Prime Minister

Chapter 107, Section 106: [A Land of Gentle Comfort]

As Zheng Xuan clapped his hands several times, the music outside the railing suddenly changed, transforming from its original serene elegance to a melodious and lingering tune, as if spring water flowed around branches and a subtle fragrance drifted in the air.

Two elegantly dressed women, guided by their servants, slowly entered the Jade Hook Hall.

In an instant, the light in the hall suddenly brightened, as if enhanced by their beautiful faces.

The woman on the left is named Jiang Xue, and she is dressed in simple elegance. Her moon-white brocade dress has no intricate embroidery, except for a dark green silk sash tied at her waist, which resembles a clear spring.

Her hair was styled in a slanted bun, adorned with a kingfisher feather plum blossom hairpin, the white jade plum blossom petals almost transparent.

The courtesan from Hanbi Pavilion had a cool and aloof expression. She held a sandalwood pipa in her arms, and her slender fingers casually touched the strings, like a crane waiting to take flight, untouched by worldly affairs.

Jing Yanqing on the right, however, possesses a different kind of elegance.

The Slender West Lake is filled with numerous painted boats vying for attention, among which the Flowing Clouds Boat won the favor of countless powerful and wealthy literati thanks to Jing Yanqing.

The woman was slender and graceful, wearing a crimson fairy dress that shimmered with light as she moved, making her skin appear even whiter than snow.

Her hair was piled high, her eyes were full of affection, and a faint smile played on her lips. The most captivating feature was her eyes, which seemed to have hooks in their gaze, easily seducing the heart.

The hall fell silent for a moment, followed by a group of officials praising him with feigned composure. Even Liu Rang, who seemed calm and collected, showed a hint of admiration and possessiveness when he glanced at Jing Yanqing out of the corner of his eye.

The two courtesans stepped forward to greet Tan Mingguang and Xue Huai. Jiang Xue spoke first, her voice clear and melodious like a jade chime: "This humble servant, Jiang Xue, greets the two lords."

His tone was respectful and respectful, without any hint of affectation.

Jing Yanqing took a deep look at Xue Huai's young and handsome face and said softly, "This servant, Jing Yanqing, pays her respects to Prefect Tan and Minister Xue."

"Please rise, both of you."

Tan Mingguang turned to Xue Huai, a warm smile appearing on his well-maintained and youthful face: "Jing Che, with such a beauty by your side, tonight is even more enjoyable."

Xue Huai secretly sighed, if this Prefect was truly hiding his talents and biding his time, his acting skills were truly admirable.

Before leaving the capital, Jiang Li had mentioned Tan Mingguang's moderate temperament several times, but Xue Huai would not take it lightly, after all, Tan Mingguang was the biggest obstacle to his governance of Yangzhou.

Although the Assistant Magistrate has some power of despotism, if the Prefect sets restrictions everywhere, Xue Huai will not only find it difficult to move an inch, but will at least be exhausted.

Therefore, he used all his connections to collect information about Tan Mingguang.

Tan Mingguang was 49 years old at the time. He was from Runing, Henan. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 24th year of the Jingyun reign of the late emperor. He entered officialdom three years earlier than Shen Wang, but his official career was far inferior to that of the latter.

He spent five years in the Hanlin Academy, then became a censor in the Ministry of War. Seven years later, he joined the Ministry of Revenue as a principal clerk. Later, he was transferred to the Huguang Provincial Administration Commission, where he served as the assistant prefect of Xiangyang and the prefect of Hanyang. Last winter, he was transferred to Yangzhou as the prefect.

Judging from Tan Mingguang's career path, he probably didn't have a powerful backer in the court, otherwise he wouldn't have spent twelve years struggling at the seventh rank. His subsequent promotions were all based on years of service and seniority, which was not surprising.

According to the conventions of the Great Yan officialdom, the position of Prefect of Yangzhou may be Tan Mingguang's last important post. If he can stay in this position for a few years and accumulate some political achievements, he can retire with the rank of third grade in the future.

