Chapter 026: A Wife Is Not as Good as a Concubine, and a Concubine Is Not as Good as a Secret Affair

Chapter 026: A Wife Is Not as Good as a Concubine, and a Concubine Is Not as Good as a Secret Affair

The door suddenly opened, and He An's expression immediately darkened, only to soften again the moment he saw Ruan Qinghuan.

This change of expression was something Ji Lingchuan had never seen before in all the years he had known him.

Ji Lingchuan couldn't help but feel even more disdain for He An. He An had always been cold and distant, keeping everyone at arm's length. But now that he was married, wasn't he unable to maintain his cool demeanor?

"Is there something you need, Madam?" He An stood up and pulled a chair over to the desk.

Ji Lingchuan continued to think to himself, even a famous advisor like him couldn't escape the tragic fate of being henpecked in the end.

Ruan Qinghuan noticed Ji Lingchuan's expression and found it somewhat similar to the character portrayed in the original novel—a veteran of many battles, casual and unwilling to be bound by rules.

In the original novel, he had privately discussed the Crown Prince's fear of his wife with He An more than once.

Ruan Qinghuan gave a slight curtsy. "General Ji, it’s an honor to meet you."

"Have we met before, Madam?"

Ruan Qinghuan smiled. "I saw you returning from your victorious campaign in the streets once. It was just a brief encounter."

Good thing she reacted quickly, or she would have been exposed.

She poured tea for both of them, placed a cup next to Ji Lingchuan, and then returned to her seat.

Ji Lingchuan noticed that the Prime Minister's wife seemed much more composed than the rumors suggested.

Thinking that Ruan Qinghuan had come for something, He An tried to send Ji Lingchuan away, but Ruan Qinghuan seemed very interested in the map on the desk.

She stood up and examined it closely. "Isn't this the surrounding terrain of Lu City?"

"Yes, I'm discussing with Lingchuan how to build the dam more effectively to withstand floods."

Ruan Qinghuan snorted inwardly. The two of them were clearly playing a guessing game, trying to figure out where the Second Prince's private troops were hiding.

But she couldn't say it directly.

How could she convey the information to them without raising suspicion?

As Ruan Qinghuan watched intently, Ji Lingchuan teased, "I didn't expect Madam to understand this map. It's truly eye-opening for me."

"I can only understand a little bit."

Ruan Qinghuan had a flash of inspiration. Since it was about disaster relief, she should start with the victims. She pointed to where the dam had been built. "The dam was built on the southeastern side of Lu City, directly in the path of the mountain floods. However, the dam was constructed hastily, and its quality is questionable."

She glanced at He An and found him looking at her. "I may have overstepped, please forgive me, Sir."

"No, please continue."

Ruan Qinghuan was already feeling uneasy under his gaze, and He An gently guided her to sit down, placing his hand on her waist.

"In my opinion, even if you go now, reinforcing the dam might not be enough. It might be wiser to relocate the people from the dangerous downstream areas to the western mountains. That way, it would be easier to provide unified assistance."

"The eastern and southern slopes are not too steep, and the terrain is relatively simple. In the event of a flood, the higher ground would provide sufficient protection. Therefore..."

"Wait..." Upon hearing this, Ji Lingchuan suddenly stood up and approached the desk, looking at the sprawling mountains on the map.

Previously, they had only been thinking about the hiding places of the private soldiers, but they forgot that once the flood occurs, these private soldiers would definitely avoid areas where civilians gather. Otherwise, their exposure would certainly lead to a crackdown by the imperial court.

Ruan Qinghuan feigned surprise. "Did I say something wrong?"

Ji Lingchuan first glanced at He An, who naturally picked up on the implication. "Madam is absolutely right. You've actually solved a big problem for us."

Ruan Qinghuan said, "Sir, don't tease me. I'm just reading the map. It might not work in the actual situation. You and General Ling still need to think carefully. When it comes to people's livelihood, we can't be careless."

