The surface of the river rose and fell, and from time to time, sails would float in the opposite direction from the window.
The Xiao family's boat was Xiao Qi's personal ride. It didn't look ostentatious from the outside and was similar to an ordinary small merchant ship. There were no places to play inside, and apart from Xiao Qi's residence, there were only a few guest rooms.
It was very boring to travel by boat in this world. It was cold and windy, and there was no way to enjoy the scenery. Everyone sat in the room in a daze.
Xiao Ting didn't wake up after yelling all morning. As soon as he boarded the boat, he was punished by Miss Xiao to copy books because he stepped into the cabin with his left foot first. The door was locked, and from time to time, he would shout, "Aunt, I was wrong … Xu Buling, you have to save me …".
In the room facing the river, Lady Lu sat on a carved soft couch with a half-embroidered robe on her knees. She covered her ears and was a little impatient.
"Ling 'er, go and teach Xiao Ting a lesson. He's so noisy and annoying …"
Lady Lu was born in Jiangnan and hadn't returned to her hometown for a long time. She was about to return to her parents' home, and she didn't have the psychological burden that Xiang 'er had, so she was in a very good mood. The way she covered her ears revealed the naughty look of the "Little Sour Radish" in the past.
Xu Buling sat next to her and drank tea. He turned a deaf ear to Xiao Ting's shouting and said casually,
"He's always like this. He'll forget after tidying up in the afternoon."
Lady Lu knew Xiao Ting's temperament and snorted. "Xiao Qi and Xiao Xiang are both smart people. How can Xiao Ting be so stupid? Fortunately, he's not my nephew." She picked up the robe and continued to embroider with a smile on her lips.
"Ling 'er, last time you said that Xiao Qi deliberately seduced you, and I naturally believed you. Since Xiao Qi dared to use this method, she must still want to agree to the marriage. You have to work hard this time and try to bring Xiao Qi back to Suzhou. With a good wife like Xiao Qi, I don't have to keep an eye on you all day … "
Xu Buling faced with this imperceptible question and chuckled. "Xiao Qi has a good sense of propriety, but she can't compare to Aunt Lu when it comes to housekeeping. The man takes care of the outside and the woman takes care of the inside. In the future, when you enter the Xu Family, you still have to listen to Aunt Lu's arrangements. "
"…"
Madam Lu's hands paused for a moment before she replied, "Nonsense … She's going to be the princess consort. My mistress or whatever has nothing to do with you …" Even though that was what she said, her eyebrows curved up in satisfaction.
There was nothing to do on the boat except for drinking tea, and there was only Lady Lu by his side to entertain his eyes.
Xu Buling watched Lady Lu embroider and felt a little bored after sitting for a long time. He thought for a moment, then put down his teacup and raised his hand to press Lady Lu's fragrant shoulder. He gently massaged it a few times. "Aunt Lu, you must be tired after sitting for so long, right? Let me massage your shoulder for you … "
Lady Lu's body stiffened and she slightly twisted her shoulder, obviously trying to avoid it. She was about to say 'I am your aunt', but for some reason, she was a little embarrassed to say it now.
Xu Buling curled his lips. Seeing that Aunt Lu was in a good mood and didn't seem to be resisting, he massaged her for a moment, then slid his hand down her waist and gradually explored below her ribs, quietly propping them up.
After all, Lady Lu wasn't Ning Yuhe. She endured for a moment, but seeing that Xu Buling was getting excited, she picked up the embroidery needle and was about to poke him. She frowned and said, "Go find Xiao Qi … I'm not tired, don't bother me."
Xu Buring reluctantly withdrew his hand. Seeing that Madam Lu's face had turned red, he did not want to cause any more trouble. He stood up to bid farewell and went to Xiao Qi's room.
…
It was very quiet in the cabin. Except for Xiao Ting's shout from time to time, the maids were sitting in their respective rooms waiting for orders.
Xiao Qi was the head of the Xiao family. Her position forced her to become a workaholic and a strong woman. Her personality was also relatively strong. Although she never treated the maids too harshly, her aura was there. Even Nightingale was a little scared and hid on the other side of the ship to practice martial arts.
At this time, in the corridor, Lan Hua, the tall and burly maid who was a little taller than Xu Buling, was leaning against the door of Xiao Ting's room with her arms crossed. She didn't want Xiao Ting's personal maid to send melon seeds and snacks to Xiao Ting.
Xu Buling walked to Xiao Qi's study. The ship was a little humid in winter, so the door was not closed for ventilation. There was a brass heater inside. The furnishings in the study were not much different from those in Linhe Garden. There was nothing except a bookshelf and a desk.
Xiao Qi, who was always dressed in a simple but elegant black dress, sat straight behind the desk and looked at the recent account books of Jinling's industries. As the first aristocratic family in Dai Yue, the Xiao family of Huainan couldn't only have a small manor. They had accumulated all kinds of industries for thousands of years. If one didn't look at the account books, they might not even know that they belonged to the Xiao family. These industries were usually managed by the uncles and uncles of the Xiao family. Since Xiao Qi came here, she naturally had to take a look.
"Miss Xiao?"
"Come in."
Xiao Qi turned a page of the account book in her hand without raising her head. The neat and solemn furnishings, coupled with her serious expression, eyes like autumn water, and eyebrows like willow leaves, gave her a different kind of beauty.
