Vulgar whispers, beautiful face
For the Central Plains region, autumn is a season of abundant harvests, carrying the farmers' boundless hopes.
For Lingzhou, however, it was an endless desolation, a warning bell tolled early by the severe cold, heralding the arrival of a long winter.
The temperature plummeted overnight, and the white mist exhaled in the morning and the white frost on the leaves were all announcing the arrival of winter.
The earth grew cold and hard, and the biting wind stung the skin like a knife; no one dared to challenge nature's harshness with their bare body.
Dou Yao forcibly kept Jiang Yanhui in the camp until the first snow fell before releasing her to return to Lingzhou. Immediately, Jiang Yanhui wrapped herself in a thick black fur cloak, rode away on a black cloud without looking back.
The harsh living conditions in the military camp were worlds apart from the luxurious conditions in the prince's mansion.
It's not that Jiang Yanhui is afraid of hardship; a noble king who has been able to stay in Lingzhou for ten years cannot be associated with laziness.
This is probably because, as the youngest of the late emperor's twenty-first sons, she was kept away from the struggle for the throne from a young age. Her older sisters, while not exactly kind to her, would not have the intention to harm her.
The servants fawned over him, and he was pampered with fine clothes and food, which fostered his obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness.
Ignoring the wind and snow, they spurred their horses and took a shortcut back to Lingzhou. In less than half an hour, a thin layer of white snow covered the ground and roof tiles.
Jiang Yanhui's breath instantly condensed into white mist, and her eyebrows and eyes, wet with snow, were as vivid as an ink painting. Her well-made, dense cloak left no trace of snow and provided excellent warmth.
Just as the groom touched the reins and caught the flying whip, a gust of wind swept by, and he could only catch a glimpse of a corner of his king's black cloak out of the corner of his eye.
Jiang Yan walked away swiftly, her dark eyebrows furrowed tightly, her face filled with disgust. She said to Uncle Ban, who came to greet her, "Prepare things, I really stink to death."
Uncle Ban watched Wang Zun leave, then turned to Ah Chou, who had his head bowed, and gently instructed, "Come with me to prepare the things the master will need for his bath."
Ah Chou had changed a lot in the month since I last saw her. Her once thin and sunken cheeks had become fuller, a fluffy scarf hugged her pointed chin, and her fair and smooth face had a pair of bright and clear eyes that curiously followed the direction Jiang Yan had gone.
Uncle Ban brought Ah Chou back from his wandering thoughts. He didn't scold Ah Chou for being distracted, but gestured for him to keep up. He reminded Ah Chou, "The King will stay until after the New Year after he returns. You are someone the King brought back, so you must serve him well, understand?"
Ah Chou jogged a few steps to catch up with Uncle Ban, nodding in a daze.
In the bamboo grove behind the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion, there is a man-made hot spring. The suitable temperature and rising steam make the surrounding vegetation lush.
A misty white fog spread, snowflakes and green leaves overlapped, and the gently flowing hot spring water made a crisp "gurgling" sound. Everything seemed peaceful and beautiful, like a fairyland in the barren Lingzhou.
Jiang Yan leaned lazily against the polished black hot spring stone, her long black hair casually tied up, with messy strands sticking to her slender neck, and her strong arms stretched out on the shore, the milky white hot spring water just covering her chest.
The boots crunched as they stepped on the snow.
Jiang Yan lifted her thin eyelids to look, and the first thing she saw was a comical cotton hat, which even covered her ears completely.
When the person looked up and met a pair of clear, big eyes, Jiang Yanhui couldn't help but chuckle.
The boy's hat tie, which held his hat in place below his chin, was tied into a bow. It hung loosely down to his chest, swaying as he walked, making him look even more comical.
Jiang Yan covered her mouth and turned her face away, her shoulders shaking slightly. She said with a half-smile and a half-anger, "Where did this stupid outfit come from? Hurry up and take off your hat."
