Jiankang in the past...
Even though she was fully aware of it, she still succumbed to her desires like a moth drawn to a flame, nodding and saying, "Okay, I believe you."
Fireflies twinkled brightly, and the moonlight shone like silk.
Under the cover of night, a rare promise from the beloved revealed their true feelings. It was a soft and gentle sound, yet it stirred endless ripples in Yan Ning's heart.
He was somewhat infatuated, and somewhat drunk. All his integrity, self-control, and composure turned to dust at this moment. He began to lose his senses and only wanted to pursue the most direct pleasures in the world, to let his soul and body collide, and to confirm their reality.
In fact, people have done just that.
He kissed her forehead, eyes, and nose, finally capturing her moist, cherry-red lips in his mouth, tracing their contours with tender care.
Li Yunru did not resist his kiss; in fact, she responded to it.
Even though they had only recently had a brief affair, for lovers, the flames of passion can be ignited so easily.
However, this time, the two still didn't finish.
"Liyang".
He was half-supported, his muscular chest exposed, sweat glistening on his forehead, sliding down his cheeks to his chin, neck, and collarbone...
His voice, tinged with passion and slightly hoarse, said, "Don't you like my hands?"
He waved his other hand in front of her. The outline of his hand was even clearer in the candlelight. It was not only long and beautiful, but it seemed as if you could see the bones connecting to it inside.
"How about I help you with my hand? That way... it won't be considered breaking the rules."
"Um."
She did not refuse. The two had not been this close for a long time. Even when they had some intimate contact, it was only to a certain extent. She often forgot her feelings, but people who had been raised with clan ideals paid special attention to this aspect and would always stop at the most crucial moment. Even if she was in great pain, she would not cross the line.
We just got back, and after not seeing each other for so long, all we did was hug and whisper sweet nothings.
The fact that he took the initiative to say these words shows that he had reached a critical point.
She relaxed, letting Yan Ning's hands roam over her body, pouring out her longing and affection over the past six months, until the first light of dawn appeared in the east, at which point she finally stopped.
When she fell asleep from exhaustion, Yan Ning had water brought to help her wash herself. She then instructed the servants to clean up the soiled bedding and replace it with new ones before placing her back on the couch and letting her sleep soundly. She told the servants to keep watch and not allow anyone to come in and disturb her before getting up and leaving.
Although the night was good, he still had to consider things. He took good care of others, and his own desire had not subsided.
This was the first time he had realized that he was actually a person with strong desires.
He had forgiven the woman once, but he could never let go of her kindness.
After practicing archery in the courtyard for a while to dissipate his excess energy, he went to the bathhouse to wash and tidy up. After having breakfast, he went back to his post at the government office.
The court sessions in the Jin Dynasty were not very frequent. There was a large court session every five days and a small court session every three days. Most of the time, officials were busy with their own duties in their offices.
He had just been there recently, so he didn't need to report to Emperor Wu Cheng again.
--
The two lived in harmony, and with peace and tranquility in the inner quarters, he could focus more on official business. He joined forces with Lu Shizi and others to propose many useful and feasible policies to address the problems existing in the new regime, which were strongly supported and promoted by Emperor Wucheng.
What is remarkable is that although these measures were still mainly aimed at protecting the interests of the aristocratic families and consolidating their new power, they also benefited the people, especially in matters concerning temples, where they were particularly popular.
Temples were exempt from taxes, a problem that had existed since the Jin Dynasty. They occupied large tracts of fertile land, but rarely cultivated the land themselves, instead renting it out to farmers at the foot of the mountains. The common people had to spend money to cultivate the land and pay various taxes on land and population, which was an excessive burden. Meanwhile, the temples were raking in profits without contributing to the national treasury.
Emperor Ai ignored the situation and let it run its course, which led to uprisings by emperors such as Emperor Xuan and Emperor Wu. Emperor Xuan acted too hastily, directly canceling the ownership of temple lands, burning a large number of scriptures, and killing monks. Although the results were significant, he harbored resentment and accumulated hatred. He won the hearts of the people but lost the support of powerful families, and the final result was regrettable.
He adopted a middle-of-the-road approach, clearly stipulating tax collection and administration without altering the land ownership, and also establishing detailed rules for rental fees, specifying the amount per mu (unit of land area)...
Although there were some who were dissatisfied and caused trouble, it was all within acceptable limits. After so many major events, no one wanted to cause trouble for themselves and their families at this time, so things proceeded smoothly.
A person who gains prestige among the common people will also gain prestige among prominent families.
