At 5:15 a.m., the intricately carved window lattices of the General's Mansion filtered the delicate morning light, dyeing the blue-brick floor of the East Wing the color of honey. Jiang Wan leaned against a silk-woven pillow, watching Lu Jingyuan approach with a celadon bowl. The steam rising from the lotus seed soup blurred the tenderness in his eyes. She reached out to caress her full-term belly, her fingertips grazing the satin embroidered with a Twin Lotus design, and let out a soft laugh. "Are you going to patrol the city again today?"
"The Prefect of Shuntian tasted the newly arrived Taihu fragrant rice at the rice shop in West City yesterday," Lu Jingyuan said, sitting by the bed and stirring the oil floating on the soup with a silver spoon. "He claimed that once steamed, the aroma could drift across three streets." He scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and held it to her lips. "Do you want to go and see for yourself?"
Jiang Wan shook her head, the silver bells at her temples chiming gently with the movement. "Ren Yao mentioned earlier that she would come to deliver the tiger-head shoes today, so I must wait for her." She suddenly gripped his wrist. "Besides, do you think I don't know? The Prefect of Shuntian wants you to inspect the new cloth shop in West City while you're at it."
Chapter 281