In the winter, the air was bone-chilling. Zhang Zhuo, dressed in a green coat, waved to Chen Liqin from afar, with a friendly smile on his face as if he were reunited with an old friend.

Chen Liqin's expression changed slightly: "Mr. Zhang, please forgive me for speaking frankly. You and I are not from the same place. Why do we have to return to Beijing together?"

Zhang Zhuo smiled heartily and said, "What are you talking about, Mr. Chen? You and I were partners in Luo City, and we were promoted together. If we don't return to the capital together, others will think that we both have no tolerance and tolerance."

Where are each other?"

Chen Liqin said angrily: "Master Zhang, please don't make insinuations or criticize Sanghuai. You and I have no personal relationship, so it's better not to set off together."

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard and asked with great interest: "Mr. Chen, are you worried that I will be inferior to you as a father when I am by Chen Ji's side?"

Chen Liqin said angrily: "Mr. Zhang, please don't make baseless speculations! I see your Zhang family's motorcade standing next to each other, so I really don't dare to get close to you!"

The Chen family values ​​reputation and lintel, and prides itself on being noble. Zhang Zhuo left office so blatantly with hundreds of carts of goods, how could Chen Liqin be willing to set off with the Zhang family?

If someone saw it then, they might think that he and Zhang Zhuo were doing it together!

Zhang Zhuo was not angry either. He took a few steps forward and wanted to take Chen Liqin's hand to show his closeness, but Chen Liqin quickly retracted his hand into his sleeve: "Master Zhang, you have something to say, so don't touch me!"

Zhang Zhuole laughed and said: "Master Chen, don't worry too much. Later, your Chen family's motorcade will go to the front, and my Zhang family will follow behind. Keep a distance so that no one will misunderstand you!"

Chen Liqin became suspicious: "Master Zhang, why do you have to go with me?"

Zhang Zhuo smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "Master Chen is about to enter the official office of the East Palace. Isn't it okay for Zhang to get close to the future minister of Conglong in advance? Master Chen, you represent the prince now, do you want to replace him?"

The prince has rejected my Zhang family and the Xu family thousands of miles away? Does the prince know this?"

Chen Liqin opened his mouth, but no words came out.

In recent years, the battle for the right to inherit the throne has become more and more intense. The rumors between the Crown Prince, Prince Fu, and Prince An have already become gossip among the people. At this time, the Crown Prince naturally hopes to get as much help as possible. The Xu family has never been involved in the battle to win the right to inherit the throne.

The prince expressed his attitude. If he and Zhang Zhuo were at odds with each other, what would the prince think of him?

Thinking of this, Chen Liqin was really caught by Zhang Zhuo and had no way to refute.

Zhang Zhuo laughed and turned to leave. He walked back along the Chen family's motorcade and asked loudly: "Chen Ji, Chen Ji! Which car are you in?"

Chen Ji gently opened the curtain, jumped out of the carriage and said with cupped hands, "Master Zhang."

Zhang Zhuo came closer and asked in a very low voice: "Wang Chongli's death, has anyone found out about you?"

Chen Ji also lowered his voice: "Reporting to Mr. Zhang, this matter has not been found on me."

"It's okay if you don't. I didn't sleep all night last night, for fear that something would happen again," Zhang Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief, and then cautiously asked: "Now the case of Prince Jing is unresolved, and Wang Chongli's identity is sensitive, and his death is closely involved.

Guang, all the way north there are spies from the Secret Service setting up checkpoints. I hope you will come forward and don't let them open the boxes and inspect my Zhang family's belongings. These hundreds of carts of belongings must be delivered to the capital safely, otherwise I

Zhang’s life is in danger.”

Chen Ji suddenly realized that Zhang Zhuo wanted to use his identity as Hai Dongqing to escort him, so he waited here early.

He said sincerely: "I know, Mr. Zhang, please rest assured. I will escort the Zhang family's belongings to Beijing."

