Two months passed in the blink of an eye. The relief grain, funds, and related matters had been largely settled, and the officials were preparing to return to the capital.
Just two days before departure, wagons carrying seed grain from the Yun family suddenly arrived in Rong County. As Yun Sheng reached the yamen gates, Yun Shuyue hurried to greet him: “Brother, you’ve had a hard journey.”
Yun Sheng smiled: “Hardly. After years of traveling, this trip was relatively easy.”
Upon his return to the capital, their father had assigned him a new task: to deliver twenty carts of seed grain to Rong County. At first, he was baffled, but later learned it was his sister’s idea—something that surprised him greatly. When had his sister begun to care about such matters?
The famine in Rong County was known throughout the capital. In the past two years, people had donated silver, clothing, and grain—but never seed grain.
Yet this idea aligned with Yun Sheng’s own thinking. Living off charity was unsustainable; only by striving to change their circumstances could the victims truly recover. Otherwise, two years of relief would continue to yield little effect.
Still, Yun Sheng had concerns. After all, Rong County had suffered drought. How could farming succeed in such an environment?
The victims had assumed that once they received grain and silver, the court would abandon them. Many planned to leave and seek livelihoods elsewhere. None expected wagons full of seed grain to arrive that day.
From the last wagon, a young gentleman leaped down. When his gaze fell on Yun Shuyue standing beside Yun Sheng, his eyes flickered.
Yun Sheng introduced: “This is my sister, Yun Shuyue.”
Then to Yun Shuyue: “This is Young Master Yan. On the way here, we encountered soldiers suppressing bandits. He had been captured by them, so I rescued him. By coincidence, he turned out to be the well‑known son of the Yan family in the capital.”
Yan Ru? Yun Shuyue recognized the name. The book had mentioned that the Yan family dealt in military arms and maintained close ties with the court. Although the Yan family’s business ventures were few, they were a truly wealthy household.
“Where is your brother‑in‑law?” At her wedding and return visit, Yun Sheng hadn’t managed to come back to the capital. Now at last there was a chance—he had to meet this Jiang Chengyuan, the man who made the officials of the capital tremble.
“He’s in his room. Most of the matters here have been settled, and since he was injured a few days ago, I told him to rest inside.”
Hearing this, Yan Ru’s eyes flickered with disappointment. He hadn’t expected that Yun Shuyue was already married—and her husband was none other than the Prime Minister Jiang Chengyuan.
Once affairs were mostly handled, Jiang Chengyuan spent nearly two hours chatting with Yun Sheng. The two found themselves in accord, talking from commerce to governance. Yan Ru, however, excused himself after a short while and left for a walk.
Yun Shuyue, accompanied by Chen Ping, planned to stroll through Rong County. She hadn’t gone far when a familiar voice called out.
“Miss… Miss…,” Chun Liu, ignoring the aches from her jolting journey, waved as she ran forward, reaching Yun Shuyue in the blink of an eye.
They had been apart less than two months, yet she had grown so thin.
Chun Liu’s eyes reddened with pain: “Miss, do you know? When I heard you were injured at Great Pine Mountain, I nearly died of worry. If Nanny Tao hadn’t said I’d only be a burden, I would have rushed to Rong County long ago to care for you.”
Yun Shuyue wiped the tears from her face. “Enough, look—I’m fine, aren’t I? Nanny Tao was right. You’re still ill yourself, how could you take care of me?”
Chun Liu understood, but she couldn’t rest easy. Tentatively, she asked: “Miss, does the Master treat you well?”
That was what troubled her most. She remembered how, on the wedding night, the Master left his bride alone. How could she feel at ease entrusting her lady to such a man?
Yun Shuyue: “…”
Yun Shuyue nodded: “He treats me well.”
Since Chun Liu had just arrived and was surely exhausted, Yun Shuyue led her back to the yamen. At that moment, her brother and Jiang Chengyuan emerged from the room, having just finished their conversation.
Chun Liu hadn’t expected the eldest young master to be present. She quickly bowed: “Greetings, my lord. Greetings, young master.”
That evening, Yan Ru, who had been out wandering most of the day, returned. For the first time since arriving in Rong County, Yun Shuyue and Jiang Chengyuan did not dine alone. Sharing a meal with so many people was a novelty.
As soon as Jiang Chengyuan sat down, Zhao Qingyun placed herself beside him.
Yun Sheng’s face darkened, about to speak, but Yun Shuyue gently laid her hand on his shoulder: “Brother, this isn’t the capital. These Four‑Joy Meatballs are Rong County’s finest dish. Try them—see how they taste.”
Zhao Qingyun chimed in sweetly: “Cousin, you should try too.” She placed one in Jiang Chengyuan’s bowl, playing the part of a virtuous wife.
The atmosphere grew awkward. Yan Ru, who had remained silent, glanced at Yun Shuyue—still standing without a seat—and broke the tension: “I had thought Young Master Yun’s sister was a delicate lady. But hearing the people outside speak today, I see Madam has the bearing of a heroine.”
Yun Shuyue smiled lightly: “Young Master Yan flatters me. I’ve only done what little I could.”
Jiang Chengyuan’s gaze lingered on her composed face, and for reasons he couldn’t name, irritation stirred within him. Since their marriage, Yun Shuyue had always been like this—calm, unruffled. Apart from the time she lost her temper in the cave at Great Pine Mountain, there had been no waves between them. Even though they shared a bed each night, there had been no intimacy—except after she fell asleep.
Just as Yun Shuyue was about to sit beside her brother, Jiang Chengyuan suddenly rose and shifted his seat, leaving an empty space between himself and Zhao Qingyun. “Madam, sit here and eat.”
Yun Shuyue looked at the spot—wedged between the two—and felt an inexplicable resistance. “No need. I’ll sit here.”
Jiang Chengyuan: “…”
Yun Sheng: “…”
That meal left everyone with their own thoughts. Yun Sheng hadn’t expected that Jiang Chengyuan would not only bring his sister but also inexplicably keep their cousin by his side. It truly made him see the Prime Minister in a new light. After dinner, he pulled Yun Shuyue out for a walk.
“Sister, does the Prime Minister treat you poorly?”
Yun Shuyue shook her head: “No, he treats me well.”
Above them, the dark sky held a solitary crescent moon. Yun Sheng sighed. Seeing his sister healthier than before had gladdened him, but at dinner, he realized she was only forcing cheer. He had never approved of this childhood betrothal. He knew his sister well—thoughtful, frail—and Jiang Chengyuan’s reputation in the capital was thunderous: cold, decisive, without a trace of tenderness.
“Sister, if life in the Prime Minister’s household is hard, the Yun family’s doors are always open to you. Don’t keep everything bottled up. Father, Mother, and I will stand by you.”
At his words, Yun Shuyue halted, her face blooming with a genuine smile. His care was like a hot spring in winter, warming the softest part of her heart. That place was reserved for family. In this life, she had true kin who loved her deeply—wasn’t that a kind of fortune?
She linked her arm through his: “Brother, cousin came to Rong County on her own. Several times, the Prime Minister tried to send her away, but as you’ve surely noticed, her temper is stubborn. He could only let her have her way. He is in a difficult position, too.”
Yun Sheng fell silent. Long before her marriage was confirmed, he had already heard the rumors—that the Prime Minister had a childhood sweetheart, a cousin who had grown up with him.