Chapter 96: The Treacherous Couple

The carriage stopped near the Jing family residence. Jing Tianlie stepped down from the carriage, while Bai Qiulian lifted the curtain and waved farewell.

Jing Tianlie mounted his steed and, accompanied by a dozen guards, arrived at the mansion’s gate.

The guards knocked, and when the servants saw Jing Tianlie’s return, they immediately informed Madam Sun.

Bai Qiulian sat inside the carriage, watching from afar as Jing Tianlie entered the house. Reluctantly, she turned and left.

Inside the mansion, joy filled every corner—any lingering gloom from Jing Heng’s dismissal had vanished.

Madam Sun greeted Jing Tianlie warmly. “Master has returned! Why didn’t you give us a heads-up?”

“Quickly call the young master! He’s always skulking away in the study,” she scolded.

A servant hurried to the rear study, and Jing Heng soon burst out eagerly.

“Father, you’re finally back. That damned eunuch—”

Jing Heng’s complaint was cut short by Jing Tianlie’s icy glare.

“You good-for-nothing! I’ll deal with you later!”

Jing Tianlie’s harsh words silenced Jing Heng, who swallowed his retort.

Madam Sun shot Jing Heng a warning glance, and he lowered his head and stepped back.

Jing Tianlie entered the house and removed his armor, then proceeded to the backyard to see his elderly mother, Madam Xu.

Everyone agreed Jing Tianlie was a dutiful son.

Outside, a royal physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau arrived, claiming to come to treat Madam Xu. Madam Sun scoffed, “The old lady is in good health; what ailment could she possibly have?”

The physician looked perplexed but dared not press further and quietly withdrew.

After paying respects to the old lady, Jing Tianlie sat in the main hall, Madam Sun beside him, and Jing Heng standing between them. The household servants lined up to pay their respects to Jing Tianlie together.

Once the formalities ended, Madam Sun dismissed the others, leaving only Jing Heng standing.

With his head bowed, Jing Heng awaited his father’s reprimand.

“You were the Minister of Revenue, yet you lost the post and were found responsible for so many discrepancies. How am I to save face?” Jing Tianlie began to scold.

Jing Heng lowered his gaze to defend himself. “Not all the discrepancies happened under my watch.”

Indeed, most of the embezzlements had occurred before Jing Heng’s tenure.

Jing Tianlie’s fury flared. “Then why did you lose the Ministry?”

Jing Heng retorted, “It’s all that damned eunuch Long Cheng’en’s fault. My accounts were in order, but he invented a new method of bookkeeping and exposed every flaw in the Ministry.”

Madam Sun, seeing Jing Tianlie’s harsh tone, tried to soften the blow. “Master, you can’t blame Heng alone. He only handled the accounts; everything was done according to custom. It’s that meddlesome Long Cheng’en’s doing.”

Jing Tianlie was displeased. “A doting mother spoils her son. You indulged him—when he said martial arts training was too tiring, you forbade it; when he said studying was too hard, you stopped that too.”

“Look at him now—a complete waste! Nothing but a good-for-nothing!”

Jing Heng was used to such scolding and paid it no mind. He sensed his father’s anger was subsiding.

“Father,” Jing Heng ventured, “if we kill Long Cheng’en, everything will return to normal.”

“The Ministry of Revenue is ripe with opportunities now. Once we regain control, there will be no shortage of wealth.”

Jing Tianlie’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, causing Jing Heng to hastily bow his head.

“All right, master. Everyone’s happy you’re back. Let’s eat.”

Madam Sun gave a subtle signal, and Jing Heng retreated sheepishly.

“You’re the one who spoiled him,” Jing Tianlie grumbled as he rose and headed toward the dining courtyard.

Behind him, Madam Sun instructed the servants to prepare Jing Tianlie’s study and to replace the bedding in his bedroom.

A middle-aged woman with prominent front teeth approached—Sheliu, Madam Sun’s personal maid.

“Madam, just now, the master and Bai Qiulian rode together in the carriage all the way from the palace gates to outside the house,” Sheliu whispered.

Madam Sun’s face darkened instantly, and she cursed loudly, “That shameless woman! Her daughter is of marriageable age, yet she’s consorting with another man!”

“She thinks she can marry my son? Dream on! A mother so lacking in virtue will only give birth to lowly scoundrels!”

“That Li Junjun is useless too—can’t even control his own wife who’s cheating on him!”

Li Junjun was Bai Qiulian’s cuckolded husband.

Sheliu quickly hushed Madam Sun, “Madam, the master is here.”

Though furious, Madam Sun dared not let Jing Tianlie overhear and swallowed her anger.

...

News of Jing Tianlie’s sudden return spread swiftly through the capital, and everyone sensed a coming storm.

One was a great general, the other a cunning eunuch—everyone awaited the showdown to see who would emerge victorious.

...

At the Autumn Interest Hall,

Long Chen carefully sealed a letter.

“Take this to the Sifang Tower and hand it personally to Hong Qi.”

Zhang Qian took the letter and sneaked out of the palace.

Xuan Yi and Qing Yue stayed in the room, keeping Long Chen company, both worried for his safety.

“I heard that the assassination attempt at the Ministry of Revenue was secretly ordered by Jing Heng,” Xuan Yi said gravely.

Qing Yue added, “Judging by the method and appearance, it was likely ‘Inkfish,’ one of Jing Tianlie’s assassins.”

They knew some about the Jing family’s assassins, but it was of little use.

Without catching Inkfish, even if they knew Jing Heng was behind it, they could do nothing.

“No arrests were made; let's forget the last incident.”

“Now that Jing Tianlie has returned, I suspect Bai Qiulian will make her move tomorrow.”

“Enough talk. Let’s sleep.”

Long Chen hung his cloak on the rack. Xuan Yi and Qing Yue had already slipped under the covers.

“Here, in the middle!” Xuan Yi cheerfully pointed.

Long Chen obliged and lay between them.

Below was a warm kang bed, flanked by two young beauties; this winter felt anything but cold.

“What are you two doing? Holding me so tight?”

Their four jade-like hands clasped him firmly, their slender legs entwined like creeping vines.

Long Chen struggled for breath.

“The princess said to protect you well—even in sleep we must hold you tight. We’re just following orders,” Qing Yue said, tightening her grip.

“I feel like I’m dying under your claws before Jing Tianlie even makes a move,” Long Chen joked. His hands and feet were bound like a wrapped dumpling.

“Nonsense, we’re protecting you,” Xuan Yi giggled.

Long Chen said, “If you protected me like this, you’d be like slippery eels. If an assassin came, you’d have to put on clothes first—I’d be dead long before that.”

No kidding, their skin was smooth and soft to the touch.

“Quiet now, just sleep.”

Qing Yue tightened her embrace, unwilling to let go.

Half-asleep, Long Chen barely noticed Zhang Qian entering.

Seeing him embraced on both sides, Zhang Qian felt out of place.

“Damn Jing Tianlie,” she muttered.

If not for Jing Tianlie stirring trouble, Xuan Yi and Qing Yue would be on night watch with the princess, and no one would be vying for Long Chen’s attention.

After washing up with hot water, Zhang Qian reluctantly settled beside Qing Yue.

Early the next morning, Xiang Ning knocked on the door.

Hearing the sound, Zhang Qian wrapped herself and called out through the door, “What is it?”

Xiang Ning said, “The Supervisory Office sent word requesting Lord Long to assist in investigating the case of General Shui Han.”

Zhang Qian frowned and muttered darkly, “So it finally begins.”