Chapter 158 - 158: I Missed a Goodnight Kiss Yesterday
“The document storeroom is a place shrouded in secrecy; its archives are sealed, forbidden to outsiders. Had you two not been illiterate, I would be less at ease.”
The woman in red & the woman in blue: ‘.
“As for how the archive numbers, dates, and months are written, that’s indeed something you’ll need to learn.”
Lu Xuan had thought everything through meticulously, “Li Ming, you’re in charge of their training before they start. Within three days, you must ensure these two master the method of sorting and classifying the scrolls.” “Understood, my lord!”
Qingxian City.
At the magistrate’s residence.
In the bedroom of the residence, Lu Xuan lay on the bed, his head resting on Cheng Lingzhu’s soft and fragrant thigh.
While enjoying the comfort of his wife’s lap, he played with a fluffy object in his hand… A small fox.
The little fox lay on his body, curled up into a tiny ball, letting Lu Xuan stroke it as he pleased.
Cheng Lingzhu gently ran her fingers through Lu Xuan’s hair, her movements tender and gentle.
Lu Xuan, feeling extremely comfortable, had the thought, “I’m petting the fox, and my wife is petting me.”
“Those two women must have been sent by Gu Yang. Partly as a gift to curry favor, and partly to monitor my actions, ” Lu Xuan said.
He opened his eyes, wanting to see Cheng Lingzhu’s face, but his view was obstructed, so he shifted his head slightly.
“So, you assigned them to the storeroom to manage the documents?” Cheng Lingzhu leaned down, her fingers caressing his cheek.
“Even if their backgrounds are clean, I don’t want them,” Lu Xuan replied, pulling one of her slender hands to his lips and gently kissing it.
Cheng Lingzhu’s lips curved into a slight smile, her eyes filled with laughter.
She shifted slightly, leaning forward to bring her face closer to his.
Whenever she was alone with him, her heartbeat would quicken slightly.
Especially since regaining her memories, Cheng Lingzhu enjoyed touching and cuddling with him, inhaling his scent, and nestling into his embrace, wishing to stick to him all day long.
Lu Xuan pondered, “I have some other ideas about those two women.” “Hmm,” Cheng Lingzhu looked down at him.
“Five years ago, Bo Chang’s grandfather and father were assassinated outside the city. There are related documents in the storeroom. Maybe we can take this opportunity to make a move,” Lu Xuan said.
“Hmm,” Cheng Lingzhu leaned down, getting even closer.
“Training the militia is crucial. Without people and weapons, it’s impossible… Military training must be prioritized,” he continued.
“Hmm,” she replied again.
“As for recruitment, I have a plan. Recently, many refugees have come from
Qinghe County and are now gathered in the west of the city…”
“Hmm.”
Lu Xuan gazed at the exquisite face so close to him and sighed, “My beloved, stop touching me, let’s talk.”
“Hmm?” Cheng Lingzhu blinked, quickly realizing what he meant, “I think what you said makes perfect sense. It’s exactly what I was thinking.”
Unconsciously, during their conversation, she had moved her face very close to Lu Xuan’s.
“I feel like you’re humoring me,” Lu Xuan slightly raised his head and pecked her lips gently.
“Hmm… I just remembered, you forgot to kiss me last night before we went to sleep,” Cheng Lingzhu suddenly said.
“We both drank last night, and kissing with the smell of alcohol… isn’t good,” Lu Xuan analyzed objectively.
“But in the past, when I fed you wine… You never complained,” Cheng Lingzhu argued.
“Did I have the ability to resist then? My lips were numb from your kisses, and you wouldn’t let go,” Lu Xuan reasoned.
“You mean the times when your hands weren’t behaved and every time you came close, you wanted to embrace me?” Cheng Lingzhu’s eyes twinkled playfully.
“I…” Lu Xuan thought, back then he didn’t have anything to grab…
If it were now, he definitely wouldn’t just settle for embracing her waist.
“Yesterday I got back late, and I let you wash up and sleep first… I was just next to you, looking at the documents,” Lu Xuan said.
“Yes, the busy County Magistrate, it’s a pity your concubine can’t add fragrance to your sleeves, ” Cheng Lingzhu’s eyes danced with light.
