TCPCHW Chapter 2 Part 1

The Crown Prince Chases His Wife

Chapter 2             Qin Yan (1/2)

In the north of Gu City, in front of the heavily guarded City Master Mansion, Ji Nanfeng stood quietly in the wind, waiting for the arrival of the City Master.

The City Master’s confidant, Mister Ji, was only in his early twenties, with white clothes and black hair, a handsome appearance, and a gentle temperament that seemed out of place with the guards standing solemnly on both sides of the mansion gate. But everyone in the mansion knew that Mister Ji seemed to be gentle on the outside, but his methods were really ruthless.

The carriage stopped, and the black-clothed girl Shen Ying put down the horse stool and lifted the curtain. A woman in a plain robe, with a white fox cloak and a hood, got off the carriage.

Ji Nanfeng stepped forward to salute, “Master”.

Qin Yan nodded and then strode into the mansion.

After days of bumpy journeys and the harsh spring cold, Qin Yan just wanted to soak in the fragrant hot pool to wash away the dust.

——

After entering the gate, the sound of practicing boxing came from the practice ground on the left. Qin Yan turned around and walked straight into the corridor beside the practice ground.

At the entrance was a handsome young man, shirtless, who practiced punching in the empty practice ground. He punched with style and sweated profusely.

As if feeling the scrutiny’s gaze, the young man, Jiang Mu, turned his head abruptly and was stunned when he saw Qin Yan and her group.

Ji Nanfeng put a single fist on his lips and coughed lightly. Jiang Mu hurriedly turned around, walked quickly to the weapon rack, pulled his coat, and hurriedly put it on.

Jiang Mu’s ears were slightly red as he was embarrassed. Didn’t she travel far away? He turned around and glared at Qin Yan angrily, “Can it be, you this woman doesn’t know how to be ashamed? How can you stare so directly?”

Qin Yan chuckled lightly, praised “not bad”, then turned and left.

Those who didn’t know thought that Qin Yan was praising the young man’s punching skills, and those who knew it, such as Shen Ying, immediately understood that her master was praising Jiang Mu’s… figure.

Her master always had no resistance to good-looking people. If Uncle Huai was present, he would keep harping about it again.

——

Ji Nanfeng knew the temperament of this master. As early as when the City Master entered the city gate, he ordered the servants to prepare the hot pool.

Qin Yan was very satisfied with this. Even though she had been in this bitterly cold place in the Northwest all these years, she still vaguely felt that she was in the capital with Ji Nanfeng managing the mansion.

In the inner courtyard, the flowing water on the stone wall beside the hot pool was trickling, and the light muslin was fluttering. A curl of light smoke wafted from the incense burner in one corner, and the surface of the pool was filled with white mist. The beauty bathing in the pool was faintly visible, with silky black hair like a waterfall, floating in the water.

Qin Yan closed her eyes slightly, feeling the heat immersed in her body inch by inch, soothing the fatigue of her whole body. Her arms like suede white jade were casually placed on the edge of the pool, and her slender fingers that hung down naturally stirred the water surface one after another, causing layers of ripples.

With the sound of footsteps, Shen Ying’s voice came, “Master, Uncle Huai is waiting in the study, saying that there is news from Xiaoguan.”

Qin Yan opened her eyes slightly and sighed softly, what should come would always come. She slowly got up, walked up the pool steps with her bare white jade feet, put on her robe, and walked outside while tying her belt.

Standing outside the white jade landscape screen, Shen Ying secretly glanced at the beautiful shadow that appeared through the light and shadows and couldn’t help but sigh. Seeing her master’s figure, as a woman, would also make her heart palpitate.

Qin Yan put on her shoes and walked out of the screen. She took the green tea from Shen Ying, took a sip, and put it back on the tray in Shen Ying’s hand.

“Have Mister Ji go to the study,” Qin Yan’s voice was slightly cold.

After she finished speaking, she walked out with the lamp carried by the maid.

——

Qin Yan walked through the corridor and saw Shen Huai waiting outside the study from a distance.

Shen Huai hurriedly took two steps to greet her.

“Master, is there any news about the young lady on this trip?” Shen Huai’s tone was full of urgency.

Qin Yan shook her head, and the light in Shen Huai’s eyes dimmed.

Qin Yan looked at Shen Huai with graying hairs on his temples and sighed in her heart. In this world, only a few people remembered her mother.

Entering the study, Qin Yan took the main seat, “Uncle Huai, sit down.”