Xu Buling had long been accustomed to Xiao Qi's indifference. After all, her personality was like this. Last time when Xiao Qi used her beauty to trap him, he knew that there were women in this world who wore black underwear. Just from this point, he could see through her character.
Xu Buling closed the door and walked to the opposite side of the desk. He dragged a wooden armchair and sat down. His posture was cold and extraordinary, and he looked at Xiao Qi's face.
Xiao Qi raised her eyes and glanced at him. Then she looked at the account book again and said softly,
"You ruined my chastity, so I took revenge on you. You and I are even. What happened in the past never happened."
Although her tone was calm, she began to explain what happened last time before Xu Buling said anything. Obviously, she was still afraid that Xu Buling would act recklessly.
Xu Buling laughed in his heart. Naturally, he didn't say anything.
Instead, he said, "The King Wu invited me to the banquet. He will definitely find a way to get the jade pendant from me. The remaining jade pendant must be in the hands of the King Wu. Have you found any clues recently? "
Seeing that Xu Buling was talking about business, Xiao Qi finally relaxed a little. She closed the account book, got up and walked to the window. She picked up the teapot and poured two cups of tea.
"I checked the family files. When the God of War, Zuo Zhe, founded the Daqi Kingdom, my Xiao family's ancestor served as his military adviser …"
Hearing this opening, Xu Buling couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Zuo Zhe was a figure from more than three hundred years ago. Three hundred years ago, the Xu family's ancestor was probably playing in the mud in a remote village. The Song clan's ancestor was still a down-and-out aristocrat who tightened his belt and lived a hard life. With a simple sentence, he fully displayed the foundation of the first aristocratic family of Dai Yue.
The Xu family had only been prosperous for three generations. In the eyes of the aristocratic families, they were the standard nouveau riche. Strictly speaking, Xu Buling marrying the legitimate daughter of the Xiao family was like marrying Xiao Qi to a lower position.
However, Xiao Qi had already given her body to Xu Buling. There was no point in caring about their status. What she said was just a fact.
"… At that time, there were records left by the family. Zuo Zhe did give four jade artifacts to his four personal disciples. At that time, Zuo Zhe wasn't dead yet, and he didn't write down any books on military strategy or martial arts. So, it's definitely not the Tongtian Tome as the rumors say …
… According to the records, Zuo Zhe was a hermit. When the Daqi Kingdom conquered the world, he came out of seclusion to assist the Emperor of Qi. After he succeeded, he went into seclusion for a period of time. No one could find him. Later, when the Emperor of Qi lost control of the court and the families of the generals, the four disciples invited Zuo Zhe back … Logically speaking, one person was enough to invite Zuo Zhe back to the court. However, four people went together. Could it be that the four of them worked together to find Zuo Zhe? "
Xu Buling listened quietly and thought for a while. "You mean, Zuo Zhe had a hiding place that no one could find? The four jade artifacts recorded clues that could be found. Are they like the keys to a safe? "
"Safe?"
"Er … the location of the secret storeroom and the key."
Xiao Qi was tall. She leaned against the desk and thought for a while. Then, she nodded. "It's possible, but it was too long ago. Zuo Zhe died a long time ago. We won't be able to guess what he put in his hiding place."
"Then, let's go to the King Wu's Mansion and see what's going on."
Xu Buling stopped talking with his teacup after he finished talking about business. He glanced at Xiao Qi.
His gaze was a little presumptuous. Xiao Qi was thinking about other things. When she realized that Xu Buling's thoughts were not pure, her expression froze. She stood up and walked behind the desk.
However, just as he took two steps forward, he felt his body tighten. There was no sound behind him, and even though there was no movement, he was hugged tightly in someone's embrace.
"Woo …"
Xiao Qibo's eyes were in a mess. She turned around forcefully and raised her face to look at Xu Buring, who was right in front of her, like a startled wild cat.
"Xu Buling, you're too presumptuous …"
Xu Buling's eyes were calm. He held Xiao Qi's waist and said softly, "There were people in the room a few days ago. Let me apologize to you while no one disturbed us. I really didn't recognize you in Chang 'an. I had no choice but to hide it the next day … "
Xiao Qi was surrounded by a man's breath. She looked as determined as ever, but her legs were trembling under her skirt. The scenes of that night rushed into her mind uncontrollably. She pushed Xu Buling's chest gently.
"I know. I don't blame you … Let go of me …"
Xu Buling didn't let go. He was a little puzzled. "I didn't recognize you at that time, but why was Miss Xiao so cooperative? If you resisted a little, I could feel it … But you didn't resist and played like a baby … "
"Shut up."
Xiao Qi was also called a baby last time, so she naturally understood what Xu Buling meant. Her eyelashes fluttered a little, and she tried to speak in a calm tone.
"I was drunk at that time, and I thought you were a succubus … What are you trying to say?"
Xu Buling's eyes were focused. He stared into Xiao Qi's eyes and said,
"I'll marry you."
"…"
Xiao Qi frowned slightly. Their eyes were originally looking at each other, but after a while, she looked away and pushed Xu Buling out.
"I'll think about it. I won't argue with you about what happened today, but don't do it again."
Xu Buling was pushed out of the room. He shook his head and sighed.
Xiao Qi closed the door and bolted it. She leaned against the door, closed her eyes, and breathed many times before she slowly calmed down …