After leaving the study, Ruan Qinghuan breathed a sigh of relief. "He An, marrying me is like hitting the jackpot after eight lifetimes," she thought to herself.

Seeing Xia Lian holding an invitation card, Ruan Qinghuan asked, "What is this?"

Xia Lian replied, "This was sent from the second prince's residence. It's an invitation for Prime Minister He and Madam to attend a banquet at the Peach Garden."

Taking the invitation, Ruan Qinghuan frowned. This was the second prince trying to win He An over, likely because he didn't want him to go to Lu City.

The situation in Lu City was extremely serious. If exposed, the second prince would face ruin. If they followed his plan, sending only a Ministry of Revenue official and eliminating him would allow them to shift the blame to inefficiency within the ministry.

Comparatively, even if they eliminated He An, the aftermath would still be very troublesome. So, the best course of action was to ensure the second prince's plan remained undisturbed.

Seeing Ruan Qinghuan's troubled expression, Xia Lian reminded her, "Madam, the other day on the street, we met Miss Xiao Yue. She mentioned she would be attending the Peach Garden banquet too."

Ruan Qinghuan nodded. If Xia Lian hadn't mentioned it, she would have forgotten about it.

At the Ruan residence, Zheng Qiaohui was combing her eldest daughter's hair in front of the mirror, her eyes filled with joy. "Xiao Yue, although the position of Protectorate General isn't as high as He An's, he holds military power. In these times, whoever holds military power has influence."

"Miss Pei treats you so well; it's likely because her brother is interested in you. If not, it's still fine. This Peach Garden banquet will be attended by the sons and daughters of high-ranking officials. You might meet someone you like."

Ruan Xiao Yue's eyes curved into a smile, but she coquettishly said, "Mother, don't say such things. I just get along well with Pei Wen."

Ruan Xiao Yue had seen Pei Chong from afar many times. He was handsome and tall, not much worse than He An. She just didn't know if General Pei would take a liking to her.

Late at night, the atmosphere in the secret room of the second prince's residence was tense.

The second prince slammed his hand on the table in frustration. "I've said before, the matter in Lu City cannot be entrusted to others. Now, He An has volunteered to take on the mission, and the Emperor has permitted it. What do we do now?"

A white-bearded adviser half-closed his eyes, revealing shrewdness and malice. "Your Highness must not panic. He An couldn't possibly know about the private soldiers. This trip to Lu City is for the flood disaster..."

"Is the flood disaster a small issue?" The second prince interrupted him. "Of the 5,000 taels allocated for disaster relief, nearly 4,000 taels are missing. If this is discovered, the Emperor will punish me."

Pei Chong planted his sword into the ground. "If that's the case, then we have no choice but to make sure he never returns."

The second prince closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "He An is the Prime Minister. If something happens to him, there will be even more trouble afterward."

Lately, due to the situation in Lu City, the second prince had become increasingly irritable, often losing his temper, which made his advisers afraid to speak, fearing they might invite disaster.

But now that they were on the second prince's ship, there was no turning back, and they had to push forward.

At this point, a younger adviser stood up. "Your Highness, in my opinion, the Prime Minister is human. All humans have desires. As long as we appeal to his preferences, we can move this immovable stone."

"Appeal to his preferences?" The second prince furrowed his brow. He didn't actually know what He An particularly liked.

The young adviser put on an air of mystery. "Miss Liu, General Liu's sister?"

Pei Chong scoffed. "You're just an armchair strategist. Miss Liu has already been sent out of the Prime Minister's residence and has moved back to a new home with her lover. If He An truly had feelings for her, would he have let her go?"

"Ah, General Pei, you don't understand. Given the scene her fiancé caused, even if He An had feelings, he couldn't ignore his reputation. If he truly had feelings, why would he, on the wedding night, eagerly bring her back to the Prime Minister's residence?"

"As they say, a wife isn't as exciting as a mistress, and a mistress isn't as thrilling as a secret affair."