Youthful Glory

The summer nights in Lingzhou were quite different from those in the capital—the evening breeze was moist, still carrying the lingering heat of the day.

Ming Tan was unwilling to respond, and Jiang Xu didn’t press her. After standing silently for a moment, he quietly withdrew from the inner chamber. He walked all the way outside, standing motionless on the steps with his hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Ming Tan curled up under the blankets like a quail, her mind in turmoil, even feeling a hint of panic from the uncertainty and confusion.

She knew she had always been very fond of her husband. But the one she liked should be outstanding in appearance, status, character, and talent—her husband.

All her affection and admiration were built on the premise that this man was her husband.

Had there been no upheaval, no imperial decree arranging their marriage, and had her husband been Liang Zixuan or Shu Jingran instead, she would have liked them just the same and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the relationship. A woman follows her husband in marriage, sharing heart and mind—what could be wrong with that?

This was how she had always thought. But now, she wasn’t so sure. No matter who her husband was, would she really risk her life for him in times of crisis, unwilling to live on alone?

She closed her eyes, and for some reason, scenes of her past interactions with her husband uncontrollably surfaced in her mind.

He was always a man of few words—stern, aloof, sometimes even visibly impatient. Yet toward her, he was always somewhat gentle, tolerant, and indulgent...

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Ming Tan’s little head popped out from under the covers. She rolled over, her lips curling unconsciously into a smile, her heart tangled between conflict and sweetness.

After a while, she leaned her head over the edge of the bed and tentatively called out, "Husband? A Tan is a little hungry."

A faint "Mm" seemed to come from outside. Before long, Jiang Xu entered the room with servants bringing supper.

……

Such a fine night should not be wasted.

Shu Jingran strolled leisurely under the moonlight, seeking a quiet spot to play his flute. Just as he was about to raise it to his lips, he noticed Yun Yi reclining lazily on a nearby rooftop, rather unceremoniously gnawing on a chicken leg. He couldn’t help but call out, "Miss Yun."

At the sight of him, Yun Yi slowed her chewing and instinctively wiped the grease from her lips.

"Second Young Master Shu."

Shu Jingran nodded and effortlessly leaped onto the rooftop.

"Second Young Master Shu, you know martial arts?" Yun Yi was slightly surprised. After traveling together for so long, she hadn’t noticed he practiced martial arts.

"Only a little," Shu Jingran replied with a smile, brushing off the tiles before sitting down gracefully.

This wasn’t modesty—from his lightness skill, Yun Yi could tell his internal energy wasn’t deep, likely just enough for basic self-defense.

Her chicken leg was only half-eaten, and she felt awkward continuing alone. Yet she was enjoying it too much to put it down. After a moment’s thought, she pulled out another wrapped chicken leg from her robe and offered it to him. "Here, Second Young Master Shu, have one."

Second Young Master Shu lowered his gaze and suddenly smiled. "Then I thank Miss Yun."

His features were bright and open, and his smile was like a warm spring breeze. Yun Yi froze for a second before hurriedly withdrawing her hand and resuming her meal, though her movements became noticeably more restrained.

"Is this Lingzhou’s camphor-tea smoked chicken?" Shu Jingran asked after sniffing the aroma.

Yun Yi nodded. "I found the most popular vendor. They say it’s been around for three dynasties. The shop starts the ovens at the third watch every night and sells dozens of batches daily. The camphor and tea fragrance is very rich—Second Young Master Shu, you should try it."Shu Jingran very much wanted to try it, but eating it barehanded like this was rather challenging for him. After a moment's thought, he said, "I've just had some late-night snacks. I'll be sure to savor it properly when I return to my room."

Yun Yi glanced at the chicken leg in his hand and nodded slowly without saying much else.

"By the way, I've always wanted to ask you something, Miss Yun. Why do you love roasted chicken so much?" Shu Jingran inquired with some curiosity.

Yun Yi seemed puzzled: "Because it's delicious. Besides, it's not just roasted chicken—I love roasted duck and goose too. Anything tasty, really."

