LF Chapter 44
by VolareSpring was bursting with vitality, the sky clear and bright, the air filled with fragrant blossoms.
Under the influence of such beautiful weather, Jiang Yinghua couldn’t help but feel a little carefree. Taking advantage of Scholar Yan Wanzhi’s absence on a distant journey, she indulged in a wild spree.
Sure enough, as Jiang Yinghua had expected, the moment the old scholar returned today, he proved himself utterly intolerant of such behavior.
A stern reprimand came from behind, abruptly halting the laughter. The young women turned to look at Yan Wanzhi, whose face was filled with anger. They didn’t recognize him and looked confused, then turned to the woman in the crimson gauze, after all, she was the mistress of the manor.
Jiang Yinghua, dressed in crimson gauze, was somewhat surprised by Yan Wanzhi’s sudden return. She stood up, brushed the fallen cherry blossom petals from her dress, and lowered her eyes to conceal a hint of triumph. With a slightly guilty conscience, she gently instructed the maids, “Scholar Yan is displeased, everyone, disperse.”
Seeing the maids leave, Jiang Yinghua looked at Yan Wanzhi, who seemed like an angry hamster, and said with a face full of smiles, “Scholar Yan, you’ve gained a lot of prestige after returning from your trip. You’re not even giving Prince Zhao any face?”
“Your Highness, what are you doing? I almost didn’t recognize this as your residence after being away for two months. Do you want me to tell you about all the commotion in the streets?” Yan Wanzhi lowered his eyes, his face still livid.
“There’s no need, the manor is full of gossips, and many people are chattering in my ears. Scholar Yan, you must be thirsty after traveling all this way. Please come in and have some tea.” Seeing that there was no one around, Jiang Yinghua reached out and pinched a small piece of Yan Wanzhi’s official robe sleeve, stretched it hard, and signaled him to follow her into the room.
Yan Wanzhi was so irritated by her actions that he lost his temper. He reached out and pulled his sleeve away, dusting it off twice with a look of disdain, smoothing it out, then took a deep breath and followed her inside.
Seeing that he had shut up and followed, the smile in Jiang Yinghua’s eyes grew stronger. She cheerfully bustled about, saying, “Scholar Yan, you’ve made great contributions this time. I must give you a proper welcome. Don’t be shy about what dishes you’d like to eat later, just tell the housekeeper everything. It’s too late for lunch, but dinner will be good.”
“Thank you for Your Highness’s kindness, I don’t need any food, I’m already full.” Yan Wanzhi listened to Jiang Yinghua’s careless words, obviously unconcerned about her earlier misconduct. An inexplicable fire rose in his heart, and the words he spoke were also very harsh.
Jiang Yinghua was suddenly choked by Yan Wanzhi’s words, and her eyes gradually turned cold. Putting away her cheerful expression, she pursed her lips and strode towards the main hall.
Yan Wanzhi didn’t care that she suddenly sped up, and followed closely behind, also entering the hall.
Jiang Yinghua glared at him, and sarcastically said, “Since Scholar Yan has eaten a bellyful of evil qi, I can’t entertain you with my delicacies. And this tea, I suppose, is not worthy of Scholar Yan’s precious mouth with its glib tongue. What if it burns your precious tongue, and you won’t be able to use your clever tongue?”
“Since Your Highness is so complimentary, I can’t help but say a few more words. After I finish speaking, I will naturally be thirsty and will be thinking about the fine Mingqian Dragon Well tea on your table. Your Highness is magnanimous, surely you wouldn’t begrudge me this mere cup of clear tea, would you?” Seeing that Jiang Yinghua’s words were full of sarcasm, Yan Wanzhi retorted without mercy.
This person must have choked on the north wind today, or else he must have been given a drug that made him lose his mind. Jiang Yinghua thought to herself, her brows clear and cold as she stared directly at the cup in her hand, and called out, “Someone, Scholar Yan is tired from the journey, take him down to bathe and rest. Tell the generals and officers of the Zhenwei Army to come to the manor tonight to welcome Scholar Yan.”
After giving clear instructions, Jiang Yinghua flung her sleeves and went straight into the inner chamber. As an outside official, Yan Wanzhi should not follow her in. He had a bellyful of good advice, but had no chance to speak to her. He looked at the attendants standing on both sides, helplessly shook his head, and dejectedly returned to his own courtyard.
Yan Wanzhi could actually guess why Jiang Yinghua was so crazy. But everything should have a limit. This kind of publicity was too much. If other eyes saw it and reported it to the Emperor, she would have a hard time protecting herself, let alone protecting Jiang Yinghua.
