Catching the Lovers in the Act

Jiang Yunsheng sat in the cushioned sedan chair, his face as still and dark as deep water.

Below him, Wang Dehai looked miserable, as though mourning his own parents.

At the very back was Jiang Nuan, who had sneakily tagged along to enjoy the gossip.

Once they reached the Merit Assessment Hall, Jiang Yunsheng immediately ordered his men to surround the entire hall.

[I was wondering why my scumbag dad suddenly wanted to visit the Merit Assessment Hall. He must have known about Attendant An's affair with that scoundrel all along and come to catch the turtle in its jar.]

[Hehe, my scumbag dad has perfect timing. Attendant An and that scoundrel are tumbling like phoenixes in the study right now, so lost in pleasure they don't know heaven from earth! All Guagua can see is a screen full of mosaics!]

Hearing this, Jiang Yunsheng immediately changed direction and strode toward the study.

Jiang Nuan hurried after him, but she was too small and her legs too short to keep up. By the time she arrived, panting for breath, a guard had already kicked the door open, and a scream rang out from inside.

Curious about the scene inside, Jiang Nuan stood on tiptoe to look, only for Wang Dehai to block her view with a show of casualness.

[Seriously, what could possibly be off-limits to a distinguished VIP user like me?]

By the time she could see, all that remained was a disheveled man and woman kneeling before her scumbag dad.

Jiang Yunsheng turned a deaf ear to their pleas for mercy. He spoke toward a certain spot, saying, "Jiang Yi, clean this up," then prepared to leave.

[Wow, so this is Jiang Yi? The greatest martial artist in Great Xia's imperial family, utterly loyal to them, too. What a shame that his own subordinate eventually poisoned him to death.]

Jiang Nuan gazed at Jiang Yi with stars in her eyes. She admired people with formidable martial skills; ever since childhood, she had dreamed of becoming a martial hero who punished villains and rooted out evil.

Hearing Jiang Nuan's thoughts, Jiang Yi paused almost imperceptibly. No one but Jiang Yunsheng noticed.

With the matter settled, Jiang Yunsheng prepared to return to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to deal with state affairs. He glanced at Jiang Nuan and said, "You're coming with me."

Remembering how Jiang Nuan had kept going on about the imperial kitchen's roast chicken earlier, Jiang Yunsheng instructed Wang Dehai, "Go to the imperial kitchen and bring back two roast chickens."

Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, Jiang Yunsheng held a memorial but could not take in a single word.

Everything that had happened that day had shaken him too deeply.

Naturally, it was not the matter of Attendant An that had shaken him. At most, that incident had served as a test of whether Jiang Nuan's thoughts were true.

Judging by what had happened, what Jiang Nuan said in her thoughts was very likely true, and that was not the result he had hoped to see.

He would die of illness in six years! Great Xia would fall in seven!

He was only thirty-five now. Even six years later, he would be just forty-one, in the prime of his life. How could he die of illness?

Even if he did die, surely the crown prince was not so useless that he would let Great Xia fall within a single year?

His thoughts twisted and turned a hundred times before Jiang Yunsheng looked toward Jiang Nuan, hoping she might reveal more. Instead, she nearly gave him another heart attack.

Wang Dehai had already brought the roast chickens over and, at Jiang Yunsheng's instruction, set them before Jiang Nuan.

"Ninth Princess, please enjoy."

[Wow, roast chicken! Delicious, fragrant roast chicken! My favorite roast chicken!]

[Boohoo, I never thought I'd get to eat this roast chicken again. It's just so delicious, qaq.]

[This roast chicken is crispy outside and tender inside, rich without being greasy. One bite hits the roof of your mouth and fills your whole mouth and nose with its aroma.]

Jiang Yunsheng's fists clenched. Roast chicken, roast chicken, roast chicken! Could she stop filling her head with nothing but roast chicken?

Could she show a little more concern for the affairs of their family and nation?

Although Jiang Nuan loved the roast chicken, she stopped after eating just one drumstick and one wing.

After all, she had long lived with no guarantee of her next meal, and the food she did eat could only be described as not spoiled.

If she suddenly ate too much, her stomach would not be able to handle it.

[Boohoo, my roast chicken! Curse all those watery, meager meals I've lived on. Now that I suddenly have roast chicken, I don't dare eat much in case it upsets my stomach. When will I finally have enough food and warm clothes here? I won't become Great Xia's first princess to starve to death, will I? Can I get this roast chicken packed up? Then my meals for the next three days would be sorted!]

Hearing this, Jiang Yunsheng could barely contain his fury.

His daughter, Great Xia's esteemed Ninth Princess, was living without enough food or warm clothes, even worrying that she might starve to death. What a bitter irony!

"Investigate! Investigate this for me!"

Wang Dehai immediately accepted the order and went to investigate.

Jiang Yunsheng's sudden outburst startled Jiang Nuan, but she never imagined she was the cause. Assuming it concerned something in a memorial, she gazed at the roast chicken to stave off her hunger without a care in the world.

About two incense sticks' worth of time later, Wang Dehai returned and handed something to Jiang Yunsheng.

Then Wang Dehai took two plates of pastries from a young eunuch and placed them before Jiang Nuan, thoughtfully preparing tea for her as well.

Jiang Nuan had been growing drowsy, but she instantly perked up and gave Wang Dehai a grateful look.

Then she began slowly enjoying the pastries.

[Guagua, I hereby declare that Eunuch Wang is a wonderful person. I'm giving him a nice-guy card!]

[Yes. Now, host, don't you think eating nothing but pastries might be a little dry? How about some gossip about Eunuch Wang to liven things up?]

Wang Dehai had also worked out that this so-called "eating melons" meant learning gossip about other people.

When he heard that Guagua wanted to serve up gossip about him, his expression changed. He hoped Jiang Nuan would refuse, but unfortunately, she agreed.

*[Eunuch Wang, currently named Wang Dehai, used to be called Wang Daniu and came from Stone Village. When he was little, a drought struck, and his family couldn't afford to feed him, so they sold him into the palace to become a eunuch. Because he was clever and good at reading people's expressions, he rose step by step to become the chief palace steward.

Unfortunately, that foolish adopted son of his offended a petty prince, and he was implicated as well. Once that petty prince took power, he was demoted.

He had planned to leave the palace and live out his remaining years in peace, but then the capital fell, and the enemy's iron cavalry stormed straight into the imperial palace. He led the palace maids and eunuchs who refused to surrender in a final counterattack against the enemy. After they failed, he slit his own throat in the Hall of Diligent Governance. Mm, yes, right where he's standing now.]*

Jiang Nuan instinctively looked at the spot where Wang Dehai stood, and even Jiang Yunsheng looked over.

Wang Dehai had originally seen nothing wrong with where he was standing, but after hearing Jiang Nuan's thoughts, he felt prickly all over and hurriedly moved somewhere else, far away from that spot.

[Ah, poor Eunuch Wang. He certainly counts as a loyal and righteous man. If I get the chance when the time comes, I'll collect his body for him.]

After hearing how Wang Dehai would end, Jiang Nuan felt rather wistful.

Wang Dehai: Thank you, Ninth Princess, but given the choice, he would much rather stay alive.

After enjoying this gossip along with Jiang Nuan, Jiang Yunsheng found Wang Dehai considerably more pleasing to the eye.

"Go and bring me Zhang Ke from the Imperial Household Department, the eunuch Liu Yu, the palace maid... all of them."

Jiang Yunsheng recited a list of names, and the more Jiang Nuan heard, the more familiar they sounded.

[Huh? These names sound so familiar. Aren't they all people who bullied me before?]