Ah Chou's tense lips suddenly fell shut due to nervousness. After putting down the tray, he pulled off the fluffy hat and held it in his hand.
I'm a little angry, but I don't dare to be angry.
With her garish outfit gone, Jiang Yan stretched her legs comfortably, leaned back, and said, "Pour the wine."
Ah Chou knelt on the soft cushion, poured warmed yellow wine into the wine vessel, turned to the side and skillfully lit the charcoal fire in the small stove, and continued to warm the wine pot over the water.
Ah Chou breathed a sigh of relief after tidying everything up. He had indeed learned a lot from following Uncle Ban, but this time he was doing it all by himself.
Looking up again, she met Jiang Yan's scrutinizing gaze. His eyes were deep and dark, seemingly capable of drawing one in.
Perhaps it was because she had saved him from his suffering, or perhaps he had heard many rumors about her in the mansion, but Ah Chou felt a strange admiration for her. He unconsciously clenched the fabric on his knees, swallowed hard, and stared back blankly.
After a moment, Jiang Yan replied, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
I felt a little disappointed, but it was also within my expectations.
He lowered his head, took off the wooden plaque from his waist, and held it in front of Jiang Yanhui with both hands.
—Ah Chou
The hazy memories gradually became clearer; it turned out that the little thing I couldn't remember that day was this person.
Jiang Yanhui couldn't help but take a closer look at A Chou's appearance.
It's unclear whether he was starving during his growth spurt, but Ah Chou looked to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old. Even wearing a padded cotton-padded jacket couldn't hide his thin figure.
However, her exposed skin was exceptionally fair and delicate, much more radiant than the male prostitutes in the building.
Just to be on the safe side, she asked, "How old are you this year?"
Ah Chou gestured.
Eighteen years old.
It is the prime of life.
"Has it been touched?" Jiang Yan asked again.
Ah Chou was stunned. She blinked her pure, untainted eyes, clearly not understanding what Jiang Yan Hui was implying.
At this moment, Jiang Yanhui already had the answer in her heart, but looking at the silly and simple-minded A Chou, she had a rare urge to tease and play with him, so she beckoned with her finger.
Chou leaned forward without any guard and turned her ear to the side. As Jiang Yanhui whispered, a blush gradually spread across Chou's fair earlobe, and her already round eyes widened even more.
I was ashamed and indignant that she could say such vulgar things!
Shocked by the shattering of his illusions, Ah Chou collapsed to the ground, instinctively shaking his head in resistance.
Jiang Yanhui, who had just been quite interested, lowered his eyes in displeasure when he saw A Chou refuse. The powerful aura that spread out in an instant made A Chou's breathing quicken. He pushed himself back a few steps with his hands on the ground and looked at Jiang Yanhui, who was full of danger, in fear.
"Your Majesty, we have guests ahead."
The silk-covered screen reflected Aunt Pan's shadow. As if finding a savior, Ah Chou came to his senses, hugged the tray to his chest, and knelt up straight.
Jiang Yan clicked her tongue lightly, irritably withdrawing her hand that was about to touch Ah Chou's neck, her brows furrowed with barely concealed restlessness.
"knew."
—
On the wall in the center of the hall hangs a magnificent painting of ten thousand horses galloping. The couplets on both sides read, "With a wave of the hand, wind and clouds surge" and "Ascending to the summit, I am the peak," fully demonstrating the owner's bold and unrestrained spirit.
On the upturned table below are displayed rare stones and antiques. On the far left, a jade basin holds a bamboo plant with leaves resembling layers of clouds, which is being rudely touched.
Lang Rong had lost count of how many times she had sighed with worry on the way from the military camp to the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion. No wonder Dou Yao said that if she continued to worry, she would probably grow white hair before her.
Jiang Yan arrived with an extremely low pressure, her face colder than the snow falling outside, and she swallowed back the sigh that Lang Rong was about to utter.
