Chapter 295

Winter afternoon.

The clear sky was blue without clouds,

The dazzling sunlight shone straight onto the streets and alleys of Bianjing,

Melting the light snow from last night on the roofs,

Causing icicles to form under many eaves.

The snow water melting from the roofs dripped along the icicles, not only pecking small holes in the icy ground below, but the sound of the falling water was like rain.

The cloth curtain of the door, which was splattered with water droplets from the melting snow, was suddenly lifted.

"Da Niangzi, the snow is melting heavily, take an umbrella!"

"No need!"

"Then put on the hood of your cloak!"

"It's only a few steps! Miss Yun Mu, hurry up!"

Before the words fell, a young lady dressed in opulent clothing walked out of the room lightly, slightly shielding her head with her hand.

The gold and jade on her hair bun shone brilliantly in the sunlight.

Unfortunately, a drop of snow water fell, landing right on the back of her neck. The instantaneous chill made her shrink her neck, and then she obediently put on her hood.

"Da Niangzi, wait for us."

As they spoke, several maids followed hurriedly.

Arriving at the entrance of the Chai family Matriarch's courtyard,

Chai Zhengzheng slowed her pace, and when she walked slowly to the entrance of the main hall, she was not so out of breath.

Lowering her head to pass through the cotton curtain held up by the nanny, Chai Zhengzheng entered the room and saw at a glance her mother, who was shaking her head with a solemn expression.

Untying her cloak and handing it to the maid beside her, Chai Zhengzheng bowed: "Mother, Brother!"

"Brother, what did you just say?"

Sitting on the embroidered stool in front of the table, Chai Zhengzheng asked.

"The Xu family brother fought again last night!"

Chai Zhengzheng's big eyes turned, then she looked at Chai Jin and said: "Brother, he didn't strike too hard, did he? Are the people he injured hurt badly?"

Chai Jin said: "Zhengzheng, the accurate news I inquired about is that when they fought last night, even heavy crossbows appeared!"

"How can you be so sure the Xu family brother wasn't hurt?"

Hearing the words "heavy crossbow," Chai Zhengzheng's expression paused, and her previous bad experience surfaced in her mind.

"Then, is he okay?"

Chai Jin shook his head and said:

"He's fine, but some people swear that the Xu family brother dodged the crossbow bolt with his back turned. Tsk! I don't really believe it!"

Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

Chai Jin continued: "The Xu family brother is fine, but the others from the princely mansions and dukes' families were miserable. The Heir of Prince Yong was even shot through the shoulder, losing quite a bit of blood."

Seeing that the hair on the back of Chai Zhengzheng's neck was a bit wet, Madam Chai reached out and wiped it with a handkerchief while saying:

"Such a powerful object, how could they let these teenagers hold it in their hands? If it really hit a vital point, that would be terrible!"

Madam Chai sighed.

The brother and sister nodded. Chai Jin had naturally seen the power of a heavy crossbow, and Chai Zhengzheng had even seen the scene of a crossbow bolt shooting someone.

Madam Chai finished wiping her daughter's neck and continued:

"By the way, Zhengzheng, the twenty thousand strings of silver notes you offered have already been allocated."

"Oh!"

Madam Chai said helplessly:

"Zheng'er, you don't even know what they are offering! Originally, it would have been fine for our family to offer thirty thousand strings to show our intent, but you insisted on offering another twenty thousand yourself!"

"If there is a loss in the future, don't come crying to Mother."

Chai Zhengzheng looked down at the pattern of the tablecloth and pursed her lips:

"The things their family offers will never be bad!"

Hearing this, Chai Jin raised his eyebrows and looked at his mother.

Madam Chai sighed with worry.

Jiying Lane,

Sheng family,

Weiruixuan,

Wang Ruofu and Kang Wangshi, the two sisters, sat on the Arhat bed.

Wang Ruofu looked at the 8,200 strings of silver notes in her hand and frowned:

"Sister, didn't you say... how come it's so much less?"

Kang Wangshi glanced at Wang Ruofu sideways: "Tsk! Do you really think a business with a thousand strings of profit a month is easy to do?"

Wang Ruofu: "I... alright!"

After finishing, she looked sheepishly at the silver notes in her hand.

Looking at Wang Ruofu's appearance, Kang Wangshi frowned and shook her head in disgust, saying: "Hmph, don't look down on your sister! Let me tell you the truth! I lost more than seven hundred strings!"

