Chapter 025: Handsome, Skilled, and Smart

Chapter 025: Handsome, Skilled, and Smart

"Hey, He An, are you sick or something?" Ruan Qinghuan asked as he carried her back to bed. She couldn’t match his strength, so all she could do was talk back.

"Maybe I am. How about you, my lady, care to cure me?"

"Huh?" Seeing the look on his face as if he had a serious illness, Ruan Qinghuan clenched her teeth. I can't believe the great Minister of Revenue was making these kinds of hints.

But she really didn’t dare to move recklessly. The memory of him that night, like a fierce beast, still scared her.

He An let out a long sigh. "Don't be afraid, I'm not going to do anything. We're just sleeping."

Ruan Qinghuan had no choice but to let him hold her. Fortunately, He An really didn’t do anything, but she still ended up sleepless.

He An's embrace felt both strange and familiar. Since marrying into the Prime Minister’s residence, one mishap after another has occurred. She thought she had a golden ticket, but the story took an unexpected turn.

No matter the era, men like He An were always in high demand—handsome, skilled in martial arts, and intelligent. Women would probably line up from the capital to Jiangnan just to marry him.

Yet, he ended up marrying Ruan Qinghuan. They quarreled and eventually parted ways, and by the end of the story, he remained alone. He walked through the garden without a single petal sticking to him.

At breakfast, when Meng Suqiu heard that her son was going to Lu City, she immediately put down her chopsticks. "Why so sudden? Weren't the matters in Lu City previously handled by the Ministry of Revenue?"

"The rains came early this year in Lu City. If we don’t reinforce the dikes, another flood could cause them to collapse."

Although Meng Suqiu didn’t want her son to go, it was an official duty for the court, and it couldn’t be avoided.

Ruan Qinghuan lowered her gaze. "Is it necessary for you to go, my lord?"

Not expecting her to try and stop him, He An's brow relaxed a little. "It concerns the hundreds of thousands of people in Lu City. I have to go, but don’t worry, my lady, I’ll return as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible?" Meng Suqiu sighed. "Repairing the dikes will take time and effort; the fastest would still be two or three months."

As she spoke, she glanced at Ruan Qinghuan. "You two have just gotten married. I was looking forward to holding my grandchild soon."

Ruan Qinghuan didn’t hear her mother-in-law's words, lost in her thoughts. In the original story, the Minister of Revenue, Lü Xiansheng, was supposed to handle the disaster relief. How had it suddenly become He An?

The dikes in Lu City were poorly built, and the embezzled funds ended up in the hands of the Second Prince. With the early rains this year, the Second Prince, fearing the truth about the shoddy construction would be revealed, had found a scapegoat in Lü Xiansheng, the Minister of Revenue.

Thus, Lü Xiansheng was destined to not return, having taken the blame for the embezzlement.

After observing her for a while, seeing Ruan Qinghuan's expression grow more serious, Meng Suqiu thought it was because she was reluctant to part with her son. She gave her son a sideways glance, signaling him to comfort her.

In the quiet moment, He Qizhang suddenly said, "If I remember correctly, when Mr. Qian resigned from office, he returned to his hometown in Lu City, right?"

"The Qian family?" Meng Suqiu didn’t recall immediately.

"Oh, you know, the girl who made a big fuss about marrying An'er. Qian Yunxi's father."

Meng Suqiu remembered. "Oh, you mean the former Deputy Minister of Revenue who retired and returned to his hometown?"

"Yes, yes, yes..."

"Why bring this up now?" Meng Suqiu said, then looked at her daughter-in-law. "Qinghuan, those were just childhood matters with He An. Later, the Qian family resigned from office and returned to their hometown."

"It's alright, mother. I didn’t think much of it."

Despite her words, Ruan Qinghuan’s gaze toward He An grew colder. Just when she thought she was done with Liu Yueru and before her cousin even arrived, now she had to deal with Qian Yunxi too.

Ruan Qinghuan couldn't help but worry about He An's trip to Lu City.

The situation in Lu City was complex and far-reaching. He An, who stood by the Crown Prince, couldn't have been unaware of this. So why would he go despite knowing the danger?

**

Changchun Garden.

Xia Lian laid out the accounts for the renovation of the eastern shops on the stone table before her. "Madam, the renovations in the eastern district should be finished in about half a month. Lately, passersby have been praising the innovative design of the storefronts."

Xia Lian continued, "Should we start setting up the items you asked us to buy?"

Ruan Qinghuan didn't respond immediately.

After waiting for a response, Xia Lian turned and saw Madam Ruan lost in thought on the lounge chair.

This was unusual for her. Normally, just mentioning the eastern shops would make her enthusiastic and talkative, but today, she hadn’t heard a word Xia Lian said.

Ruan Qinghuan frowned and unconsciously bit her lip. In a way, He An was now her husband, and she felt it was her duty to warn him about the dangers.

Suddenly, she stood up from her chair. "Xia Lian, prepare some tea. I need to go to the study to see the lord."

This was the first time since entering the residence that Madam Ruan had initiated a visit to the lord's study.

In the study, Ji Lingchuan sat with his legs crossed, staring at He An for a moment. "This matter is a bit tricky. Are you really sure?"

He hadn't expected He An to volunteer to investigate the Lu City disaster relief. "You shouldn’t risk your own life to catch a fish. The Crown Prince is furious and has ordered you to meet him tonight."

"I understand."

Ji Lingchuan frowned. "I'm not saying this to criticize you, but the Second Prince's hold is already slipping. Why take this risk?"

"Twenty thousand private soldiers is not a small number, and in the capital, the relationship between the Second Prince and the Protectorate General is not simple. We must be cautious," He An replied. "But if the external support is cut off, the situation will stabilize."

Ji Lingchuan shook his head. He An's actions were always meticulously planned, and this decision must have been made with detailed preparation, but the danger was evident.

Not to mention the private soldiers, even the irregularities involved in the construction of the Lu City dam were enough to make the Second Prince take the risk of murder to cover it up.

This matter weighed heavily on Ji Lingchuan's mood, and he suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, haven't you made an enemy out of your brother-in-law?"

"If there’s any trouble, you should be the one losing sleep," He An replied.

"No, I was supposed to go myself that day, but I ran into Chu Li in a hurry, so I had to leave the matter to the Jingzhao Mansion. Who knew that Lord Wang was so incompetent that he caused such a big scene."

He An studied the map of Lu City closely, his brows furrowed.

At present, they only knew that the Second Prince's private soldiers were in Lu City, but their exact location was still unknown. If they couldn't determine the position, they wouldn't be able to deploy accurately, which would increase the risk.

Outside the study, Jiang Ming saw Ruan Qinghuan and respectfully said, "Greetings, Madam."

"Is the lord in the study?"

"Yes, Madam. Please wait a moment, I'll go and announce you."

Jiang Ming was about to enter the room but was stopped by Ruan Qinghuan. "No need, I'll go in myself."

Saying that, she took the tray from Xia Lian and directly pushed open the door to the study.

Jiang Ming outside the door sighed. The lord's study was a forbidden area in the Prime Minister's residence, and over the years, there had never been a precedent for anyone entering without prior announcement.