Youthful Glory

Ming Tan was currently in a drunken daze. Asking simple questions that required no thought was one thing, but having her connect them... She hiccuped, her head tilting against Jiang Xu's chest as she looked up at him with hazy, confused eyes.

"Connect them?"

How was she supposed to connect them?

Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, she leaned back and tugged open the ribbon tied around Jiang Xu's sleeve. Staggering in circles, she wrapped it around herself.

By the time the ribbon ran out of length, she stumbled back into Jiang Xu's arms from sheer momentum, her already muddled head spinning dizzily as it knocked against his familiar chest—apparently with some force.

She frowned delicately, rubbing her forehead while tugging at the ribbon, mumbling, "Connected now."

Jiang Xu: "..."

He had also drunk quite a bit tonight, his body heavy with the scent of alcohol. His gaze swept over Ming Tan's crimson gauze dress and fair skin, the silver sequins shimmering as her soft waist swayed, stirring the faint fragrance clinging to her—one that now filled his senses. His eyes darkened, his throat moving involuntarily.

And yet, Ming Tan, utterly unaware of the danger, continued to provoke him. Pressed against him, she squirmed restlessly. "Husband, why are you so cool to the touch? Mmm... feels nice."

Her restless hands ignited wave after wave of fire across Jiang Xu's body. Remembering they were in Ming Heng's residence, he held back for a moment—but no longer. Suddenly, he lifted her and carried her to the bed, tossing her down before pressing her beneath him.

One hand braced beside Ming Tan's ear while the other leisurely untangled the messy ribbon wrapped around her. Once freed, he used it to bind her flailing hands above her head, denying her any further mischief.

Ming Tan was thoroughly drunk, her chest tight, her entire body burning. Yet she still sensed the encroaching danger, whimpering incoherently as she instinctively tried to shrink into the corner.

But as she turned, the gauze Jiang Xu had pinned tore with a sharp sound. Already uncomfortable, she grew even more aggrieved at the ruined dress. "You tore my clothes again!" she accused, her voice thick with complaint.

Jiang Xu gripped her chin, his gaze lingering dangerously close to her face. Drunk, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes watery, the corners tinged red. Paired with that pitiful expression, it inexplicably made him want to torment her ruthlessly.

"Tore them," he murmured, his voice low and ambiguous. "Then shall this prince compensate you?"

With that, he stripped away the now-useless gauze, leaning close to her ear to growl, "Be good. Forget the ruined ones."

Ming Tan nodded obediently, about to speak—only for her lips to be sealed, her teeth pried open.

Already dizzy and stifled, the kiss left her body limp. She moaned softly, melting against him, matching his rhythm without realizing it.

Ming Heng had specifically asked Qinghe to prepare the room with a soft pink bed curtain, thinking it might appeal to a young lady.

Now, that pink curtain swayed violently. Whether from heat or pleasure, tears welled in Ming Tan's eyes, mingling with the fragrant sweat on her forehead. She whimpered and writhed, tightening around Jiang Xu, who sucked in a sharp breath. "Stop moving," he gritted out. "It'll be over soon."

"You... you said that earlier too.""Is that so." Jiang Xu's eyes seemed to burn as he nibbled her earlobe, igniting a trail of fire along the shell of her ear. His voice was hoarse and murmuring, coaxing and enticing, "Call me Qizhi-gege, and I'll go faster, alright?"

Ming Tan had already melted from exhaustion to soreness. If it meant he'd hurry, she'd agree to anything—so without an ounce of dignity, she immediately cried out, "Qizhi-gege—"

But before the words could fully leave her lips, a storm of overwhelming intensity crashed down upon her. Ming Tan could barely endure it, gasping in shock, and began pleading pitifully with broken cries of "Qizhi-gege," each one more fragmented than the last.

Her body trembled violently, sometimes floating among the clouds, sometimes sinking beneath the waves. Her delicate face was streaked with sweat and tears, her dark hair spilling everywhere, some strands clinging to her cheeks, entwined with his ink-black locks.

......

After a night of indulgence, Ming Tan woke the next morning with a throbbing headache, her mind fuzzy from the wine. She couldn’t quite remember what she had done or what had happened the night before.

But seeing Jiang Xu still lying beside her and the disheveled, suggestive state of the embroidered quilt, fragmented images of shameful moments began surfacing in her muddled mind.

Qizhi-gege?

Had she really called him Qizhi-gege last night?

At the thought, Ming Tan’s face flushed, and she quickly covered it, curling into a tiny shrimp-like ball on the inner side of the bed.

How utterly shameless of her! Why had she called him that? And in her brother’s residence, no less—had anyone heard them last night? Truly, wine was the root of all trouble, wine was the root of all trouble...

Suddenly, a long arm reached from behind and pulled her into an embrace, rough fingers roaming boldly over her body.

She swiftly slapped his hand away and turned to glare at him. "Last night—you! You knew we were in my brother’s residence! You’re terrible!"

"I was drunk," he murmured, his voice low and satisfied.

Drunk? Since when did he ever get drunk? And Yun Yi had clearly said the Master could drink a thousand cups without faltering! Flustered and annoyed but unable to do anything about it, Ming Tan lightly punched him twice—though her blows were feather-soft.

Jiang Xu caught her small fists and soothed her in a husky voice, "It’s fine. Shu Jingran and your brother were drunk too."

"Really?" Ming Tan eyed him suspiciously.

Jiang Xu gave a lazy "Mmm."

Though still doubtful, Ming Tan felt slightly reassured.