Hearing this, Wang Ruofu looked up in surprise: "Ah?"

Kang Wangshi said through gritted teeth:

"There were four men handling the money who somehow lost contact. I entrusted an old acquaintance of Father's to search for them, but I couldn't find them!"

"They probably rolled up the valuables and ran away, otherwise how could you be short of these few pennies?"

"There's a big deal after the New Year, are you doing it?"

Hearing her sister's words, Wang Ruofu looked over: "Sister, the profit won't be less, right?"

Kang Wangshi said:

"Look at you!"

"A few days ago, I met the Matriarch of an old acquaintance of the Kang family. Her husband is now an official in the North, and her daughter just married into the Kang Prince's mansion. She said there is a new way to lend money!"

Wang Ruofu blinked.

Kang Wangshi said triumphantly: "We lend usury to the common people, do you know who the Kang Prince's mansion lends to?"

Wang Ruofu shook her head.

Kang Wangshi whispered: "They lend usury... to Great Zhou officials!"

Wang Ruofu asked suspiciously: "Ah? This, lending money to officials?"

Kang Wangshi looked at her sister and shook her head in disappointment:

"Do you think every family is like yours? Having a relative who does business and gives dividends every year?"

"Officials entering or leaving the capital, who doesn't need to rent or sell houses and handle superiors and subordinates? If the money isn't enough, of course they have to borrow!"

Wang Ruofu nodded: "Then can it be collected back?"

Kang Wangshi glared:

"How could it not be collected? If it can't be collected, he shouldn't be an official anymore; there are plenty of people who want to be officials!"

"Do you really think the old acquaintances of our Wang family are pushovers?"

Hearing her sister's words, Wang Ruofu nodded: "Then, the profit?"

"The same as this time!"

Watching the Kang family's carriage drive away at the door, Wang Ruofu touched the silver notes in her sleeve and clicked her tongue.

Then she pulled out a few silver notes and said: "Mother Liu, go, send these to Hua'er, let her decide how to use them herself!"

"Yes, Matriarch!"

Quyuanjie,

Gu Tingye, who came to visit in the afternoon, sat on the chair opposite the desk.

After taking a sip of the tea brought by Huaxiang,

Gu Tingye nodded in appreciation, then looked at Xu Zaijing in the study with disappointment:

"Jing Ge'er, I thought you would be like Zheng Xiao, lying on the bed recovering from your injuries!"

Xu Zaijing, who was writing, stopped his brush and looked up:

"Ah? When you went to see him, was he still in a lot of pain?"

"Anyway, he was in quite a bit of pain and couldn't get out of bed yet! It's really too hard to see you in such a state."

Xu Zaijing smiled: "Don't go around talking nonsense when you go out!"

Gu Tingye: "Don't worry, this young master will keep his mouth shut!"

"By the way, when Eldest Brother came back at noon, he said the Heir of the Marquis of Dongchang confessed the source of the heavy crossbow last night!"

Xu Zaijing: "Oh? Which Imperial Guard unit did it flow out from?"

Gu Tingye put down his teacup, stood up, walked a few steps, came to the sword rack, picked up a large Gao sword, drew it, and said while looking at it:

"It didn't flow out from the Bianjing Imperial Guards; he said he accidentally obtained it from a courtyard himself!"

Looking at the edge of the large Gao sword, Gu Tingye clicked his tongue in satisfaction.

Xu Zaijing frowned: "How can that be?"

Gu Tingye said:

"Qin Chi Han and his attendants' statements are consistent; they all said they saw it in a courtyard near the Qiu family, a retainer of Prince Yan, and out of temporary curiosity, they were possessed and took away two heavy crossbows."

"Because the heavy crossbows came from Prince Yan's fief, Eldest Brother's colleagues in the Ministry of War were very relieved."

Xu Zaijing dipped his brush in the inkstone and said: "If there's no responsibility, naturally they will be relieved!"

Gu Tingye changed to another sword to admire and replied:

"Listening to Eldest Brother, it was about two or three days after we beat Prince Yan and the Ruyang Marquis's mansion that Eldest Brother Qin accidentally obtained these two heavy crossbows..."

"Hiss!"

"Clap!"

