Binding Spring Love

The Tower of Ascension to Heaven is nine stories high and three zhang wide. It is usually guarded by the Imperial Guards, but its gates are only opened in advance for major festivals such as Mid-Autumn Festival, so that it can be decorated. On such an auspicious occasion, the emperor or his descendants would ascend the tower to pray for divine blessings, peace and tranquility for the world.

Before the Crown Prince's moral failings were exposed, he was the one who represented the royal family to ascend the tower to pray for blessings. However, after Emperor Wenhui discovered that he was having an affair with a concubine in the palace, he no longer received this honor.

The task of lighting the lamps at Dengtian Tower in the past year or two fell to the Third Prince, Shen Qianbai.

Opposite Dengtian Tower is the most luxurious restaurant in the capital. From here, one can see the interior of the Cuiwei Tower. However, Cuiwei Tower is not accessible to ordinary people, especially the top floor, which is reserved year-round by the powerful and wealthy of the capital.

Given the status of the Marquis of Chengyang's mansion, they should have been able to find a room on the top floor, but recently the mansion's reputation has been ruined, and they have been excluded.

Jiang Xingjian arrived at the second floor of Cuiwei Tower with a gloomy and unpleasant expression. He pushed open the door and saw Jiang Yan turning around with a gentle smile on his face.

However, the smile quickly faded when he realized that Jiang Xingjian was the only person who had come.

An inexplicable sense of unease welled up within him, and Jiang Yan put his hands behind his back and asked, "Brother, did you come alone today?"

Jiang Xingjian nodded: "Grandmother needs someone to stay, and Mother needs to stay and take care of her. Your sister-in-law is unwell and couldn't come."

Jiang Yan smiled faintly, then turned to look out the window.

But the hand gripping the edge of the corridor unconsciously tightened, as if unable to control the restlessness in his heart.

Seeing this, Qingzhai took a teacup and handed it to him, saying, "Master, please have some tea."

Jiang Xingjian glanced at Jiang Yan, then looked away, his eyes warily fixed on the direction of the Ascending Heaven Tower. Both were preoccupied with their own plans and neither noticed the other's unusual behavior.

The room was silent, and Jiang Yan was the first to lose patience.

"My younger brother just saw an old friend and wants to go and pay him a visit."

"Go about your business and don't pay any attention to me."

Jiang Yan nodded and was about to leave when he heard Jiang Xingjian say, "It's chaotic today. If you have nothing else to do, you should go back to your residence as soon as possible and not wander around the streets."

"My younger brother knows."

Stepping out of the room, Jiang Yan frowned in confusion.

Jiang Xingjian's words seemed to have a deeper meaning, which made him take it to heart. After a moment's thought, he decided to head back home.

But as soon as they stepped down from Cuiwei Tower, they saw Xiao Jiye standing on the third floor.

Jiang Yan was not surprised that Xiao Jiye would appear here, but he was somewhat puzzled by the fact that Xiao was in the top-floor private room.

"You go back first, I'll go upstairs and take a look."

Jiang Yan sent Qingzhai back to the manor first, and then went to the room where he had just met Xiao Jiye.

He had known Xiao Jiyue for a long time, and although the two had secretly cooperated on many business deals, he knew nothing about this man's background. Jiang Yan only knew that his surname was Xiao, and that he occasionally revealed a Nanqing accent when speaking.

Jiang Yan originally thought that Xiao Jiye was a scion of a prominent family in the Southern Qing Kingdom, but after Jiang Xingjian mentioned the fragrance of the entire palace last time, he realized that the other party's identity was probably not that simple.

The enemy's accent, the imperial tribute wine, and the fact that he was now entering the third floor of Cuiwei Palace all piqued his curiosity.

Upon seeing Jiang Yan, Xiao Jiyue was not particularly surprised and simply led him through the door.

Only Xiao Jiyue was in the room. Upon seeing this, Jiang Yan said, "Your appearance here is quite intriguing."

Xiao Jiyue chuckled and picked up a wine jar from the table to fill the two of them's cups: "What's there to be curious about? This Cuiwei Pavilion is mine."