After lingering in bed a while longer, the two got up to dress. Seeing Jiang Xu about to don another set of black robes, Ming Tan stopped him and picked out a pine-green casual outfit instead, dutifully helping him into each layer.

Once dressed, she picked up the black robe he had discarded and reached into its hidden pocket to retrieve its contents.

His hidden pockets usually held silver taels, banknotes, signal flares, and his seal.

"Husband, what’s this?" Ming Tan suddenly pulled out a small, rectangular black jade token, examining it curiously.

The object had a hole at the top, as if it had once been hung from something. It was entirely black, smooth yet not quite like jade, and bore obvious marks of blunt-force wear. For some reason, it looked familiar to Ming Tan, though she couldn’t recall where she’d seen it before.

Jiang Xu paused. "You don’t recognize it?"

Ming Tan shook her head. "No, but it seems familiar."

"This thing once saved my life," he said, taking it from her hands and running his fingers over it before tucking it back into the hidden pocket.

Saved his life? Ming Tan wanted to ask more, but just then, Ming Heng knocked on the door outside, calling them to breakfast.

At the sound of her brother’s voice, the already frayed string of Ming Tan’s nerves snapped taut. She hastily responded, then snatched up a small bronze mirror to check her reflection.Very well, her hair and makeup were both impeccable. She straightened her collar and walked out hand in hand with Jiang Xu.

Breakfast was served in the flower hall. While eating, Ming Tan subtly inquired, "Husband mentioned that both my brother and Second Young Master Shu got drunk last night? Did you rest well?"

Ming Heng rubbed his head, somewhat helpless. "We were indeed quite drunk and went straight to bed upon returning to our rooms."

Second Young Master Shu nodded and sighed. "Same here. When it comes to drinking, I'm no match for Qizhi."

Hearing this, Ming Tan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Jiang Xu continued eating his porridge quietly, the corners of his lips lifting almost imperceptibly.

Their destination was Lingzhou, and their detour through Pang Mountain only allowed for a brief one-day stop. According to Jiang Xu's plan, they would set off again after breakfast. However, Ming Heng was insistent on them staying for lunch, and Ming Tan also blinked her eyes pleadingly at him.

Considering her efforts the previous night, Jiang Xu nodded silently in acquiescence.

After breakfast, Ming Heng took them around the county office and then for a stroll through the streets.

The locals of Pang Mountain were very familiar with Ming Heng. Vegetable vendors, both old men and women, insisted on giving him some of their fresh produce, and the plump proprietress of the cloth shop called out "Magistrate Ming" repeatedly, swaying her ample hips as she approached, her words laced with hints of matchmaking.

Ming Tan, properly veiled, walked beside Jiang Xu. When she heard someone trying to set her brother up, she couldn't help but chime in, "Brother, you've already observed three years of mourning for Sister Yang. When you return to the capital next year, your marriage must be arranged. Father may not say it, but he cares deeply about this. Mother has also been discreetly looking at several young misses for you."

At the mention of this topic, Ming Heng grew visibly uncomfortable. Qing He, who was following behind, also paused inexplicably, stealing a glance at her superior.

In that brief moment, Ming Tan keenly noticed the subtle reaction between the two.

Curious, she turned her gaze to Qing He. Initially, she hadn't paid much attention, assuming the girl was just a minor constable from the county office and not questioning why she seemed to appear so frequently.

Upon closer inspection, this Qing He was quite pretty and appeared clever and capable. Most importantly, she idolized Ming Heng—every third sentence out of her mouth began with "Our Magistrate."

Ming Tan was sharp-witted, and few could withstand her tactful probing, let alone a straightforward girl like Qing He, who was used to the directness of official duties.

With just a few casual remarks, Qing He spilled everything about herself, including the auspicious burial sites of her ancestors for three generations.

Hmm, there was indeed a disparity in status. Father would certainly be difficult to convince, but status wasn't the main issue. The wife of the heir to Jing'an Marquis Manor didn't need an illustrious background—being of good character was sufficient.

However, as the heir, her brother's wife would become the matriarch of the Ming family, bearing responsibilities that this Qing He might not be able to shoulder. Pondering this, Ming Tan felt a twinge of concern.

By the time they returned to the county office, the kitchen was preparing lunch, and Yun Yi took the opportunity to pack their belongings.

Noticing that Qing He was eyeing their horses, Ming Tan approached her again. "Miss Qing He, do you know how to ride?"

Qing He shook her head sheepishly. "No, my family doesn't own horses, and the county office only has two old horses for delivering messages. But I've always wanted to learn."

"You want to learn? Perfect—I can teach you."

"Miss, you can ride?"Qing He scratched his head and voiced his doubts bluntly, as his lord's younger sister clearly looked like someone who had never done a day of hard work in her life. Even getting her onto a horse seemed like a struggle.

"Of course."

Ming Tan had previously received personal guidance from Jiang Xu. During the journey, bored from sitting in the carriage, she would occasionally ride alongside Jiang Xu for a stretch, taking the opportunity to learn from her teacher. Though she wasn't steady in the saddle, she was a quick learner and had already amassed considerable theoretical knowledge.

So when Jiang Xu and Ming Heng passed by, they saw Qing He swaying on a horse while Ming Tan stood beside him, giving serious instructions: "Yes, just like that. Hold the reins tight, straighten your back, you must sit upright, grip the horse's sides firmly..."

"Lord, has A Tan learned to ride? She can even teach others now?" Ming Heng exclaimed in surprise.

Jiang Xu: "..."

Truly, one dares to teach, and the other dares to learn.