Gu Tingye forcefully sheathed the long sword and looked at Xu Zaijing in horror:

"Jing Ge'er, I didn't think of it just now, Prince Yan and that bunch of bastards from the Qiu family wouldn't be... wanting to use heavy crossbows to deal with us, right?"

"And then the Imperial Guards surrounded Prince Yan's mansion, which didn't give them time..."

Xu Zaijing held his brush and said: "Maybe, but it's too coincidental that Eldest Brother Qin happened to see it, isn't it?"

Gu Tingye:

"Eldest Brother said that what Eldest Brother Qin said was very convincing, and the Marquis of Dongchang's mansion also has distant kinship with the Tuoxi Marquis Cao family, and there are people who can speak for them, so perhaps it has already been returned."

After Xu Zaijing wrote a few words on the paper, he said:

"This heavy crossbow was picked up, the one who acted was the Heir of Prince Jing, and the ones injured were a princely mansion and a Duke's mansion. The Qin family is cleanly removed. Did Brother-in-law say how it was handled?"

Gu Tingye said: "Mostly likely paying money to settle it, you can't let the Heir of Prince Jing take a hit too."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

At this time, Huaxiang walked over:

"Young Master, the front courtyard sent word that a carriage is parked at the door, and a young man surnamed Guo is at the door, saying he wants to visit you!"

Xu Zaijing frowned and thought, then his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said: "Tell the gatekeeper to ask him to wait in the room in the front courtyard, I'll be there immediately!"

Gu Tingye: "I'll go take a look too."

Saying this, he and Xu Zaijing left the courtyard together, and when they arrived at the front courtyard hall, they saw a dignified young man sitting steadily on a chair.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, the young man hurriedly stood up, bowed to Xu Zaijing, and said:

"Fifth Young Master, greetings."

"Please sit."

Then Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye sat, one below Guo Kui and one opposite him.

"Fifth Young Master said to come find you when joining the army, so I came uninvited today."

Xu Zaijing was stunned and said: "Pei Erge Guo, are you going to join the army now?"

"That's right!"

Gu Tingye on the side said: "It's almost the New Year, you..."

Guo Kui nodded and said: "I naturally know, but I want to take people with me, so we can travel faster, and maybe we can spend the New Year in the military prefecture."

Hearing the words "take people with me," Xu Zaijing looked at the dignified young man in surprise.

Guo Kui looked at Xu Zaijing's inquiring eyes, nodded, and said:

"Fifth Young Master guessed right! I thought about it again and again, I still want to take her with me!"

"I can't leave her alone in this Bianjing; if the news leaks out, she will have to endure those cold words and cold looks, and I'm afraid she won't be able to live."

Xu Zaijing nodded. Gu Tingye on the side asked softly: "The one you are talking about wouldn't be that day..."

Looking at Guo Kui, who lowered his head, and Xu Zaijing, who turned to look at him, Gu Tingye immediately shut his mouth.

"Then what about your family's property in the capital?"

"It has been handed over to an old servant to look after; actually, there isn't much left."

After hearing Guo Kui finish, Xu Zaijing nodded and said: "Good, then I will write the letter of introduction now. Huaxiang!"

"Young Master?"

"Go get the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and then call Qingcao over too."

Huaxiang agreed and retreated.

After a while, Huaxiang and Qingcao came to the room together.

Xu Zaijing stood up and whispered a few words in Qingcao's ear. After Qingcao glanced at Guo Kui, she left the room and walked toward the horse racing track.

Subsequently, Xu Zaijing unhurriedly finished writing the letter of introduction and had Huaxiang take it to the backyard to have Mother stamp it with the Marquis Yongyi's mansion seal.

When Huaxiang returned with the letter, Xu Zaijing extended his hand and said: "Pei Erge Guo, please this way."

Guo Kui looked at the direction of the horse racing track in surprise and nodded.

Walking through the Marquis Yongyi's mansion, where the snow water dripped incessantly like rain,

When they arrived at the horse racing track, Guo Kui saw a half-new, half-old carriage of the Marquis's mansion parked there.

Beside the carriage was a servant with a disability.

He scanned Guo Kui with his single eye, his single eye full of appreciation for him—one for Guo Kui's dignified bearing, and one for his plan to take people with him directly.

At this time, Alan led a horse over.

Xu Zaijing took the reins and said:

"This is the mount of a pair of brothers surnamed Li who live in my house. Now that they have changed to better ones, this one has been in the stable, and I hope Pei Erge Guo will not mind."