Jiang Yan was surprised and raised an eyebrow slightly: "If I remember correctly, Cuiwei Tower has some connection with the Eastern Depot."

"I remember correctly."

Xiao Jiyue laughed freely, but offered no further explanation.

Jiang Yan was a sensible person, and seeing this, he stopped asking questions.

After exchanging a few words, Xiao Jiyue drank most of the jar of wine before realizing that Jiang Yan's wine bowl had been sitting in front of him the whole time, without him taking a single sip.

"What, are you afraid I'll poison him?"

"That's not the case."

Pushing the wine bowl aside, Jiang Yan's eyes softened: "I promised her I wouldn't drink anymore."

Upon seeing his expression, Xiao Jiyue clicked his tongue and pinched his cheek, his teeth aching terribly.

He had met Song Wan a few times. Although she was beautiful and kind-hearted, why would she make Jiang Yan act like this?

"A perfectly normal man spending all his time indulging in love is truly meaningless."

Xiao Jiyue shook his head again and again: "Women are like snakes and scorpions, you should avoid them like the plague. You've lost your composure because of this, you're such a fool."

Thinking of his injuries, his eyes darkened, and the alcohol even stirred a hint of murderous intent within him.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan said with a touch of melancholy, "No one in the world knows how good she is. Jiang Xingjian doesn't know, you don't know, no one in the world knows, only I do."

Xiao Jiyue was puzzled, and he didn't understand love and romance at all. He drank the wine in his bowl in one gulp and walked to the window to look at the Tower of Ascension.

Not far from the Ascending Heaven Tower is a bright yellow altar, where members of the imperial family sit. To avoid being secretly attacked, this altar is located very far from the Emerald Pavilion.

Xiao Jiyue narrowed his eyes, his gaze unreadable.

"What are you looking at?"

"Let's see if that person has arrived."

Jiang Yan chuckled: "Of course he didn't come."

Emperor Wenhui was weak-willed. It was said that the fierce struggle for the throne among the princes had terrified him. He had hardly ever left the palace in all the years since he ascended the throne, and today would be no exception.

Xiao Jiyue withdrew his gaze and asked seriously, "What kind of person do you think he is?"

"cough."

Before Jiang Yan could speak, they heard a man cough softly from the next room. The two of them turned around at the same time, and a gentle-looking man walked out of the room.

"Second Master Yan."

Song Fu smiled faintly at Jiang Yan, his eyes full of goodwill.

In her early years, Song Wan lived as a widow in the Marquis's mansion and wrote to him saying that she was well taken care of by the second wife, so Song Fu had a very good impression of him.

"Lord Song."

Upon seeing Song Fu, Jiang Yan unconsciously straightened his back, all the disdain in his eyes vanished, replaced by the respect and obedience of a child seeing an elder.

Xiao Jiyue looked at Song Fu and thought to himself that this man had a clear and upright demeanor, the appearance of a virtuous gentleman. After thinking for a moment, he also greeted him as Lord Song.

"I have prepared wine and dishes in the private room. If you two have nothing else to do, why don't you join me for a drink?"

Xiao Jiyue looked at Jiang Yan and asked for his opinion.

Jiang Yan smiled and said, "Since Lord Song invited me, I dare not refuse."

The two entered Song Fu's room and saw a table laden with light dishes and numerous pastries. Two packets of Liu's Crispy Candy were also placed beside the table, and the wine served was a fruit-flavored brew more suitable for women. Jiang Yan's gaze swept over the table full of dishes, silently memorizing them.

Upon seeing the two packets of Liu's Crispy Candy, the corners of his lips curled up slightly, and his face flushed a little.

He had no idea that the person liked these things.

Xiao Jiyue ignored all of this, placed the two jars of wine on the table, asked the waiter to bring out more meat dishes, and then sat down to exchange pleasantries with Song Fu.

Seeing that he was unconventional and quite bold and unrestrained, Song Fu gradually developed a liking for him, so he picked up the wine jar and poured wine for the two of them.

Xiao Jiyue smiled and looked at Jiang Yan with some curiosity at the scene.

I wonder if he will drink when his sister-in-law's brother comes to pour him wine.