At this moment, Zhang Xia, dressed in a fiery red robe, came holding Zaozao and handed the reins to Chen Ji's hand.

Chen Ji asked in confusion: "Miss Zhang Er, what are you doing?"

Zhang Xia touched Zaozao's cheek and explained: "My mother didn't want me to ride a horse and show off. I thought you were definitely not the type to sit in a carriage, so I lent Zaozao to you for a few days and then returned it to me in the capital."

.”

As she spoke, she patted the saddle, pointed to a long cloth bag lying in front of the saddle and whispered: "The knife you entrusted to me earlier is in this bag. I saw that it had no scabbard, so I looked for it.

I’ll give you a pair... I’m not sure if you like the style of the scabbard. If you don’t like it, I’ll look for a chance to get a better one in the future.”

Whale knife.

The five-foot-five-inch-long sword blade is almost as tall as a person and is particularly eye-catching. Chen Ji could not bring the sword back to the Chen family before, so he stored it in the Zhang Mansion and entrusted Zhang Xia to help keep it.

Someone had promised to help him get a scabbard, but before he could do it, he stopped thinking about getting a scabbard. Unexpectedly, Zhang Xia did it for him.

Zhang Xia continued: "In the sack next to the saddle, there are also some beef jerky made by Wu Xinji and preserved fruits and plums from the candied shop. You can eat them if you have nothing to do on the way."

Chen Ji reached out and stroked the bag: "Thank you, Miss Zhang Er."

Zhang Xia grinned widely and said: "You helped me Zhang Jialiang a lot, why are you so polite? Besides, didn't I already tell you that we have a life-long friendship in Longwang Tun."

While he was talking, he saw Zhang Zhuofu's wife, Xu Shi Shiran, walking out of the teahouse. Zhang Zheng lost his usual flamboyance and followed him honestly.

Mrs. Xu's clothes are simple, her white placket is not embroidered with complicated patterns, and there is no gold or silver thread trimming. She only has two wooden hairpins inserted randomly on her head, which is not as showy as Liang's.

She calmly walked up to Chen Ji and said with a gentle smile, "Are you Chen Ji?"

In the carriage, when Xiao Man saw Mr. Xu approaching, he immediately opened the curtains and raised his ears to eavesdrop.

There was a noise from the wooden box in the car, and she hurriedly sat on the wooden box to prevent Su Zhou from suddenly getting out.

The traces outside the carriage raised their hands and bowed: "Reporting to Madam, here are the traces."

Mrs. Xu didn't say anything, but looked at him from head to toe, and then from feet to head before speaking slowly: "I heard that you were an apprentice at Yao Imperial Physician's place before. Recently, you want to go back to Chen's family to study and get a good reputation?"

With just this sentence, Chen Ji knew that Zhang Zhuo had not informed Xu about his affairs... Could it be that Zhang Zhuo didn't trust his wife?

Zhang Zhuo yelled at the side: "Madam, it's getting late, let's get back to the car."

Mrs. Xu glanced at him lightly but did not answer.

Zhang Zhuo laughed twice: "Then I'll get back to the car first!"

Mrs. Xu watched Zhang Zhuo leave, then looked at Chen Ji again after a moment, and said warmly: "A prodigal son will never be replaced by gold. If you can step back from the brink, you will still be a good boy. It's just that you need to invest a hundred times, a thousand times, or ten thousand times the energy to stand out from the crowd."

When you concentrate on your own work, don’t let your mind get distracted by other things.”

Chen Ji said softly: "Madam, you are right. Please follow your instructions."

Seeing that he was not disobedient, Mrs. Xu finally smiled and said, "Chen Ji, do you have a woman you like?"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment and responded: "Reporting to Madam, no."

Mrs. Xu nodded: "There are many good women in Beijing. When you return to the capital, I can also help you keep an eye out to see if there is any good family that matches your family."

Zhang Xia's eyes widened: "Mom, Chen Ji, he and the county..."