Shen Huai sat down next to Qin Yan, sorted out his thoughts, and said, “Master must have received the news of the Emperor’s summoning the Pingxi Army to return to the court a few days ago.”

“The imperial decree for the Duke has already arrived at Xiaoguan, in addition to Eunuch Chang who issued the decree, the minister of the Ministry of War, Chen Xun, who will be taking over the defense of Xiaoguan, and the minister of Taipu Temple*, Li Bi.”

(Taipu Temple* – managing the emperor’s logistics, including carriages and horses)

“The people from Taipu Temple may have their eyes on the Mulan Horse Farm.” Shen Huai looked worried.

Qin Yan raised her eyes, “Uncle Huai, how many years has it been?”

Shen Huai was stunned for a moment, then reacted, “We have been in the Northwest for twelve years.”

“Twelve years, ah. When we go back, we still have to submit our pledge of loyalty.”

Qin Yan laughed self-deprecatingly, perhaps things had changed in the past twelve years.

“Uncle Huai, prepare the horse farm documents. In the name of the City Master of the Gu City, invite the minister of Taipu Temple to enter the city tomorrow. Also, invite the minister of the Ministry of War to hand over the affairs of the Gu City.”

Shen Huai was surprised as the handover of the Gu City was an established procedure, but the Mulan Horse Farm was his master’s private property.

However, he had to admire her. His master had been very open and cooperative over the years, and she had the style of her grandfather, Duke of Zhenguo, Shen Changshan. In contrast, he was always overcautious and indecisive. Shen Huai was ashamed and ordered to retire.

——

Qin Yan rubbed a gilt hand stove on the table, with her eyes drooping slightly as if she was a little tired.

Shen Ying’s voice sounded at the door, “Master, Mister Ji is here.”

“Enter.”

The elegant man walked in and glanced at Qin Yan, who was wearing a single robe and leaning in the chair. His face sank, “Shen Ying!”

“Here!” Shen Ying, who was behind the man, shuddered. She was the most afraid of Mister Ji. He seemed gentle, but he had some means of making people in an extremely painful situation.

“That’s how you take care of Master. Don’t you know that Master can’t stand the cold?” Ji Nanfeng had always been soft-spoken and composed, but her back had chills when she heard it.

Shen Ying hurriedly took the white fox cloak from the maid’s hand and quickly walked over to put on Qin Yan. She murmured in her heart, didn’t she just go to invite him? Her master was lazy and didn’t pay attention to it, so he tormented her.

“Mister Ji, we are leaving.”

After Shen Ying retreated to one side, Qin Yan spoke slowly.

Ji Nanfeng took the tray from the maid’s hand, walked slowly to the desk, took the green-glazed bamboo hat* in front of Qin Yan, and replaced it with the flower and fruit tea he had just prepared.

(bamboo hat*­ – a teacup that is shaped like a hat)

“The capital city is more suitable for Master to recuperate her body than in the Gu City. Several houses bought in the capital city a month ago have been arranged for people to take care of them, and the furnishings are all arranged according to Master’s preferences. The matters in Gu City have been arranged properly, and the heads of the trading establishments in various prefectures were also notified.”

“Mister Ji took a lot of trouble.”

Qin Yan picked up the white porcelain cup at hand, and the mist of tea covered the coldness in her eyes. It had been a long time, Capital City.

——

In the capital city at the Qin Mansion of the Right Prime Minister, Song Mei was combing her hair in front of the bronze mirror in the Qiushui Courtyard of Xi Garden. The woman in the mirror was no longer young in age, and her thin body could not afford the thin clothing on her body, which made her look even weaker. The Right Prime Minister, Qin Wenzheng, saw such a scene when he was walking into the warm room in the main room.

Prime Mister Qin had a scholarly temperament. Even though he was middle-aged, his figure was not fat, and there was still vaguely his youthful demeanor. He walked straight to the soft couch at the south window and sat down, pressing his forehead lightly.

Song Mei was overjoyed when she saw the corner of the purple official robe flash across in the mirror. She got up slowly, called “Prime Minister”, walked over with ladylike steps, and sat down next to Prime Minister Qin. A pair of hands that did not wear any jewelry sneaked onto Prime Minister Qin’s shoulders, massaged the man gently, then stopped talking.

This was the long-standing tacit understanding between the two. Song Mei scrupulously abided by her duty as a wife and never crossed the line.

Oh, she was not the first wife*, she was just a concubine.

(first wife* – the legitimate wife)

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