Shu Jingran chuckled again.

Yun Yi lowered her gaze and quickly finished the remaining half of the chicken leg, mumbling with her mouth full, "We in the Jinyun Guard have no parents. Everyone has a big appetite—maybe because we suffered famine as children. But I don’t really remember."

Hearing this, Shu Jingran paused slightly: "My apologies. That was inconsiderate of me."

"It's a fact that the Jinyun Guard have no parents, and not remembering childhood might be a blessing. Second Young Master Shu needn’t apologize."

"Miss Yun, your open-mindedness is truly rare."

"Second Young Master Shu, do all scholars talk like this?" Yun Yi felt a bit embarrassed. "Or is it just those who ranked third in the imperial exams?"

"'Like this'... meaning what?"

"Well... very good at compliments?" Yun Yi rubbed her nose. "Always so considerate of others' feelings." Despite being friends, he was nothing like the Master, who often told people to scram or threatened to have their heads brought to him.

Shu Jingran smiled faintly: "Life is hard enough as it is. Not adding to others' burdens is the best one can do. In truth, when I was young and foolish, I once said something hurtful to a classmate, unaware that he had struggled under familial neglect. A few careless words nearly drove him to take his own life. Ignorant cruelty cuts deepest. After reflecting on my mistakes, I’ve learned to be gentler, more or less."

Yun Yi nodded, though she only half-understood.

Gazing at the moonlight, Shu Jingran suddenly felt inspired: "Miss Yun, would you like to hear a tune?" He lightly stroked his jade flute.

"Sure."

Shu Jingran stood up, his tall figure elegant under the moon, and effortlessly played "Moon Over the West River" in one fluid motion.

As the lingering melody ended, he slowly lowered the flute: "This piece has three movements. The first—"

Turning back, he saw Yun Yi's head bobbing drowsily.

"Miss Yun?"

Her head jerked up, and she blinked in confusion, instinctively wiping her mouth for possible drool: "Ah, three movements, three movements."

The tune was quite soporific. She had meant to listen properly, but it was utterly uninteresting—she had grown unbearably sleepy within moments. The hobbies of scholars were truly peculiar.

......

"That rendition of 'Moon Over the West River' was exquisite. The first movement was ethereal, like the hazy early moon emerging. The middle movement was serene and tranquil, like moonlight rising and flowing. The final movement lingered endlessly, its resonance echoing. I’ve long heard of Second Young Master Shu’s dual mastery of flute and xiao—today’s performance certainly lives up to the reputation." Ming Tan praised, cupping her cheeks while waiting for Jiang Xu to feed her the late-night snack.

Jiang Xu’s hand holding the spoon paused slightly. His voice was calm: "The Consort seems particularly interested in flute and zither duets. Perhaps another day, I’ll have Shu Jingran come and perform with you."

"Really? That’d be wonderful!" Ming Tan’s eyes sparkled as she nodded eagerly.

Jiang Xu: "..."

His silver spoon skimmed the edge of the bowl before moving forward again.Ming Tan initially wanted to say more, but seeing him bring the spoon to her lips, she leaned forward and took a small sip. The moment it touched her tongue, she frowned. "It's hot!"

"If it's hot, then talk less."

"..."

So her husband hadn’t genuinely wanted to invite Second Young Master Shu to perform a duet with her. Ming Tan let out a small, aggrieved "Oh."

Since Ming Tan and Yun Yi had unintentionally rescued Qiu Yue, Jiang Xu quickly obtained the evidence left behind by Zhou Baoping. This matter obviously couldn’t be hidden from the Su family, so the next day, Lingzhou’s Superintendent of Maritime Trade, Yu Bozhong, sent Jiang Xu a formal request for an audience.

When Ming Tan heard about this, she was in the courtyard study grinding ink for Jiang Xu. "Husband, what is Lord Yu’s relationship with the Su family?"

"A son-in-law who married into the family."

Ah, no wonder he didn’t share their surname.

