My Gentle and Pure Sect Leader Husband - Chapter 49

As the Commander of the Jinyiwei, a first-rank official, Lu Gang’s court attire was red with a lion emblem.

This was already a garment that very few in the court could wear, representing the status and position of a first-rank official. However, without Yan Hongyin, what he might have worn instead was the scarlet python robe he had seen countless times.

The python resembled a dragon, and the python robe was a bestowed gift. Those who received such favor were second only to the emperor himself, standing above all others. In the Great Ming, only the Prime Minister or close officials deeply trusted and relied upon by the emperor had such honor.

Yan Hongyin had been away from the capital for half a year. This relatively brief period had been more eventful than the previous decades, and both she and those around her had changed tremendously during this time.

Yu Luocha approached and took the jade belt from Yan Hongyin’s hand.

Yan Hongyin glanced at him through the bronze mirror, opening her arms to allow Yu Luocha to tighten the jade belt behind her.

The python robe was a bestowed garment with a scarlet base and gold embroidery, extremely vibrant and eye-catching. Unless she was having an audience with His Majesty or on duty in the palace, Yan Hongyin rarely wore it.

Miss Yu, who had climbed onto Yan Hongyin’s bed earlier that day, maintained an air of someone who had gained favor. She was radiant and began to test Yan Hongyin’s boundaries little by little. After discovering Yan Hongyin’s repeated tacit approval, this cat seemed eager to extend its claws further.

Yan Hongyin pushed away Yu Luocha’s paw that was still trying to arrange her hair. “Go change your clothes.”

Yu Luocha was startled. “You want to take me with you?”

Yan Hongyin raised her hand to tie her hair into a high ponytail, securing it with a hairband. “Dress ostentatiously. I’m taking you to fight.”

Yu Luocha was a head taller than Yan Hongyin. He bent down, hovering near Yan Hongyin’s shoulder, making a “wow” shape with his mouth and asked with a curved lip. “The kind where we need weapons?”

“You can steal theirs,” Yan Hongyin replied, watching Yu Luocha’s eyes brighten in the mirror. She raised her finger to push against Yu Luocha’s forehead, straightening him up. She walked to the side and sat down, picked up a teacup, pushed aside the foam, sniffed it, and said, “I’ll only give you half a cup of tea’s time.”

Before she finished speaking, Yu Luocha had already disappeared from before her. From behind the screen in the inner room came the sounds of someone rummaging through a wardrobe.

Before long, Yu Luocha came out wearing a plain white wide-sleeved robe. This was one of Yan Hongyin’s disguises, made larger at the shoulders and longer in length, which fit Yu Luocha perfectly, except…

Yan Hongyin held her teacup and looked at Yu Luocha, who was preening in front of the bronze mirror. After a moment of silence, she couldn’t help but say, “Don’t you think you look like those…”

In the capital or some towns far from the border, occasionally people from other ethnicities would wear white robes and pretend to be mystics to deceive others. If they knew some rudimentary martial arts, it was even easier to make ordinary people believe them—to be honest, Yan Hongyin had arrested no fewer than five or six such individuals.

Yu Luocha turned his face with an innocent expression. “But Ah Yin said to be ostentatious. Looking at that cabinet full of black and white clothes, this one suits me best.”

As he spoke, Yu Luocha casually pulled out a jade-inlaid hair tie from the dressing table. Instead of tying up all his hair, he just braided two strands and tied them at the end with the rest of his loose hair.

“This kind of attire has another name in the Western Regions,” Yu Luocha said meaningfully. “Beyond the border where there’s much wind and sand, those in white robes with gold ornaments are called priests. In some small countries, their status is even more revered by commoners than that of kings.”

“Surely the people in the palace have better taste than the Jinyiwei who arrest people?” he muttered quietly.

Yan Hongyin laughed. “Then let’s hope your robe sleeves don’t get cut off by swords.”

Yu Luocha: “Even if my neck gets cut, the sleeves of the mistress of the house’s robe must never be torn~”

….

The previous night, heavy rain had poured down on the imperial city, and tonight the imperial city was destined to be restless during the late hours.

Two figures, one in red and one in white, landed one after another on the eaves outside Qianqing Palace. Within just a few breaths, more than a dozen shadows silently emerged from Qianqing Palace, surrounding them from all directions.

Yan Hongyin removed the mask from her face and placed it on Yu Luocha’s face. “Do you see these people?”

Yu Luocha curiously touched the Jinyiwei mask a couple of times before securing it on his face. “Hmm?”

“I want you, alone,” Yan Hongyin removed the pale jade ring from Yu Luocha’s ear and placed it on her own ear, stacking the two jade rings together, “to surround them. Can you do that?”

With Yu Luocha’s eyesight, it wasn’t difficult to notice what was special about these dozen or so people. Such trained killers could be extremely troublesome.

