“For abusing your power and bullying the weak, you shall slap each other’s faces twenty times. Then, go to the Court of State Ceremonies yourselves to report your crimes to Master Shen. If anyone dares to flee, they shall be killed.”
“Thank you, Princess Consort! Thank you, Princess Consort!”
The officers used all their strength to slap their own faces repeatedly.
“The Heir is still here?” Shen Ruzhi asked pointedly.
Pei Anqing looked around at the strange looks and the hushed whispers of the people around him.
“Ningning was only misled by your instigation!” He spat the words out, then turned and left in a rage.
Shen Ruzhi rolled her eyes.
“Liu Zhuang thanks the Princess Consort for saving my life.” The man stepped forward and knelt before Jiang Wanning.
“Liu Zhuang?” Jiang Wanning said. “You said you served as a soldier?”
“Yes,” Liu Zhuang answered honestly. “I was wounded on the battlefield. I only have an elderly mother at home, so the Prince of Langya granted me a special discharge to return home.”
“A soldier of the Prince of Langya? Then you should have received a significant amount of compensation. Why are you here setting up a stall?”
Liu Zhuang clenched his fists tightly. “The Ministry of War sends the compensation for us discharged soldiers to the local magistrate’s office. We then go there to collect it. There was supposed to be a sum, but by the time it reached my hands, it was only enough to buy this small cart.”
“It seems it’s that man Sun again,” Shen Ruzhi said angrily. “I didn’t expect him to dare embezzle even the compensation of veteran soldiers.”
“Liu Zhuang, are you willing to follow me?” Jiang Wanning asked directly.
A soldier of the Prince of Langya, and a filial son to boot—he seemed like a good choice. “My household is in need of a steward.”
Liu Zhuang looked up, his eyes filled with uncontrollable joy, but then he seemed to remember something and hesitated. “I…”
Jiang Wanning looked at Liu Zhuang’s lowered head and knew what he was worried about. “That leg injury was sustained while serving your country; it is a mark of honor.”
“Furthermore, I see that you are agile and strong. You will surely rise to the position.”
Hearing this, Liu Zhuang lifted his head again and knelt on the ground with a loud thud. “I am willing!”
“The Princess Consort saved my life and was willing to stand up for people like us. As long as the Princess Consort does not find me lacking, this lowly one is willing to go through fire and water for you!”
Jiang Wanning helped him up. “I don’t need you to go through fire or water.”
“Follow me, and there is only one requirement: absolute loyalty.”
“The Princess Consort can rest assured!” Liu Zhuang said, cupping his hands.
Jiang Wanning’s lips twitched slightly. “That… I haven’t married into the family yet. You should just call me Miss Jiang.”
Liu Zhuang froze for a moment, then replied, “Yes.”
Jiang Wanning took out two taels of silver from her sleeve. “Take this first to buy medicine for your mother.”
“Tomorrow morning, go to the Grand Preceptor Zhou’s manor and find a girl named Haitang. Tell her I sent you to be the steward; she will arrange things for you.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Jiang Wanning added. “If it’s inconvenient, you can bring your mother along with you. There are many empty courtyards in the Zhou manor, so you won’t have to travel back and forth.”
Liu Zhuang could hardly believe his ears. His mouth opened, but he didn’t know what to say.
Shen Ruzhi stuffed the silver into Liu Zhuang’s arms. “Why are you still standing there? Do you think the Princess Consort gave you too little?”
Hearing Shen Ruzhi’s teasing, Jiang Wanning massaged her temples helplessly.
Liu Zhuang snapped out of it and quickly reached out to carefully take the silver, tears shimmering in his eyes. Afraid of being seen, he lowered his head and quickly wiped them away with his sleeve.
After sending Liu Zhuang off, Jiang Wanning led Shen Ruzhi toward a ruined temple in the east.
On the other side, Pei Anqing felt he had been utterly insulted. Upon returning to the tavern, he slammed the door of the private room shut and violently smashed a wine jar on the table.
He clenched his fists tightly and sat down on a drum stool.
“Heir, please do not be angry; be careful not to harm your health.”
Jiang Wanru walked over to Pei Anqing’s side. One hand rested lightly on his shoulder while the other gently caressed his back.
“I suspect Sister is just acting out of spite. She cared for you so much, Heir; how could she possibly let go just like that?”
“This is all Ru’er’s fault. It’s because Ru’er didn’t hide the letters well and they were discovered.”
As Jiang Wanru spoke, a look of sorrow appeared on her face. Her eyes welled with tears and the corners of her eyes turned red. “Ru’er only wanted to take them out when I missed the Heir in the middle of the night. Ru’er simply cherished the Heir’s things too much, and that is why I have dragged the Heir into this mess.”
Pei Anqing took the opportunity to pull Jiang Wanru onto his lap. “This is not your fault.”
Jiang Wanru’s face flushed with bashfulness as she whispered softly, “Pei-lang…”
Pei Anqing stroked her cheek, his eyes filled with a poisonous glint. “It’s all the fault of that bitch, Shen Ruzhi.”
“Even if those letters hadn’t been found, she would have found a way to dig up other evidence sooner or later.”
“You are right. Jiang Wanning loved and trusted me so much before; how could she lose all feeling over such a small matter?”
“She must be doing this out of spite. Otherwise, there’s no way she would want to marry that old thief Pei Yanchuan!”
At the mention of Pei Yanchuan, Pei Anqing’s hands clenched even tighter, and his gaze grew more ferocious.
When he had returned home that day, the man had actually slapped him hard—a slap that had knocked out two of his back molars. Pei Yanchuan had never hit him before.
It seemed his feelings for Jiang Wanning were unusually deep. The more it was like this, the more Pei Anqing wanted to destroy it.
“Heir, Ru’er has a plan.” Jiang Wanru whispered something into Pei Anqing’s ear.
Pei Anqing’s expression softened considerably, and his lips curled into a slight smile. “Ru’er is indeed clever.”
If he could find a way to make her lose her virtue to him, then for the rest of her life, she would have no choice but to marry him.
“To be able to share the Heir’s burdens is Ru’er’s honor,” Jiang Wanru said softly.
Pei Anqing’s large hand stroked the soft curves of Jiang Wanru’s waist. “Don’t worry.”
“Once I marry Jiang Wanning, deal with Pei Yanchuan, and take the position of the Prince of Langya, you will be the future Princess Consort.”
Joy flared in Jiang Wanru’s heart. She wrapped her arms around Pei Anqing’s neck. “Heir, I should be heading back.”
She had snuck out to see him; if she were caught now, it would do more harm than good.
“There’s no rush. Since you’re already here… why don’t we enjoy ourselves for a moment?”
Jiang Wanru gave Pei Anqing a gentle push. “Heir, do not lose the great for the small.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Anqing had no choice but to suppress the unholy fire in his heart and let her go.
Sensing the shift in his attitude, Jiang Wanru said pleasingly, “I can help the Heir find some relief.”
She lightly touched her own lips with her index finger.
Her mother—the concubine—had told her that before marrying into the Prince’s manor, she must not give herself away too easily. To win a man’s heart, one didn’t necessarily have to surrender everything…
This way, she could preserve a woman’s most precious treasure while still winning the man’s heart.
If things ever came to light, as long as it was proven she was still a virgin, there would be a significant chance for a turnaround.
Pei Anqing was indeed very satisfied. He leaned back with a look of pure comfort.
While Jiang Wanru was not as beautiful as Jiang Wanning, nor did she possess her refined aura—one was like the moon in the sky or a lotus in the water, to be admired from afar but not defiled—the other was truly her mother’s daughter. Just looking at her made one fantasize about what happened beneath the covers.