From this perspective, his performance over the past six months in Yangzhou seems understandable.

He had no connections in Yangzhou to rely on, nor any powerful backers in the court to offer him any assistance, unlike the officials from the prefectural government who were present at the banquet tonight. Most of them were locals from Yangzhou, with deeply entrenched and mutually supportive influences, and most of them had people looking after them from above.

Take Liu Rang, the prefectural magistrate, for example. He was backed by the Liu family, the most prominent of the four major clans in the area. He also had two powerful backers in the Jiangsu Provincial Administration Commission and some connections with the Jiangsu governor. These were just some of the information Xue Huai had roughly gathered. It was possible that the other party had even deeper connections.

How could a parachuted-in official like Tan Mingguang, with his weak background, possibly win the power against this group of wolves and tigers? All they had to do was feign compliance and dig a few traps when Tan Mingguang wasn't looking, and they could make the Prefect lose face and prevent his orders from leaving the government office.

The problem is that……

Xue Huai did not believe that Tan Mingguang was unaware of his reputation. Both of them were parachuted-in officials, and as long as they could join forces, they would naturally have enough confidence to shake up the structure of the government office.

From the moment he set foot in Yangzhou until now, Tan Mingguang has made no comment whatsoever, as if he doesn't care at all about Xue Huai's purpose in coming here, and is only thinking about getting by peacefully for the next few years.

Xue Huai suppressed his thoughts, glanced at the two courtesans below the hall, each with their own unique charm, and smiled at Tan Mingguang, saying, "Your Excellency's words make me ashamed. Tonight, you are in the main seat, how dare I presume to act presumptuously?"

"Oh, that's too polite. Tonight's banquet is for you; you are the only protagonist."

Tan Mingguang smiled and waved his hand, then said leisurely, "But since you've put it that way, I won't embarrass you. I've heard that Miss Jiangxue is skilled in music, which is of my interest. How about you come and play a piece for me?"

Jiang Xue bowed and said, "It is my honor to perform for Your Excellency."

She walked slowly forward, holding her pipa, while a maid placed a brocade cushion behind Tan Mingguang.

Tan Mingguang then looked at Jing Yanqing and said, "It is said that Miss Yanqing is skilled in the art of tea and wine, and could be a good assistant to Magistrate Xue."

"This servant obeys." Jing Yanqing gracefully walked to Xue Huai's side and knelt on the brocade cushion.

Xue Huai felt a delicate fragrance drift by, but he remained seated calmly.

As the two courtesans took their seats, six or seven other beauties followed, each going to the side of the government officials to serve wine and dishes in place of the maids.

While Liu Rang was whispering and joking with the beauty beside him, he glanced at Jing Yanqing, who was sitting opposite Xue Huai. The latter's gaze was fixed on Xue Huai's face, but the corners of his lips were slightly curved. Seeing this, Liu Rang felt relieved and focused on dealing with the beauty beside him.

At that moment, Jiang Xue, sitting behind Tan Mingguang, plucked the strings with her delicate hands. The sound was as clear and melodious as the melting of ice spring, and a piece called "Lotus Breeze Under the Moon" flowed out. The clear and elegant sound seemed to add another layer of light ink to the water and mountain scenery.

The atmosphere at the table gradually became enchanting.

Jing Yanqing held up a white jade wine cup with her delicate hands, her voice as melodious as a nightingale's song: "This newly brewed wine is called Drunken Mist and Clouds. I respectfully invite Your Excellency to taste it and to welcome you home."

She raised her eyes to gaze at Xue Huai, her gaze shimmering as if reflecting starlight and candlelight. Her slightly open collar revealed glimpses of her fair, snow-white skin, adding an extra touch of allure and creating a wonderfully harmonious blend of elegance and desire.

Xue Huai remained expressionless, only smiling as he accepted the wine cup, his fingertips never even touching hers: "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Yanqing."

He touched his lips to the ground briefly and then put the rest down, appearing extremely indifferent.