“Promise me, next time there’s something like this, remember to let me bring a sword, alright?” Yu Luocha raised his hand to scratch his cheek, beginning to think about which person’s sword to steal first, while continuing to talk, “Actually, I’m a bit tired right now—you know, earlier today, we slept for less than two hours…”

“But I slept for nearly ten hours,” Yan Hongyin raised her hand to grip Yu Luocha’s neck, turning his face toward her. She leaned in and bit Yu Luocha’s lip forcefully. “Awake now?”

Her expression was calm, her tone normal, as if she had done something completely ordinary.

But even in the darkness, Yu Luocha could see the crimson tips of her ears.

Yu Luocha was stunned for a long moment. His tongue brushed over his slightly numb lip before he chuckled softly. “…Never more awake.”

In the next instant, the two figures suddenly split apart.

The red figure headed straight for the inner hall of Qianqing Palace. Just as the guards were about to intercept, the white figure with strange and unpredictable movements blocked them all.

Despite the guards’ life-or-death charges and direct attacks, they were momentarily unable to get a hold of the white figure who slipped away like a snake.

…..

When Yan Hongyin, dressed in the scarlet python robe, entered the hall, the hall was brightly lit. The emperor was reviewing memorial documents, and upon hearing footsteps, merely glanced up before lowering his eyes again.

Yan Hongyin silently bowed to the emperor, then stood up and quietly stood in the middle of the hall.

She had once been granted a sword by the emperor to wear in his presence, but this time, she carried no weapons or hidden projectiles.

“Years ago, your mother also broke into Qianqing Palace like this, telling Zhen that she had returned,” the emperor folded the memorial in his hand, put down the vermilion brush, and stood up. “Ah Yin, what do you want to tell Zhen today?”

Yan Hongyin’s every movement was the epitome of a close official’s demeanor—neither arrogant nor indulgent, neither hurried nor slow, always calm and composed.

She took out a memorial from her breast pocket, stepped forward, and presented it with both hands to the emperor who was slowly descending the jade steps, “This subject has a report.”

The emperor’s footsteps paused, and the thick hem of his robe slid down a section on the jade steps.

He reached out to take the memorial from Yan Hongyin’s hand, opened it, and after just a glance, he abruptly closed it with a snap.

“The Jinyiwei has the responsibility to monitor officials and command respect in the martial world, but interfering in court politics is taboo.” The emperor’s voice was stern and deep, carrying some overflowing displeasure and pressure. “Ah Yin, whether as Jinyiwei or as the Grand Princess, you have overstepped your bounds.”

The memorial contained evidence of the Grand Prince’s faction embezzling tribute goods, misappropriating military funds, selling official positions, creating unjust cases, and colluding with foreign states to plot rebellion. Each incident had been investigated thoroughly, removing the veil of peace and presenting clearly before the emperor what he might or might not have known.

“Your Majesty, privately, this Grand Princess receives a stipend and has the duty to remonstrate; publicly, the crimes committed by the Grand Prince’s faction have already touched upon the Jinyiwei’s duty to monitor and judge cases,” Yan Hongyin looked up and said word by word. “You once taught me that when a prince breaks the law, he should be punished the same as commoners. Is that no longer true?”

The emperor’s expression was inscrutable as he slowly said, “Ah Yin, that is Zhen’s son, your elder brother.”

“Your Majesty’s fatherly heart, Hongyin does not wish to distress.” Yan Hongyin straightened up, her hands at her sides, her eyelids lowered, not directly looking at the emperor. “The Jinyiwei Commander, when judging there is danger to Your Majesty’s empire and plans, has the right to execute first and report afterward. Your Majesty can certainly execute this disloyal subject after I have eliminated my own kin for the greater good.”

The emperor’s eyes shifted.

The emperor, whose hair was already turning white and whose forehead and eyes showed the traces of age, was no longer the brave and battle-hardened general of the past. He gazed deeply at the child who had once grown up at his knee and had been pushed step by step by fate to her current circumstances, and smiled slightly.

This child had suffered many twists of fate, but was favored by heaven. Because she had grown up in the light, even when facing darkness and bloodying her hands, the brightness in her eyes had never dimmed.

She always maintained that straightforwardness and sincerity rare in the royal family, carried that rare compassion for ordinary people, and exhibited decisiveness in certain choices.

“If you were Zhen’s prince, why would Zhen need to worry about the heir issue?” the emperor sighed softly.

Yan Hongyin did not respond to this statement.

She felt fortunate.

Fortunate that when she was born, the emperor before her was not yet the cold ruler who had been steeped in the throne for decades; fortunate that she was not a son, but a daughter.

Otherwise, in that seventh year, after the emperor learned of her background, even if Yan Hongyin’s parents had tried to protect her, she would likely have died in that upheaval.