Jiang Xu set down his brush and said to the messenger, "Bring him to the study."

"Yes."

Ming Tan was taken aback. "Husband, you’re meeting him here?"

"Is there a problem?"

Ming Tan shook her head. It wasn’t that there was a problem, but she had assumed they would hold a formal banquet outside or invite the prefect to meet in the flower hall.

In that case, she obediently set down the inkstick. "Then A Tan will return to my room first."

She intended to leave, but this Lord Yu must have had extra legs—he arrived outside the room in the blink of an eye, before she could even finish her sentence. Stunned, she instinctively looked at Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu didn’t seem bothered. He merely glanced at the screen.

Understanding his meaning, Ming Tan hurriedly hid behind it. But in her haste, she forgot that grinding ink had made her sweat, and she had left her sheer gauze outer robe draped over the chair outside.

"Your humble servant Yu Bozhong pays his respects to Prince Dingbei. May Your Highness be at peace."

Yu Bozhong appeared to be around thirty, slightly portly, and entered with utmost reverence, kneeling deeply before Jiang Xu.

Jiang Xu didn’t even lift his eyes, his voice icy. "If Lord Yu would set fewer fires, this prince would naturally be at peace."

Yu Bozhong: "..."

He had long heard of Prince Dingbei’s fearsome reputation, but he hadn’t expected the young man’s presence to be so overwhelming. A single sentence made cold sweat trickle down his spine, leaving him at a loss for words.

Hidden behind the screen, Ming Tan was also surprised by her husband’s bluntness. It seemed he had no intention of engaging in subtle exchanges with the visitor.

"Since you’ve come to see this prince today, you must already know what’s on my mind. I have no desire to tangle further with your Maritime Trade Office. The evidence can be returned, but under two conditions.

"First, Lingzhou must make up all unpaid maritime taxes from the past two years, and from now on, no further deductions are to be made at Lingzhou Port. Second, Zhou Baoping was a loyal official. He must not die in vain."

Yu Bozhong’s forehead began to glisten with sweat. "This..."

"If you lack the authority to decide, go back and discuss it with those who do. Escort him out."

Yu Bozhong was utterly bewildered. Never had he imagined that after painstakingly preparing his arguments all night, today he would only be granted the chance to kneel in reverence before being dismissed. However, before being shown out, he did catch a glimpse of the sheer gauze robe on the chair.

Upon returning, Yu Bozhong poured out his grievances to his father-in-law.

"...This Prince Dingbei is truly difficult to deal with. He didn’t even give your son-in-law a chance to speak! As for Zhou Baoping’s matter, it’s manageable—just sacrifice a few men and fabricate a plausible cause of death. But the maritime taxes... Father-in-law, making up two years’ worth of unpaid taxes is far too harsh! Where would the Maritime Trade Office get so much silver on such short notice?"The elder of the Su family pondered for a moment. "If it's about preventing future deductions from the tax levies, that's highly possible. But demanding the back taxes from the past two years—that likely wasn't the Emperor's idea."

"You mean this was Prince Dingbei's own decision?"

"The Empress Dowager's messages have always instructed us to prepare for concessions on the tax levies, but never mentioned making up for the past two years. The Emperor wouldn't push so hard as to reach back that far."

Yu Bozhong thought for a moment. "Could it be that the fire a few days ago angered that Lord of Hell?"

The Su elder snorted. "All because of your foolish actions!"

Yu Bozhong gave an embarrassed smile and hurriedly replied, "This son-in-law will do everything to make amends, everything."

"What can you possibly do? Will you raise the tax silver yourself?"

"Well, today when I went to see Prince Dingbei, I noticed that His Highness..." Yu Bozhong suddenly leaned in and whispered something into the Su elder's ear. "So, as long as that Lord of Hell is appeased, there might be room for negotiation on the terms."

Hearing this, the Su elder's expression softened slightly. "Then hurry up and get it done."

"Yes, yes."

Yu Bozhong scurried out in a flash.