Guo Kui looked at this steed, which was much better than his own old horse, and bowed: "I dare not!"

Xu Zaijing nodded and handed the reins to him.

Guo Kui first bowed deeply to Xu Zaijing before taking the reins, and then bowed to Yin Bo and Alan.

At this time, Qingcao and Yunxiang walked over from the corridor with several maids from the inner courtyard.

They were holding thick cotton quilts, hand warmers, food boxes, etc., and Yunxiang also had a fur of some kind.

Gu Tingye helped put the things into the carriage.

Qingcao on the side said: "Young Master Guo, the charcoal for the hand warmer is placed in this compartment at the back of the carriage."

Guo Kui nodded.

Except for Qingcao and Huaxiang, the other maids bowed and turned back to the inner courtyard.

"Let's go!"

Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye, and Guo Kui were in front,

Behind them were Alan and Zhi Que, who were leading the carriage and horses.

After exiting the Marquis's mansion gate,

Xu Zaijing finally saw the dilapidated carriage by the hitching post. The horse pulling the carriage was not the old horse he saw when he first met Guo Kui.

Xu Zaijing looked at Guo Kui again.

"That old horse was raised by an old servant in the family, and now it is keeping him company."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

Hearing Guo Kui's voice, someone in the dilapidated carriage quietly lifted a corner of the curtain.

"Matriarch, it's the Master who came out!"

After Gu Tingye heard this, his eyes widened in shock.

Xu Zaijing had guessed it in the hall where he entertained guests in his own house, but he turned back to his maid with a calm face:

"Help change the carriage!"

Guo Kui had already walked to the dilapidated carriage and said: "Come, let's change to that carriage."

"Lianpeng, you get down, I will pass things from the carriage."

"Yes, Matriarch."

A female voice came from the carriage. After speaking, a twelve or thirteen-year-old maid got off the carriage.

After bowing in a rather non-standard way, she began to move things from the side of the carriage.

While carrying a bundle, she looked at Qingcao's clothes and jewelry with surprise and envy.

When she saw Huaxiang, the little maid's eyes were about to pop out.

When Huaxiang took the bundle from her hand, the maid named Lianpeng whispered: "Sister, are you a fairy descending to earth?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone laughed.

Xu Zaijing smiled and said a few words beside Alan, and Alan ran back to the Marquis's mansion to get something.

There wasn't much in the dilapidated carriage, and it was moved quickly.

After settling the things, the woman kept her head down and stood beside Guo Kui with the naive maid.

Soon, Alan ran out holding a set of soft bow bags and bows and arrows that Xu Zaijing used.

Xu Zaijing hung the things on the side of the saddle and said:

"Looking at Pei Erge Guo's figure, it seems like you know how to use a bow and arrow; this set I use is a bit soft."

Guo Kui looked at the bow and arrow with shining eyes and nodded.

Subsequently, after Guo Kui helped the woman into the carriage,

He bowed deeply again and said: "Fifth Young Master, then, we will meet again!"

Xu Zaijing also bowed in return and said: "Pei Erge Guo, we will meet again! By the way, if you take the Xiangzhou route, the Zhu family fortress north of the prefecture city is my family's close relative!"

"I will keep it in mind."

Gu Tingye also bowed in return.

After Guo Kui got on his horse, the woman in the carriage also lifted the curtain and nodded in greeting.

Xu Zaijing bowed in return again.

Amidst the sounds of the naive maid in the carriage saying, "Matriarch, the carriage is so warm!", "Matriarch, the quilt is so soft!", "Matriarch, what kind of fur is this?", they gradually moved away.

"Pei Erge, this Fifth Young Master of the Marquis's mansion is truly generous and righteous!"

"That's right!"

Guo Kui continued: "When the Marquis Yongyi was in the Tianwu Army, he also paid full rations!"

After speaking, Guo Kui said no more, his eyes full of emotion as he stroked his mount.

Soon, the horse and carriage disappeared into the northward streets of Bianjing.

At the gate of the Marquis's mansion,

Gu Tingye and Xu Zaijing walked inside together: "Jing Ge'er, you sent a carriage and a mount, what are you aiming for?"

Xu Zaijing smiled; in any case, it wasn't aiming for him to be as famous as Di Jing.

(End of this chapter)