Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

Chapter 470: Fate and Fortune

"If we hadn't gone in time, I'm afraid we wouldn't have found out anything this time."

Cui Bianxu didn't know whether to be thankful or not. He reached out a hand and grasped Jiang Shangxian's hand. The hand felt very good. He subconsciously squeezed it twice before saying, "I wonder if my mother-in-law is angry. I hurriedly passed through Chang'an and was unable to come and apologize in person."

"Of course I'm angry, but..."

Jiang Shangxian placed his other hand on the back of his hand and rubbed it, then raised his eyes and said jokingly, "You're not going there for fun, you're going to do something serious. It's just a little regretful."

He had indeed lost a lot of weight, and his bones felt a little bulging. There were many small scars on his hands, which felt a little rough.

I have to make up for it as soon as possible. Fortunately, this trip to Qingzhou is by water, so I can stop more often on the way and arrive before the appointed day.

"When I return to Chang'an, I will go to my mother-in-law's house and apologize." Cui Bianxu felt her hand groping on his forearm, and felt a little nervous.

Just before coming here, he looked at himself in the mirror and found that he looked a little haggard and thin, not as handsome as before.

Therefore, he always turned his right face towards Xiao Jiang - this is the direction he looked most handsome!

You know exactly what your wife likes about you!

"Of course. When the three emperors returned home, you and I were still on the road. We will naturally make up for it when we return to Chang'an."

Jiang Shangxian withdrew his hand, turned around and took the hand cream produced in Chang'an City during the winter, then sat down again. He placed his hands on his knees and applied the cream bit by bit carefully: "You, if you don't want to say it, forget it."

Although she was curious, everyone has their own little secrets. Even if two people become close to each other in the future, they should have the right to keep their little secrets.

Impotence, premature ejaculation, infidelity, and hiding secret money are excluded.

"It's not that I don't want to say it, it's just that I don't know where to start." Cui Bian was speaking the truth. He always had nothing to hide when talking to Jiang Shangxian.

Jiang Shangxian looked up and chuckled as he glanced at him. "Just say the same thing now as you did when you went to Lexian Tower and forced me to talk to you. You're acting like this for no reason. Aren't you afraid that I'll laugh at you?"

"Why are you so vindictive?" Cui Bianxu also laughed. The scenes seemed like yesterday, and now they are about to get married.

Xiao Jiang slapped his hand twice in a mischievous tone, "Does Cui Lang regret marrying such a vindictive woman?"

Without waiting for Cui Bianxu to respond, she clasped his two large hands together, as proud as a puppy staking out its territory. "It's too late to regret now. The two wild geese you sent are still helping to carry Hongchou in the caravan. Yingzi has taken excellent care of them. Even Qingyisi wore red silk to greet guests two days ago! Now everyone in Chang'an knows that my mother-in-law loves me so much that she came to meet me personally. If Cui Lang wants to leave me and marry another beautiful woman, I'm afraid my mother-in-law won't agree."

"When did I say I wanted to marry another beauty? In all of Chang'an, I can't see a more beautiful and lively woman than Nian Nu."

Cui Bianxu quickly expressed his loyalty, and when he smiled, the wrinkles on his face looked worthless.

He knew that talking to his wife was the most enjoyable thing, and he found everything she said interesting.

"Why don't you come here quickly!" Jiang Shangxian's expression changed very quickly. Before he finished speaking, he threw Cui Bianxu's hand aside, picked up the teacup and took a sip.

Cui Bianxu couldn't help but laugh at his empty hands, but after a moment he stopped smiling and said, "I should have been able to make it back this time, but the snow was so thick that I had to take a detour, which delayed me."

He recalled the cold wind blowing snow into his face, and the feeling that everything in the world had disappeared except for the rustling sound of snow and horse hooves. He couldn't help but shiver.

My knees and feet were always cold. As soon as I got off the horse, my boots would soon be wet and cold. Even with a cloth covering my face, it couldn't block the wind and my eyes were closed. From time to time, snowflakes would fall into my eyes and make them feel cold.

"If we had gone south, we wouldn't have had all these troubles. It's because Guazhou is in the west." Jiang Shangxian regretted it after he left. If she had known that he would go to Guazhou at that time, she would have prepared some thick boots and knee pads for him to take with him.

Cui Bianxu placed his left hand on his knee and rubbed it unconsciously. His knee was still a little sore and cold. "As soon as I entered Guazhou and started to inquire about the news, I heard that Zhao Ji and his wife left Guazhou to visit their daughter."

Xiao Jiang raised an eyebrow. "Although the Zhao family has some reputation in Guazhou, it's a bit excessive for everyone in Guazhou to know about the trip of the third wife and her husband."

She is not a big star, and the third wife is just a concubine's daughter. Everyone celebrates the New Year at home. Why go looking for your daughter at this time?

It's like taking off your pants and farting.

Besides, isn't their "daughter" imprisoned in the Dali Temple, living off the government's money? Where can they go to see her? Visit her?

Cui Bianxu knew she would be able to sense something was wrong. When he heard this, he knew something must have happened to the Third House, so he asked another question: "Most people only saw the Third House's carriage leaving the city, but no one from the higher-ups saw it with their own eyes."

Others would naturally not think much of such things. Guazhou has strong winds and sandstorms, and winter arrives earlier than other places every year. Most people wear veils or cover their faces when they go out. What's more, the women of the Zhao family would ride in carriages whenever possible. Not only would they get covered in dust outside, but their delicate faces would also be cracked by the wind.

Jiang Shangxian nodded. The text message from Guazhou clearly stated that Zhao Ji was imprisoned and the Zhao family was in chaos. "The Zhao family deliberately created the illusion that they had left the city. Are they planning to kill them?"

Otherwise there's no need to bother.

"It would be fine if only one person died, but if all three families died together, it would inevitably be noticed by outsiders."

Cui Bianxu waved the ivory round fan in his hand, gently fanning Xiao Jiang. "But if he died outside, who would be able to link this to the Zhao family?"

The stove in the room was just right for an ordinary person, but it was a little too hot for her. Perhaps because she had gained weight, her cheeks were already flushed. Hearing this, she couldn't help but sigh in amazement: "That's right. When the time comes, we'll hold a grand funeral and let them go in a dignified manner. We can also receive a lot of gifts."

Even after death, he can still make money for the Zhao family.

"Your great-uncle is really a smart guy. He can think of such a win-win solution to fill up the Zhao family's warehouse at this time. You are really a capable person." Xiao Jiang winked at Xiao Cui teasingly.

Jiang Shangxian was right. Cui Bianxu was so amused that he couldn't explain himself. "This is the first time I've known that my great-uncle was such a good manager of the family finances. If it weren't for the New Year, many people would think a funeral at this time is unlucky and wouldn't have offered any gifts. I'm afraid Zhao Ji wouldn't have lived long enough for me to rescue him."

Think about it from another perspective, how could Zhao Ji not be considered blessed by his ancestors?