Everyone says that this handsome young man from Jiangzuo is a divine child sent from heaven, possessing both talent and virtue, and is compassionate and merciful.
When the news spread throughout the country, Cui was overjoyed and beamed with pride, but this joy was also accompanied by great sorrow.
Along with these joyous occasions came a letter from the Cui family.
--
The letter was written in the name of Old Master Cui, and it began with her affectionate nickname: "Ayu".
Hearing this long-unheard name, Cui couldn't help but feel a little red in her eyes. She married into the Yan family at the age of fourteen and became a Yan family woman. Since then, this name seemed to have been stripped from her life. Others would only respectfully call her Madam Yan or Madam Cui, but no one had ever called her by her maiden name so affectionately again.
She and her husband had lived in mutual respect for each other for over thirty years, and that was all.
In the letter, he exchanged pleasantries with her, congratulated Yan Changjun on his recent affairs, and finally got to the point, saying that he was seriously ill and feared that his days were numbered. He asked about the marriage between the two families and what he thought about it.
He is sixty-six years old this year, nearing seventy. He has indeed been bedridden for a long time and his body is very weak. Sitting there, he is like a withered bamboo that has been sitting for a hundred years. He doesn't need any external force; even a gust of wind could easily crush him. However, even so, his dignity as an elder remains undiminished.
He said, "You are the eldest daughter whom your father has raised with great care. Your father is very proud of you. The Cui and Yan families have been related by marriage for a hundred years, and have always shared both honor and disgrace..."
On one hand, he said that the Cui family was his pride, but on the other hand, he was pressuring her with words. At the end of the article, he questioned whether Cui Wan knew that she had returned to Qinghe alone.
The two had already consummated their relationship in Beijing, so what does it mean that things have turned out this way?
"The Yan family is at the height of its power, but the Cui family is not some lowly family that everyone can trample on. The Cui family has shown great sincerity by sending Awan to Jiankang and making her their second wife. If your Yan family feels that the Cui family is no longer worthy, you can just say so. It would have been better if you had made it clear earlier. We don't need to bow our heads and beg for anything. Why humiliate us like this!"
The words were extremely harsh, and there was even bloodstain on the letter, which shows how emotionally charged the writer must have been.
However, she still managed to save face in the end, saying, "Actually, it can't be entirely blamed on Changjun. When a gentleman and a lady are deeply in love, it's a natural thing. We've watched this child grow up; he's a rare good child. It's just that he's been corrupted by that commoner princess. But he's young and doesn't know any better, so he's easily bewitched. As his mother, you can't be so ignorant!"
As he spoke, he also mentioned the incident in Dongwu County a few months ago, saying, "This commoner princess is arrogant and willful, ignorant of worldly customs, and a boorish person. Changjun has been corrupted by her. Asheng, you also indulge her and let her stay with others. She is an unmarried young lady. If she learns her ways, how will she find a husband in the future!"
July is the hottest time of the year, and this letter only made her feel more suffocated and uncomfortable.
She spun the prayer beads back and forth, but her heart was far from calm. The phrase "The two of them have already made their marriage in the capital" kept echoing in her mind.
Undeniably, this was her original plan, but she knew her child well; no one would be so unruly as to do such a thing.
But why would the Cui family say such a thing?
Did Wan'er go back and say something?
That elegant and dignified young lady, what are you planning?
Does she want to ruin Changjun?
Thinking of this, Cui felt a chill run down her spine from head to toe!
This is her legitimate son, the pride of whom she has placed high hopes and devoted all her efforts to raising him. She will never allow anyone to do this!
With a hissing sound.
The letter was torn to shreds.
Chen Mama, who had been watching all this from the side, said, "Since the Cui family has sent a letter, it means there is room for discussion. Why should Madam be troubled? The marriage between the Cui and Yan families was originally a tacit agreement. Today, it was just a little unexpected. Since it has become a good thing, why not let it go?"
Cui sighed, "How could I not want to? But Changjun is currently infatuated with Li. If I force him to divorce her, I'm afraid he won't agree and it might cause trouble."
He was making some progress in the court, and she didn't want to let that affect or ruin his career prospects.
Li and he got entangled again. Before Li could write to explain anything, he told her everything first, and protected her in every word, taking all the blame on himself. What could she do?
She understood what her two elder brothers were thinking. They had revealed Li's affairs to her through their two wives, hoping to make her cause trouble and distract her.
She won't let them have their way!
Granny Chen curled her lips and said, "Has Madam forgotten about the contraceptive incense?"
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