Jing Yanqing was slightly surprised. She had been bought by the owner of Liuxia Boat since she was a child and was rigorously trained to be a top courtesan. In the past two years, she had become famous and had seen countless high-ranking officials and elegant scholars. Those people might put on airs in front of her, but as long as she used a little trick, most of them would be infatuated with her.

The young official before me is of high status and wealth, and should be at the age of arrogance and restlessness. How can he have such profound composure?

On the other side, Zheng Xuan was clearly keeping a close eye on Xue Huai's situation. Seeing this, he smiled and said, "Your Excellency's poem 'Bu Suanzi' in the capital was so elegant and charming that it won the heart of the first girl in the song, and it became a popular story. Now that you've left the capital and arrived in this water town with its sounds of oars and lanterns, why not experience the unique charm of Jiangnan?"

These words were somewhat explicit, and countless ambiguous gazes in the hall converged on Xue Huai.

Tan Mingguang still had a smile on his face, his gaze fixed on the newly presented lotus soup on the table, clearly not minding the occasional indulgence of the people below.

Xue Huai calmly replied, "Lord Zheng must have misheard. I have no connection with that Qu Xing Shou. We only met by chance. If my master heard you say that, I'm afraid I would be punished."

Upon hearing him mention Shen Wang, Zheng Xuan couldn't help but smile awkwardly and apologize repeatedly.

Jing Yanqing sensed the unmoved attitude of the young high-ranking official beside her, and couldn't help but bite her lower lip lightly, her eyes glistening with even more tears.

She raised her cup again, this time leaning slightly forward. The rich aroma of "Drunken Mist and Clouds" wine, combined with her sweet fragrance, almost overwhelmed Xue Huai's senses. Her voice carried a hint of aggrieved sweetness: "Your Excellency only touched it with your lips just now, how could you know the intoxicating wonder of 'Drunken Mist and Clouds' wine? Please drink this cup to the fullest, so as not to disappoint my sincere intentions..."

The last syllable was drawn out, exuding a seductive charm.

Xue Huai turned his head and looked at Jing Yanqing. Her pretty face was shy and timid, and her eyes were full of light, showing the gentle charm of a woman from the Jiangnan water town to the extreme.

The two were very close. From Xue Huai's perspective, Jing Yanqing's fair neck revealed a breathtakingly alluring curve, and coupled with her submissive posture, it seemed that if Xue Huai simply nodded, he could enjoy the pleasure of having her soft, fragrant body in his arms.

Jing Yanqing was already extremely beautiful. Tonight, in such a gathering of "distinguished guests," she knelt there with such a delicate posture, holding a wine cup in both hands and waiting for Xue Huai's reply. Most men would find it hard to resist such an atmosphere.

Xue Huai reached out and took the wine cup. Jing Yanqing's eyes lit up immediately, and she moved even closer, her soft, delicate body resting against Xue Huai's arm.

However, Xue Huai had no time to dwell on these things; a sentence suddenly popped into his mind.

"The land of gentle pleasures is the graveyard of heroes."

With his beloved by his side, Xue Huai thought of Jiang Li, who was far away in the capital.

Jiang Li had warned her allies of this simply because Shen Qingluan had traveled a thousand miles to the capital. She wondered if the Yangzhou government could withstand her wrath if she were to witness such a scene tonight.

Upon thinking of this, Xue Huai chuckled and turned to look at Jiang Sheng, who was standing solemnly behind him.

"grown ups?"

Jiang Sheng opened his mouth but asked silently.

Xue Huai shook his head slightly to indicate that it was alright, then turned around and placed the wine cup on the table. With this ordinary action, Jing Yanqing's eyes suddenly darkened.

The next moment, Xue Huai asked softly, "Miss Yanqing, are you a native of Yangzhou?"

Jing Yanqing was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Your Excellency, I am from Yizhen County."

"Yizhen..."

Xue Huai carefully examined Jing Yanqing's face, and when the other man lowered his head shyly, he asked, "Where were you in the seventh year of Taihe?"

(End of this chapter)