“Luckily you went to sleep early. You know, if you were beside me, I would definitely not want to do any official work,” Lu Xuan sighed deeply.
“After all, I’m such a lazy and indolent person. My willpower is so poor, sitting next to such a lively and beautiful woman, I’m bound to neglect my duties.”
“Really?” Cheng Lingzhu raised her chin slightly.
“Every word is true, ” Lu Xuan assured earnestly.
“You’re just sweet-talking me again,” Cheng Lingzhu huffed.
She didn’t believe Lu Xuan’s claim of poor self-control.
But she liked being coaxed by Lu Xuan. Every time Lu Xuan coaxed her, Cheng Lingzhu felt very happy.
“And finally, I have to say,” Lu Xuan raised his index finger and gently touched her lips.
“Last night before bed, I actually did kiss you. It’s just that you were already asleep.”
Lu Xuan pushed the little fox forward, “Here, it can testify.”
The little white fox: ???
It looked at Lu Xuan, then at Cheng Lingzhu, and vigorously nodded its head.
It’s worth mentioning.
Last night, when County Magistrate Lu was working late, it was the little fox accompanying him on the table.
The little fox was yawning constantly, wanting to go back to sleep.
But it was unceremoniously placed on Lu Xuan’s lap by the shameless Lu Xuan and petted for quite a while.
Qingxian City, Inside the yamen.
“Hmm… let’s see.”
Lu Xuan walked around two women dressed as yamen runners, nodding approvingly, “Good, very spirited.”
These two were naturally the dancer and singer sent by Gu Yang. But now, they had washed off their makeup and were wearing the attire of yamen runners, appearing very plain without any makeup.
Lu Xuan gestured grandly, “Li Ming, take them to the archive room and teach them everything they need to know. Make sure these two understand the rules of the government office.”
“Understood, sir!” Li Ming immediately responded.
Afternoon, inside the archive room.
“Little Gu, how do you think we should complete the task assigned by our lord?” Runner Qin asked.
These two were indeed from the Gu household, selected for their cleverness to be planted beside Lu Xuan by Gu Yang, not as trained female spies but as smart courtesans from the household. Their mission, should Magistrate Wu have any significant actions, was to report back to Master Gu.
They thought they would be accepted by the County Magistrate and spend their days rising and falling, singing and playing music. Instead, they found themselves dispatched here to manage the archive room.
“I guess Magistrate Wu already knows the intention behind Master Gu sending us here,” Runner Gu replied, “Think about it, Sister Qin. Which man isn’t lecherous? With our looks and figures, we’re among the top in the Gu household. Even if Magistrate Wu is upright, he should have sampled us before dismissing us. But instead, he sent us straight here to work. This act is clearly sending a signal to Master Gu.”
“What should we do then?” Runner Qin was worried.
Gu’s residence and the government office were at odds, and she and Little Gu were sent to the office as “apology gifts” by Gu Yang. Now, though Magistrate Wu had accepted the gifts, he had casually tossed them into a pile of miscellaneous items, clearly not intending to accept Gu Yang’s apology.
Caught between Magistrate Wu and Master Gu, they were in a difficult position.
“What else can we do? Just do whatever we’re supposed to,” Runner Gu spread her hands.
Although younger than “Sister Qin” by two years, she was much more decisive.
“Magistrate Wu told us to stay in the archive room, so we stay here. If Magistrate Wu tells us to work, we sort and organize documents here.” “What if Master Gu asks about it?” Runner Qin inquired.
“If Master Gu asks, we tell the truth. Then he will surely order us to actively seduce the magistrate or someone close to him to extract information,” Runner Gu explained with clear thought.
“At first, we can drag our feet, saying the archive room is like a cold palace, only visited by subordinates to retrieve documents, making it impossible to get close to Magistrate Wu. If Master Gu keeps asking, we can report some rumors from the government office, true or false, compiled into a report. With the right attitude, Master Gu won’t say much. After all, he knows it’s not our lack of effort, but rather that Magistrate Wu simply ignores us.” “That’s all we can do,” Runner Qin nodded helplessly..