Xiao Jin Yu raised a hand to massage his throbbing, aching temples. "Alright... Get your affairs in order. We'll depart as soon as I've made the arrangements... I still have matters to attend to. You may go rest now."
"Understood."
By the time Xiao Jin Yu arrived at the Three Thoughts Pavilion, Jing Yi and Wu Jiang had already laughed themselves breathless through several rounds and were thoroughly spent. Thus, when Wu Jiang saw Xiao Jin Yu, he managed to maintain a solemn demeanor as he presented the Imperial Decree. "Wang Ye, His Majesty said... fearing complications with delay, he personally wrote the marriage decree and ordered me to bring it back directly."
Jing Yi clenched his teeth, struggling to stay serious.
Xiao Jin Yu, his face slightly pale, accepted the decree without glancing at it and tossed it onto the desk. In a low voice, he stated, "I will be leaving the capital soon... Routine affairs should be reported to the Prince An Manor through the Three Law Courts every other day without fail. For urgent matters, report to me in person—do not send letters."
Wu Jiang nodded in acknowledgment.
"This trip will keep me away until at least the beginning of the new year. There won't be time to review all the case files..." Xiao Jin Yu turned to Jing Yi, who had just let out a sigh of relief. "Jing Yi, I leave the remainder to you."
Jing Yi sucked back the half-sigh he had released. "Can we discuss this...?"
"Certainly. We're always short-handed here with plenty of work. Feel free to ask for anything else you need."
Jing Yi immediately sealed his lips.
After coughing a few times, Xiao Jin Yu addressed Wu Jiang, "The year's end and beginning are always turbulent. Be extra cautious."
Wu Jiang was taken aback; the words sounded almost as if... "Wang Ye, you don't intend for me to accompany you?"
"Most of the Royal Mansion's personnel have been dispatched this year. You will remain in the capital to protect the mansion... This journey is not for official business. I'll travel light with just two guards."
Wu Jiang was alarmed and insisted urgently, "Wang Ye, you haven't left the capital in three years! Once word gets out, countless villains will lie in wait—it'll be impossible to guard against everything. How can two guards possibly suffice?!"
Xiao Jin Yu remained calm and composed. "That's precisely why I must set off before the news spreads. I'll bid farewell at the palace tomorrow morning and depart by evening... Arrange several identical carriages for me. I'll take the route to Shengzhou, while the others head to Suzhou by different paths, all setting out at the same time. Few outside the capital have seen me. As long as I avoid drawing attention, I'll return early after completing my tasks."
"Wang Ye..."
"Enough," Xiao Jin Yu declared decisively. "Go make the preparations."
Although Wu Jiang felt uneasy no matter how he thought about it, this was Xiao Jin Yu's command, and it was unchangeable.
"Yes, Wang Ye."
Only after Wu Jiang left with a furrowed brow did Jing Yi glance at the decree on the table and curl his lips into a smile again. "Should I continue helping you find a coroner who is of good background, simple history, bold, and clever?"
"...Let's handle the immediate tasks first."
Jing Yi frowned slightly. "What exactly are you planning to do with such a coroner?"
Xiao Jin Yu didn't answer. Instead, he picked up one of the countless documents piled on the desk, unfolded it, and lowered his head without another word.
Deceiving Jing Yi was a skilled task—one he couldn't be bothered with.
He heard Jing Yi sigh, then the window opened and he drifted out.
Only then did Xiao Jin Yu set aside the document. With a faint, bitter smile, he picked up the decree, slowly unrolled it, and scanned the contents. An old saying inexplicably sprang to his mind:
Misfortune may be an actual blessing in disguise; and good fortune may conceal a misfortune.
☆、21 Sweet and Sour Ribs (Part 1)
The Book of Tai Jia says: "Heaven-sent calamities can still be avoided; self-inflicted calamities are beyond survival."*——Mencius, "Mencius: Gongsun Chou"
As dusk fell, Chu Chu climbed into the carriage carrying her small floral bundle. Xiao Jin Yu was already inside.
He wore an exceedingly plain white robe, holding a scroll of scripture in his hand. Half-reclining on a couch near the charcoal brazier with a faint weariness about him, he appeared as tranquil and serene as a painting, leaving Chu Chu utterly transfixed.
Xiao Jin Yu clearly sensed Chu Chu's gaze fixed upon him, yet he unhurriedly finished reading the page before looking up. When he did, he too was momentarily stunned.
The young girl had changed back into the pink dress she wore when she first arrived in the capital, her hair tied in a smooth maid's bun. Just like the first time he saw her at the Ministry of Justice, she was looking directly at him without any reservation.
Back then, he had merely been selecting a coroner. Yet in just a few days, this young girl had become his imperial-bestowed fiancée, compelling him to abandon all his duties during the busiest time of the year to accompany her home for a marriage proposal.
And he had actually agreed to it all.
It felt like a dream.
Xiao Jin Yu gave a silent bitter smile and addressed the still-staring girl with detached politeness, "Am I pleasing to look at?"
Chu Chu actually nodded, answering straightforwardly, "Yes, very pleasing. Especially so."
Xiao Jin Yu choked slightly. Hearing her utterly innocent remark, he suddenly felt as if he existed merely for decorative purposes... For a moment, his free hand didn't know where to rest.
Chu Chu tilted her head and studied him for a while longer, then furrowed her brows. "It seems... you're not the same person as a few days ago."
He had been handsome then too, but there was always an icy authority emanating from his very bones that made people nervous if they looked too long. Not like now, where he resembled a sick little rabbit, quietly nestled there, making one feel both fondness and concern.
Fortunately, Xiao Jin Yu didn't know what she was thinking, otherwise the gentle curve at his lips wouldn't have remained. "You're not wrong... From today onward, I am no longer Wang Ye."
Chu Chu stared wide-eyed at Xiao Jin Yu for a long moment before finally pursing her lips and whispering, "Are we eloping?"
Xiao Jin Yu nearly choked on his breath. Who's eloping with you...
Clearly Chu Chu could already partially interpret Xiao Jin Yu's expression. "Then... why are you no longer Wang Ye?"
"My apologies for not explaining clearly..." Xiao Jin Yu collected himself, set down the scripture, and tried to phrase it in the least ambiguous way possible. "The identity of Wang Ye is inconvenient when traveling, as it easily attracts trouble. So from now on, my surname is An. I'm a tea merchant traveling from the capital to Suzhou. The two guards driving outside are my attendants. Understand?"
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