Xie Ming

"Lotus seeds are tossed across the water, the clear ripples scattering the moon's reflection."

"The boat moves, startling the egret's shadow; I laugh and ask, 'Have we met you?'"

"Old Xiao, Old Xiao."

"See? They came all this way just for you."

"Wow, that was a brilliant move to test the waters."

"Hey, don't be so clueless, okay?"

Continuing from the previous text, Qiu Zhizhong's sarcastic tone makes Xiao Jingchuan appear quite serious, but he is actually displeased and speaks his mind.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lang felt embarrassed and his words hit the nail on the head. Unable to refute, he simply waved his hand to stop him from speaking.

"Go away, go away, go to the side. You're always nagging people." Xiao complained, trying to change the subject.

Unexpectedly, Zhizhong did not buy it and continued to press the issue.

"Hey, how come what I said is wrong?"

"Uh, well, I just heard Miss Hongyu talk about it too."

"People come with sincerity."

"The horses and men at the front are fed and cared for by the horses, and the daily expenses are enormous."

“Even though we recently confiscated some of your family property under the pretext of the anti-traitor case, Ma Weimin is still willing to work hard to raise funds for you.”

"But it's always the same old trick of robbing Peter to pay Paul."

"We were already struggling to make ends meet, barely scraping by."

"The imperial court is in arrears with its salaries, and disasters of all sizes are constantly occurring in various places."

"How can this continue?"

"Not to mention the loyalty of the court officials, the people are at peace."

"Even with the turmoil caused by foreign enemies in the north, we are by no means in a state of absolute security at present."

"You're so picky, you're even picking and choosing."

Presenting facts and reasoning, they earnestly set a trap.

"Hey Lao Xiao, you really can't be bothered by this."

"The fact that the Chen family has come to surrender today is a signal."

"What if you really had a million taels of silver to push that second young lady into your mansion from behind?"

"Are you really planning to keep everyone at arm's length?"

Qiu brought things to the table, making the accounts clear.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingchuan fell silent.

"This"

Hesitant and difficult to deal with, Zhizhong kept teasing him, forcibly relieving Huaixiao's embarrassment.

"Alright, she's just a girl, what's wrong with meeting her?"

"You're a grown man, are you afraid of being eaten?"

Having said that, Zhizhong had clearly made his point completely, and even if Xiao Jingchuan wanted to change his mind now, there was no room for maneuver.

Xiao Jia glanced at Hongyu out of the corner of his eye and saw that the girl's face had changed color, clearly indicating that she was not very happy.

Reluctantly, Xiao Ye didn't want to say anything more to her.

He turned his gaze to Yao Zuyin on the other side.

"This"

"Master, what do you think?"

At this moment, they've actually become respectful and courteous to scholars.

Upon hearing this, the old monk Yao Zuyin stroked his beard, realizing he was quite the frivolous old man.

"Hoo Hoo Hoo"

"Under the guise of rewarding the troops, they sent silver and their granddaughter."

"Alright, this Chen Xuanli is knowledgeable and shrewd."

"Ah, well... let's leave the aftermath aside for now."

"This old monk thinks that since they are willing to invest so much, you, Xiao Chuan, might as well give them a meeting, huh?!"

"For the sake of the money, it's not shameful."

"Amitabha."

"It's a good deal, why not take it?"

Well, Yao and Qiu, one after the other, were busy making sarcastic remarks, their eyes only on money.

Xiao Wenqu was speechless and helpless, forced into the situation.

"Hey, wow, come on, you two are really something."

"So you're putting me on the line?" Xiao asked awkwardly. Zhizhong saw through him immediately and retorted.

"Alright, alright, stop trying to take advantage of me."

"Look at your pretentious behavior."

"Who knows how happy they are inside? Why bother pretending to visit Zhuge Liang three times?"

Even if it's ugly.

Before Qiu could finish speaking, he slashed Xiao with a knife, and Xiao, having already accepted his fate, immediately offered his own head.

"How is it?!" Xiao Jie asked.

"Kill them!"

Qiu and Yao are so unserious. Don't take them seriously. They're usually so earnest, always so idealistic and idealistic. Amitabha.

But looking at them with such a discerning eye, they truly reveal their true colors—just two vulgar people.

There's no other way.

Xiao Jingchuan sighed, not wanting to waste any more time arguing with these two.

As the saying goes, "Listen to advice, and you'll have a full meal."

He looked reluctant, his head drooping lazily, and hurried off to the inner quarters.

Following behind, Hongyu glared at him hatefully, stamped her foot, gritted her teeth, and had no choice but to let things take their course.

So, they walked side by side, one in front and one behind, the master and servant striding quickly to the back.

Through Xiao'e's introduction, Xiao finally met Chen Wanying, the second young lady of the Chen family, in the main room of the hall.

After a few words, Yu'e, knowing her place, dismissed the two men, pretending that her child was taking a nap, and urged the host and guest to go to the garden behind the house to chat.

At this time, around 9:45 AM, the sun is high in the sky, shining brightly under a clear blue sky—a rare and beautiful day.

Now, in the back garden of this Chen residence, winding paths lead to secluded spots.

After all, the charm of a typical Jiangnan garden lies not in the grandeur and solemnity of those in the north.

The main theme is "concealment" and "melody".

Upon entering the garden gate, a long, secluded corridor leads to the backyard.

Upon entering the garden, the green brick walls of the corridor were damp, and there was a mixed smell of old wood and moss.

After being filtered through several layers, the light leaked through the latticed window, casting blurry, mottled, and moving images on the ground.

As you walk along the corridor, you'll always feel that the scenery is just ahead.

However, when you actually go down to look for it, there is always a bend in the path. In the quiet and empty space, you can only hear the sound of your feet stepping on the blue bricks and the faint, indistinct sound of the babbling water in the distance.

"Lord Duke, are you comfortable living in this garden?"

With the woman in front and the man behind, Chen Wanying, dressed in a pale yellow pleated skirt, walked gracefully ahead.

The two remained silent for a long while, alone together.

To ease the awkwardness, Wan Yingye bit her lip and had no choice but to steel herself and begin to speak in a low voice.

Her soft voice was uttered timidly, and though it was heard, it was not clear.

Xiao Jingchuan, who was following behind, suddenly paused, feeling awkward and unsure how to respond.

"what?"

"Cough cough."

"very good."

"My wife is pregnant and about to give birth, so it's naturally a bit more complicated."

"Thanks to the Second Miss's kindness, I was able to borrow this garden to stay temporarily, which solved my urgent problem."

It sounded grand and impressive, but it wasn't something I put into it; it was just something I said casually.

Upon hearing this, Wanying continued walking without stopping, responding casually, as if she were not being deliberately polite.

"My mother told me that the ten months of pregnancy and the day of childbirth are like a woman walking through the gates of hell."

"There is no room for carelessness."

"Why must the Duke be so formal?"

"How can the Chen family afford to accept this?"

"It was just a small favor."

"Now that my wife has given birth to a healthy baby and everything is going smoothly and peacefully, I can finally feel at ease."

As expected of a lady from a respectable family, her speech was always impeccable and perfectly appropriate.

Following the conversation, we crossed the Qingfeng Pavilion in the back garden and turned into the east courtyard.

This area is a suitable place to read books and documents. The two characters "劝进" (encourage advancement) are written on the plaque in front of the hall, and the nanmu pillars on the left and right are quite serene.

Several stone peaks, resembling humans and beasts, stand silently guarding the passage of time in the courtyard in front of the hall. (End of this chapter)