In the Great Ming, princes and princesses had always been treated very differently.

The emperor indeed knew the identities and weaknesses of many dark envoys in the Jinyiwei’s dark division, but—the Jinyiwei’s dark division only recognized the Commander, not the emperor or princes.

Such a force capable of blindfolding the emperor, if placed in a prince’s hands, would not be a weapon pointed outward for the emperor, but a double-edged sword.

Yan Hongyin sensed the emperor approaching two steps closer, with only one step between them.

The emperor’s shadow loomed over her. This emperor, who had concealed his power and tamed his aura for too many years, still carried a killing intent from the battlefield that made Yan Hongyin’s throat go dry for a moment.

“So… Ah Yin chose the third prince?”

The emperor’s voice had an element of playfulness.

“A clever choice.” The emperor spoke as he turned and slowly walked to the window in the hall, looking out at the overlapping eaves outside. “A choice… that doesn’t seem like one Ah Yin would make.”

Yan Hongyin stepped forward, following the emperor’s footsteps, and stopped two paces behind him.

“It was my spouse’s suggestion.”

The emperor seemed amused, his laughter shaking his chest as he laughed and scolded, “Nonsense!”

“For a matter of marriage, there was neither parental consent nor matchmaker’s words, and even the names written on the marriage certificate were false. How can such a marriage be valid?”

Yan Hongyin’s voice carried a rare gentleness. “But this subject has already accepted the dowry, which is truly priceless, making it hard for this subject to refuse.”

The emperor laughed and shook his head.

“Just a martial world vagabond, a small Western Region country after all.”

From the window where they stood, the moonlight clearly revealed the white-clothed man on the eaves restraining more than a dozen shadows.

“Your Majesty, he and I are just one step away from breaking through to the Grandmaster realm,” Yan Hongyin said slowly. “Moreover, my spouse….is from the Loulan royal family.”

The emperor turned his head, his suddenly sharp gaze sweeping over Yan Hongyin, lingering for a moment on the jade rings in her ear, and after a while, he said in a deep voice: “The Loulan clan was completely wiped out long ago. How could there be descendants of the Loulan royal family?”

Yan Hongyin raised her hand, in which lay two pale jade rings.

“Your Majesty might want to compare these with the missing piece of the He Shi Bi in the palace.”

The He Shi Bi in the Great Ming palace was indeed passed down from the founding emperor. Although this treasure had been presented to the Central Plains court hundreds of years ago, after the rise and fall of several dynasties, its whereabouts were unknown.

Later, Ming Sect Leader Zhang Wuji obtained this treasure from the Loulan clan. The Ming founding emperor used the He Shi Bi as a token to protect Loulan. The He Shi Bi kept by successive emperors in the palace had two holes, which were exactly the size of these two jade rings put together.

If one were to discuss Loulan and the Great Ming, it was indeed the Great Ming that had failed Loulan, which had been hunted until only remnants remained.

And now, this descendant of Loulan with exceptional martial arts not only had the complete token from that time but also had the support of small Western Region countries, as well as a Luocha Sect whose depths remained unfathomable.

The emperor closed his eyes.

He no longer wondered what it would be like if Yan Hongyin had truly been his prince.

In his heart, suspicion and killing intent had already arisen.

But—

“Your mother was right. You would make a very suitable Jinyiwei Commander.”

One Yu Luocha represented the Western Regions beyond the border, one Wang Lianhua represented countless reclusive martial arts masters, and then there were those Jinyiwei dark envoys hidden under various identities…

The emperor had to admit that his insight in choosing Yan Hongyin to lead the Jinyiwei was indeed good—unfortunately, too good.

If his choice had been Lu Gang, a person with obvious character flaws, perhaps he would not have been so undecided.

Yan Hongyin was too familiar with the emperor and sensed something in his silence. She spoke up, “Your Majesty, regarding Commander Lu’s punishment, will it be handled by the Ministry of Justice, or will it be left to the Jinyiwei to execute?”

A commander who, because of power and women, and jealousy that festered in his heart, colluded with princes to seek merit in the next reign.

Mediocre officials have their uses, but if a mediocre person is placed in a critical position, it could be the ant hole that causes the entire chess game to collapse.

Enough.

“Zhen will ask just once,” the emperor turned and walked toward the jade steps, his back finally showing some signs of age. “If it’s the third prince, will the Jinyiwei use the emperor to interfere in court politics?”

The young Jinyiwei Commander knelt, lifting her robe, her voice firm and resolute:

“As long as this subject lives, the Jinyiwei will only serve Your Majesty; after this subject passes away, the Jinyiwei will be entirely at the emperor’s disposal, with absolute loyalty!”

The emperor ascended the steps, sat once more at his desk, raised his hand in a dismissive gesture, opened the memorial presented by Yan Hongyin, and began to review it.