Before he finished speaking, Mr. Xu grabbed his wrist: "Getting married and establishing a career is the most important thing in life, how can we delay it? Chen Ji, are you right?"

Chen Ji said humbly: "I don't dare bother Madam about this matter."

"Zao Zao is Xia'er's most cherished treasure. The fact that she can lend you Zao Zao means that you are close friends. I'll help a bunch of her friends so that they won't get in the way. Okay, let's set off," Mrs. Xu held Zhang Xia's hand

He walked towards the Zhang family's motorcade.

"Mom, what are you doing? I still have something to say to Chen Ji. Don't let me lose my friend!" Zhang Xia tried to break free from Xu's hand several times, but failed.

Mrs. Xu glanced sideways at her and shouted: "Shut up, if I let you go like this again, who in the capital will dare to marry you in the future?"

Zhang Xia grimaced: "It doesn't matter if no one marries you. My daughter will stay with you as a filial piety for the rest of her life. Anyway, there are no men in Beijing that I like."

Xu said angrily: "Nonsense!"

After that, she led Zhang Xia back to the carriage.

A boy hurriedly knelt down, lowered his body and let Xu step on his back to get on the carriage. Zhang Xia did not step on the boy, but jumped on with a slight jump.

Chen Ji looked at Zhang Zheng, who coughed lightly: "Don't take it to heart. My sister and I are not afraid of anything, but we are only afraid of her, so we have nothing to do."

Chen Ji smiled and said, "How could it be possible? Brother Zhang, don't worry."

After Zhang Zheng also left, Xiao Man angrily opened the curtains and said, "Aren't you angry, Master?"

Chen Ji remained calm: "Why am I angry?"

Xiao Man muttered: "Mrs. Zhang said she wanted to find a well-matched match for you... This so-called right match means a concubine marrying a concubine, and a legitimate son marrying a legitimate daughter. How could she really want to help you? She was clearly reminding you.

Don't take advantage of Miss Zhang Er."

Chen Ji smiled: "There were rumors that the Zhang family and the Chen family were going to get married. It's normal for her to be worried. It's just that she didn't know that Miss Zhang Er and I were friends, not as she thought."

Xiaoman curled his lips: "That's good, otherwise I'd still have to be angry with them!"

Chen Ji couldn't laugh or cry: "You are quite lenient."

Xiao Man whispered: "I care about you."

Chen Ji patted Zaozao's neck, got on his horse, and rode all the way towards the wonton shop next to the city gate.

When they arrived at the wonton shop, the diners on several wooden tables stood up involuntarily and whispered: "Mr. Chen."

Chen Ji sat on Zaozao's back and looked down at them. He said calmly: "Everyone sit down. The city gate will be opened later and the vehicles behind will be let through."

After that, he took the reins and turned back. A diner wiped his mouth, lowered his head and went out from the back door of the wonton shop, detouring to Chengguan to explain the matter.

The city gate opened, and the long motorcade passed through the city gate. The spy did not even check the simplest road guide.

Chen Ji was a little sad, it turned out that even now, he has become a big shot in the eyes of others.

When the long convoy all drove out of the city gate, he also rode Zaozao, slowly passing through the two heavy red lacquered gates and passing through the dark and mottled city gate.

After riding for a certain distance, Chen Ji finally couldn't help but look back.

Chen Ji was wearing a large black cloak, with a long knife across the front of his saddle, and he was standing on horseback.

He saw the red lacquered door slowly closing behind him, blocking out the scenery in Luo City little by little, as if someone was saying to him, young man, don't look back again.

Chen Ji took one last deep look, then exhaled a mouthful of white mist and turned to catch up with the convoy.

Xiao Man stuck his head out of the car and asked, "Sir, you don't look happy?"

Chen Ji smiled: "What a pity."

Xiaoman was confused: "What's the pity?"

Chen Ji did not answer.
Chapter completed!