But at this moment, Yan Wanzhi did not know that the big gift prepared for him was still to come.
In the eyes of outsiders, Prince Zhao and Scholar Yan were one. No matter how close or incompatible they were in private, they had to act like a wise ruler and a loyal minister at the evening banquet, smiling with their prince.
Yan Wanzhi was indeed very tired due to several days of running around and dealing with matters. After returning, he really did not eat lunch, and fell into a deep sleep after bathing, not showing up until the evening banquet.
Jiang Yinghua had long known that Yan Wanzhi had not come out after returning. When she saw him coming in the evening after tidying himself up, she softened her temper, walked up to him, and asked softly, “Scholar Yan, are you really sulking? You wouldn’t even eat? We haven’t seen each other for two months, and your heart has also drifted away, hmm?”
Hearing this, Yan Wanzhi remembered that the words he had said in the morning in a fit of anger were a bit harsh. He bowed slightly and made a deep bow, saying, “Your Highness, please forgive me. I have absolutely no such intention. I am tired from the journey. It’s not that I didn’t want to eat, but I was too sleepy to have the opportunity.”
“Since that’s the case, Scholar Yan, please eat more in the evening. It won’t be in vain for me to have personally made some snacks and busy myself for a while.” Jiang Yinghua’s words were light and airy, but the meaning of flattery was very clear.
Yan Wanzhi was also a little surprised. Jiang Yinghua had not had the leisure to make snacks for a long time. Just as he was about to be happy, he suddenly recalled the past when he had first met this person and was played by her. He felt a chill down his spine, curled his lips, and asked with an innocent look, “Your Highness didn’t put green bean powder in it, did you?”
Hearing this, Jiang Yinghua chuckled and pondered for a long time, playfully leaving him with a sentence, “Scholar Yan, guess for yourself.”
At the evening banquet, they chatted very happily between drinks. Yan Wanzhi’s ability to say social niceties among various people was completely different from what he usually showed. The words at the banquet were just a formality. As for the snacks, they were naturally sweet and glutinous, with a long aftertaste. Yan Wanzhi wished he could take them all for himself, so that those big shots wouldn’t get a chance to take advantage.
After the banquet dispersed, knowing that Yan Wanzhi was tired, Jiang Yinghua did not try to persuade him to stay.
Yan Wanzhi rubbed his forehead, which was aching from the noise, and returned to his room on his own.
He had slept for a long time in the afternoon, and he was now particularly energetic. Since he had nothing to do, he went to the study and looked through the things that Jiang Yinghua had arranged in the past two months, so that he could have a better understanding.
The night grew deeper, and Jiang Yinghua’s bedroom was already pitch black. The night watchmen were all under the corridor. Jiang Yinghua got up and stood in front of the window, and said softly, “Come out.”
A shadow flashed out and stood respectfully beside her. Jiang Yinghua turned her eyes and asked, “How is it?”
“He went to the study to check your records. After returning from a two-month trip, I’m afraid there will be some action.” The shadow lowered his voice and reported in a low voice.
“Let him do it, don’t stop him, keep watching. Be careful with the Buddhist temple matter, don’t let anything go wrong.” Jiang Yinghua ordered in a cold voice. The man cupped his fist, bowed, and retreated, disappearing into the deep night again.
At this moment, Yan Wanzhi was reading late at night in the study, his fingertips tightly pinching the records, his brows deeply locked, as if he was trying to suppress his anger. He had only been out for two months, and Jiang Yinghua, this ancestor, was really good at courting death, with so many tricks…
Extravagant and wasteful living and indulging in pleasure were just the beginning. There were not a few royal nobles who indulged in pleasure all day long. Jiang Yinghua was just a small case in comparison.
But this person was annexing fields and exploiting the gentry, and the attack was a bit too hasty. If it was only limited to this, Yan Wanzhi would not be angry. This person was actually building Buddhist temples in his fiefdom in the name of praying for the Empress Dowager, wasting money and manpower. Building a temple was fine, but he specifically named that it had to be ebony produced in Yun Dian. Thousands of miles away, this kind of practice would harm many innocent people.
What’s more, the country was just stabilized, and the national treasury was in a great time to accumulate money and food. Jiang Yinghua was tossing around like this, and acting under the banner of the Empress Dowager. In the end, if the money was not enough, the court would still have to pay the bill.
The more Yan Wanzhi thought about it, the angrier he became. He glared at the documents in the study until the morning sun rose and the cocks crowed. He secretly vowed that if he didn’t properly accuse Jiang Yinghua this time and give her a lesson, he would write his name Yan Wanzhi backwards.
