The Emperor might fear three things: Western Liang, Southern Rui, and the Secret Department. Western Liang seemed unlikely, and Southern Rui was unaware of the situation. The only option left is the Secret Department. Could the Emperor be concerned that destroying the Fifth Princess’s body might offend An Jin?
Yet, this notion seems unfounded. There was no apparent connection between the Fifth Princess and An Jin. Furthermore, investing so much time and resources to design these mechanisms to indirectly eliminate evidence of the Fifth Princess’s existence raises suspicions.
His Majesty the Qi Emperor’s decision-making style is clear; he aims to achieve the most goals through the simplest methods. There are many ways to accomplish a task, so why opt for a complicated approach?
I have yet to find the answer to this question. The fog in my heart has mostly dissipated, leaving a few blurry spots that need a crucial wind to clear away.
The atmosphere in the An residence has shifted. Everyone’s faces show an indescribable solemnity, as if preparing for an imminent mountain flood. Even Yuan Xiang and Xiao Huang sense this change, no longer causing mischief, but remaining vigilant in the courtyard, reacting anxiously to the slightest disturbance.
The old eunuch has noticed it too. With his leg injury just healed, he struggles to move around. His eye condition is unchanged, but he practices adapting to life as a blind person, not wanting to burden others. Due to his injury, he appears thinner and weaker.
Only Que’er maintains her lively smile, providing some peace of mind.
In contrast, my family home exudes a much more cheerful atmosphere.
Miao Yin, married for only two months, has already been diagnosed as pregnant, bringing joy to my parents and elder brother. The previous tension between my mother-in-law and her has disappeared. Now, my mother makes nourishing soup for Miao Yin daily, which even makes my younger sister and me a bit jealous.
My younger sister’s matchmaking has been difficult, and she hasn’t met anyone appealing, leaving her discouraged. I took her to the Matchmaker’s Temple to draw a fortune stick, which indicated that her fate is near but marriage requires patience. Frustrated, she pulled Xiao Huang’s hairs, feeling refreshed as he cried out in pain.
Not long after, on my birthday, An Jin took me to Cui Lake, a serene spot with mandarin ducks and white herons. I paddled a light boat with An Jin seated across from me. He gazed at me thoughtfully, as if wanting to say something but hesitating.
As the small boat spun in the lake, I nervously asked, “Do you have something to tell me?” An Jin helplessly pointed at the oar in my hand: “A Yao, let me paddle. With the way you’re rowing, we’d take three months to reach the shore.”
I was speechless and had to return the wooden oar to him.
“A Yao,” An Jin paddled with both hands, a smile at the corner of his mouth. “Do you remember what you told me? We’ll have two children in the future, one son and one daughter.”
“Of course I remember.”
He pondered for a moment and suddenly said, “I want to leave for a while to do something. While I’m gone, our family might encounter some troubles.” He paused, seemingly seeking my opinion.
I stared at him and asked, “You will come back, right?”
He smiled brightly. “I will definitely come back. So you must take care of yourself and your family, no matter what happens. When I return, we’ll have two children and live happily ever after.”
I said seriously, “Then you must come back soon. If you’re late, I’ll marry the young master from the Lin family across the street.”
An Jin’s face darkened, his gentle mood vanishing. “He has bow legs and speaks unclearly.”
“Then the sugar cake seller’s young master.”
“He’s a lecherous man, unreliable.” He frowned and threw his hand. “You’ve been thinking about these guys all along?”
I was stunned. “Zhuo Yi, you’ve thrown our oar.”
I couldn’t understand why, instead of the solemn farewell scene, we ended up shouting for help while stranded in the middle of the lake.
Discussing remarriage with a jealous husband in a lake was an unwise choice.
The next day, An Jin left home for court but did not return.
Chapter Fifty: Defection to Western Liang
A major event occurred in Yan Feng City, quickly becoming a topic of discussion among the populace.
The incident started when Secretary Duan Chang of the Ministry of Punishment received a report accusing Vice Minister An Jin of the Ministry of Personnel and Secretary Su Xi of the Ministry of Rites of buying official positions under false names and coercing a witness to provide false testimony, allowing them to evade consequences. The Ministry of Punishment took this seriously and reported it to the Emperor.
His Majesty ordered the Ministry of Punishment, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate to jointly investigate the matter.
The witness, originally exiled, was brought back for re-questioning, and Vice Minister An Jin and Secretary Su Xi were detained in imperial prison, awaiting trial.
My parents rushed to see me upon hearing the bad news. I reassured them it was a wrongful imprisonment and a misunderstanding.
The old eunuch, upon hearing this, asked nothing, only looking at me with a somewhat guilty expression. The more he acted this way, the more I felt he knew everything but was just playing dumb.
My mother-in-law visited once. We sat in silence for a while until she gave me a meaningful look, stood up, and left, patting my shoulder as she passed. “Take care of yourself.”
I couldn’t go to see An Jin or enter the imperial prison; I just counted the days in my heart, waiting for his return.
My elder brother and Miao Yin often visited, while my younger sister dropped by with amusing stories from her matchmaking attempts. I continued my routine, taking Xiao Huang and Yuan Xiang to the study and painting when I had free time. However, each painting turned out to be An Jin’s face, which was quite frustrating.
Anxin was detained for five nights when a significant commotion broke out. I was sleeping lightly and awoke startled, quickly throwing on my clothes. Mother-in-law stood in the courtyard, saying gravely, “They’re here.”
Father-in-law struggled out of the room but was helped back by mother-in-law. Que’er rushed in from outside, unusually serious. “Madam, many soldiers have arrived.”
Finally, they’re here. I took a deep breath, barely suppressing my anxiety. “Let me go take a look.”
Outside the An residence, torches illuminated the area brightly, surrounded by soldiers in silver helmets and iron armor, completely blocking any escape. Two officials stood at the front – Duan Chang and Wu, the Ministry of Justice’s assistant minister. Duan Chang stepped forward, announcing, “Madam, we are here on official orders to request that the entire An household accompany us to the Ministry of Justice.”
“What exactly has happened?” I frowned, feigning panic. “Why must we all go?”
The assistant minister sneered, “Anxin has escaped from the dungeon with Su Xi, and the entire Su family has disappeared! We suspect they are spies from Western Liang, and Anxin is likely involved!”
I exclaimed, “That’s absolutely impossible!”
“Whether it’s possible or not, we request that you inform the entire An household to come with us for further investigation,” he contemptibly glanced at me and waved to the soldiers. “Take them away! Not a single person can be left behind.”
This assistant minister clearly had grievances with Anxin. Following his command, two soldiers approached me, preparing to bind me.
“Wait!” I became angry. “I will walk by myself!”
“Sir!” Duan Chang quickly interjected, “This matter has not been fully investigated.”
Moreover, the madam is a woman who does not know martial arts, so there’s no need to bind her.