Looking around, I didn't see Deng Jiajin and her group. What's with the anger?
Jiang Yanhui sat down in the armchair with an air of nonchalance, picked up the tea that the servant had served Lang Rong, took a sip without ceremony, and asked disdainfully, "Why did you come here?"
Even Lang Rong, who had grown up with Jiang Yan Hui, was sometimes exasperated by her unconventional behavior.
She let go of the poor Wenzhu and sat down, genuinely puzzled, and said, "The General told me to spend the New Year with you this year, saying that I should learn your carefree attitude."
As the conversation progressed, Lang Rong clearly showed his dissatisfaction, genuinely unable to understand Dou Yao's intentions.
General Dou Yao, a veteran of countless battles, was an idol that Lang Rong admired and longed for. Lang Rong simply couldn't ignore her advice, so he packed his bags and eagerly came to find Jiang Yan.
"One word from my aunt is worth a hundred words from me." Jiang Yanhui's temper flares up and subsides quickly, and many people secretly curse her for her bad temper.
She stretched out her long arm and beckoned with her finger. Having learned his lesson many times, Lang Rong instinctively clutched the money pouch at his waist and shook his head repeatedly, saying, "No, I still need to save up to marry a man."
Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow. "You spend all your time in the military camp, surrounded by women. Do you expect a man to fall from the sky and land right on you?"
Lang Rong often didn't understand Jiang Yan Hui's way of doing things, and Jiang Yan Hui was just as confused about what was going on in her rigid mind.
"What if!" Lang Rong retorted, unwilling to give up. "What if one day I find a man I like?"
Jiang Yan thought back to how the Emperor treated Lang Rong; barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would spend his entire life guarding the border in Lingzhou, and as for the men of Lingzhou…
Men in windy and sandy areas are often rough, honest, and capable, and many people like this type of partner because it makes life easier. But Jiang Yanhui is not one of them.
Given her status and position, she only wants obedient and compliant pretty vases, people who are pleasing to the eye and have no time to understand their inner beauty.
Jiang Yanhui chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling with a gentle brightness that was different from her usual arrogant self. But what she said made Lang Rong think to himself that she was still the same unruly Jiang Yanhui.
"Tonight I'll take you to see what a real beauty looks like."
As night falls, looking out over Lingzhou, there is not a single sign of human habitation or light in sight, while Lingzhou City stands out as the largest and brightest beacon.
Before Jiang Yanhui could even dismount, the building was flooded with male prostitutes, all with soft figures and alluring fragrances, vying to stand next to Jiang Yanhui and snuggle into her arms.
The person who received the hug stood tall and proud like a victorious rooster, waving their handkerchief to prevent others from getting close.
The male prostitute who failed to win over Jiang Yan Hui was resentful but dared not act presumptuously in front of her, lest he displease this young lady.
So they turned their attention to Lang Rong, whose face was as red as if she had applied rouge, and called her "sister" over and over again, making Lang Rong almost trip over the threshold as she walked.
The sweet, warm air wafting from the building instantly transported one back to the decadent capital city. A slender man, his supple waist swaying gently in the flowing gauze, jingled the gold pieces on his wrists and toes, his seductive eyes teasing the fragile nerves of those seeking pleasure at night.
"Sister Jiang~ It was a month ago when I last saw you. You rode away as soon as you passed by downstairs, leaving me waiting so long."
The young man spoke in a tender and affectionate tone. Seeing that Jiang Yan Hui was not impatient, he said coquettishly, "I wonder if you still remember me, or if you've been thinking about me?"
"Of course I miss you." Jiang Yan pinched the young man's delicate face, then pulled him closer to her waist, which was so slender she could barely encircle him. She didn't reveal who he was until they entered the private room.
It didn't matter to Jiang Yan Hui; as long as the vase in front of her looked nice, that was enough. Who would care which vase it was?
A note from the author:
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What vulgar things did Jiang Yanhui say?! (Scratching head)
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