Just as he was thinking this, Yan Wanzhi pushed open the door and walked out, his face still a little angry. The housekeeper of the manor ran over in a hurry. When he saw him, he greeted him and said, “Scholar Yan, there are guests at the manor. The prince wants you to go to the front hall to send them away.”
“Take me there.” Yan Wanzhi responded indifferently without any expression, and walked quickly towards the front hall.
Since Jiang Yinghua said that he was going to send them away, Yan Wanzhi was already in a bad mood. After entering the front hall, he “invited” the person away in a few words. He didn’t delay any longer, turned around, flung his sleeves, and went straight to his courtyard. After pushing open the door, he turned around and closed it, inserting the bolt in broad daylight.
He walked to the desk, cut paper, grinded ink, and moistened the brush in one go. Yan Wanzhi rolled up his sleeves, sat upright in the chair, took a long breath, and then wrote quickly. If you looked closely, the paper was full of the evidence of Prince Zhao’s absurd actions in recent months.
Yan Wanzhi was writing vigorously, his hands working non-stop, and even his facial features were dancing with joy. He should have been immersed in his own literary talent of writing.
Suddenly, a faint sandalwood fragrance lingered behind him and entered his nose. The hand holding the brush paused for a moment. Before he could react, he heard a delicate voice from behind:
“Yan Qing, what are you writing? Frowning and glaring, how indecent~”
Hearing this, Yan Wanzhi’s body froze.
After Jiang Yinghua finished speaking, she took the lead while he was surprised, pressing one hand on Yan Wanzhi’s shoulder, and the other hand quickly snatched the paper from his hand, scanning it quickly with her eyes.
“Oh, so you’re reporting my words and deeds to my elder sister.” Jiang Yinghua showed a very surprised and rather playful look, tilted her head and smiled at Yan Wanzhi, who looked flustered, and then leaned down, bringing her thin lips close to Yan Wanzhi’s ear, and added, “You are my Imperial Scribe, shouldn’t you come and ask me after you finish writing?”
Feeling the warm breath behind her neck, Yan Wanzhi didn’t know if it was because she was flustered or shy, but her face was redder than the sunset.
Jiang Yinghua leaned against the desk, put down the paper in her hand, raised her hand to take away the brush tightly held in Yan Wanzhi’s hand, gently wrapped her right hand around her neck, and then forcefully pressed her chin with her palm, forcibly raising her face, forcing Yan Wanzhi to look at her.
Hearing her slightly rapid breathing and thumping heartbeat, Jiang Yinghua knew that she was nervous. She was satisfied, looked at Yan Wanzhi with a playful look, smiled, and said, “Scholar Yan has always been eloquent, why don’t you say anything at this time?”
Yan Wanzhi tried to endure the discomfort of being teased by this young girl Jiang Yinghua, and pretended to be calm and complained: “Your Highness is hiding in my room to spy, which is not the behavior of a gentleman.”
“Well, that’s what Imperial Scribe taught me well. Imperial Scribe, how many secret letters have you secretly written in this room? How did I learn this sneaky business?” Jiang Yinghua took back the hand that was holding her chin, her tone was not happy or angry, but it was obvious that she had added a bit of sternness.
Yan Wanzhi lowered her eyes and did not speak. Suddenly being caught, she was too clear that it was useless to say anything.
Jiang Yinghua tapped the edge of the table with her fingers, her eyes as sharp as a hunting falcon. Seeing that the person was silent, Jiang Yinghua raised her hand and clasped Yan Wanzhi’s slender wrist, and laughed loudly: “Oh, Imperial Scribe’s pulse is too fast, it must be too stuffy in this room, why don’t you accompany me to blow the wind?”
As Jiang Yinghua spoke, her left hand’s fingers wandered back and forth on Yan Wanzhi’s neck, causing Yan Wanzhi to shiver continuously.
Yan Wanzhi couldn’t guess what she was up to, and looked at Jiang Yinghua with anxiety, with a hint of panic in her eyes.
Jiang Yinghua reached out and grabbed the clothes at the back of Yan Wanzhi’s neck, pulled him out of the seat, dragged him directly out of the courtyard, and took him to the viewing tower in the mansion.
She looked into the distance, but the words she said were for Yan Wanzhi to hear: “Do you know that I have recently seen a lot of pigeons flying around? People in the camp said that roast pigeon tastes delicious. Is Imperial Scribe willing to accompany me to try it?”