Just as Yan Hongyin’s retreating steps were about to leave the hall, the emperor suddenly spoke, “Wait.”

Yan Hongyin’s movements paused.

The emperor took out a memorial from among the many on his desk.

Yan Hongyin understood and quickly went forward to accept it.

“Investigate this matter. If it truly has connections to Lu Gang, the Jinyiwei may handle it as they see fit,” the emperor said. “Also, don’t learn your mother’s casual manner.”

“Princess Quya’s marriage should be settled.”

…..

Leaving the imperial city, Yu Luocha removed the mask from his face and tucked it into his sleeve in front of Yan Hongyin.

Yan Hongyin didn’t mind and returned one jade ring to Yu Luocha. Together, they walked along the eaves, rising and falling.

Yu Luocha suddenly stopped, clutching his stomach with a grieved expression. “I’m hungry.”

Yan Hongyin raised an eyebrow. “Why do you always eat at night?”

“After killing people and fighting, I always get hungry,” Yu Luocha said in a matter-of-fact tone. His nose twitched as he sniffed for a while, as if finding something good, his face broke into a smile. “Good Ah Yin, wait here for me~”

Yan Hongyin used her internal energy to wipe away the dust on the eaves and actually sat there waiting for him.

Before long, Yu Luocha returned, wrapped in the smell of charcoal and roast.

He sat down beside Yan Hongyin, the snow-white sleeve now stained with a gray-black patch from the roasted sweet potato.

Yu Luocha completely disregarded the dirt on his sleeve, took a sweet potato, broke it open to reveal the golden, steaming interior, and offered half to Yan Hongyin.

“Here.”

Just as Yan Hongyin reached out to take it, Yu Luocha withdrew his hand, complaining, “In the cold winter, eating roasted sweet potatoes is all about cupping them in your hands for the right feeling.”

Yan Hongyin: “…”

After looking at him and seeing that Yu Luocha was truly not going to give her the sweet potato, Yan Hongyin, who somehow felt hungry from the sweet potato’s aroma, thought for a moment, removed the glove from her left hand, and extended it toward Yu Luocha.

As a result, she saw Yu Luocha looking at her removed glove with an obscure expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Yan Hongyin took a bite of the sweet potato, which was indeed soft, sweet, and fragrant.

Yu Luocha’s gaze flickered between Yan Hongyin’s fingers and the black glove, his eyes shifting. He gestured with his chin toward the glove Yan Hongyin was holding in her right hand and asked, “When you wear your Jinyiwei clothes daily, do you also have these?”

Yan Hongyin looked down and answered, “If hidden weapons are poisoned, I wear them.”

“Oh~” Yu Luocha let out a long, ambiguous sigh, and then acted as if nothing was wrong as he lowered his head and began to eat the sweet potato.

Yan Hongyin: “…?”

“It’s nothing~”

Yan Hongyin looked at Yu Luocha suspiciously, feeling that this person was thinking about something strange.

“By the way, now that you’ve come to the capital, what about the two children at home?”

The two cubs at home were absolutely hopeless at survival, with eating alone being a major issue.

“I left money to our little child bride,” Yu Luocha answered without any guilt.

Yan Hongyin: “…”

“I believe our clever and smart little child bride will surely manage the household frugally and take care of the elderly and young while the adults are away busying themselves~”

Yan Hongyin: “…”

“By the way, didn’t Ah Yin ask me to keep our elderly neighbor occupied?” Yu Luocha ate the sweet potato quickly, in two or three bites leaving only a small bit, sticking out his tongue from the heat. “I assigned this task to our two cubs who just started learning martial arts.”

Thinking about the two cubs at home with their different personalities—one who had to shoulder family responsibilities at just seven years of age, and an older one who was forced to look after a cub and probably full of resentment and anger towards the adults at this moment…

Yan Hongyin lowered her head and silently took a bite of sweet potato.

…Maybe they should take a detour to investigate a case first.

****

In Qianqing Palace

Zhuge Zhengwo emerged from a secret chamber through a hidden door and said solemnly, “That white-clothed man’s martial arts style somewhat resembles the Western Regions Ming Sect of the past.”

The emperor continued his review without pausing, “Did you notice his attire?”

Zhuge Zhengwo hesitated for a moment. “Your Majesty is referring to…”

“That way of tying hair is not of the Loulan royal family, but of Loulan priests,” the emperor’s eyes darkened. “Loulan priests were the most mysterious existence in the Loulan tribe. The decision to refuse participation in the war came from the mouths of Loulan priests, and the entire Loulan tribe followed it, unwavering even if it meant death.”

“After that, a large number of Mongolian elite troops silently disappeared in the desert.”

“Does Zhen’s loyal subject think…..this is merely a coincidence?”