As the carriage exited the city gate, the driver drew an arc in the air with his whip.

With a loud "thud," the horse neighed and galloped away.

Inside the carriage, Lin Xiangzhi was asleep on a small couch, clutching a thermos.

The carriage sped up, jolting him so much that the back of his head hit the back wall of the carriage, making Lin Xiangzhi, who was just about to go back to sleep, wince in pain.

Zhu Xi rushed over and hugged him tightly, "Young Master, please continue to sleep. This servant will hold you."

Zhu Xi was afraid that the young master might accidentally roll off the small couch.

Lin Xiangzhi rubbed the back of his head and roared, "Tell those Black and White Impermanence to slow down! Are they in such a hurry to reincarnate?"

The carriage curtain was lifted from the outside, and a frighteningly pale face came in.

"Young Master, half a year has passed in the blink of an eye. We should hurry on our journey."

Before Lin Xiangzhi could speak, the carriage curtain was lowered, and the carriage did not slow down in the slightest.

The coachmen were the two men the emperor had sent to protect him openly.

The two men, who often carried out missions in the shadows, had skin that was much whiter than that of ordinary men.

The bodyguards did not have their own names, only numbers.

When Lin Xiangzhi opened his eyes this day, he saw two deathly pale faces standing in front of his bed, asking him to give them names.

He was so scared that he stopped getting his normal morning waking up.

Seeing that the two were dressed in blue, he casually named them Black and White and Impermanence.

The two guards didn't hesitate and clasped their hands in gratitude.

The carriage sped along the official road, the sound of horses' hooves mingling with the sound of the wheels, completely waking Lin Xiangzhi from his sleepiness.

At this moment, Lin Xiangzhi seriously suspected that the two people sent by Xiao Jingzhao were not there to protect him, but to torment him.

Zhu Xi comforted him, saying, "Young master, don't worry, we'll just switch from the official road to the waterway."

Lin Xiangzhi simply sat up, his brow furrowed, and lifted the curtain on one side of the carriage to look outside.

"It will take at least three days to switch from the official road to the waterway. Your third master will be shaken to pieces by those two."

Seeing that their young master had lowered the curtains and then opened the other side, they noticed that their master had lowered the curtains.

Zhu Xi whispered, "Young Master, don't look. Their invisibility technique is very good."

Lin Xiangzhi gritted his teeth and said, "That black-hearted bastard, I doubt there's anyone outside."

Zhu Xi said firmly, "No, young master trusts the emperor. He wouldn't joke about something that concerns his life."

"I made a mistake. I should have suggested leaving the capital two days later. Tomorrow is the day to go to the imperial palace. I missed the chance to enjoy the plum blossoms in the snow."

“The plum blossoms in our garden are also blooming beautifully, young master, but you don’t even look at them.”

Zhu Xi had no idea what her young master was thinking.

Enjoying the scenery of snow and plum blossoms requires being with the right person to truly appreciate it.

...

Jiang Zhengming has been busy dealing with his properties in the capital these past few days, which is the only residence they currently live in.

One group of brokers from the manor came and went.

The price offered was 20% less than the original purchase price.

Jiang Zhengming was so depressed that he locked himself in his study for two whole days.

Even Chun-hyang, the most favored concubine, dared not approach.

Madam Zheng was extremely anxious. She went to the study and mustered her courage to suggest, "Master, Qingjian will be thirteen years old after the New Year. In a few more years, it will be time for him to go to the capital to take the imperial examination."

"What do you want to say?" Jiang Zhengming looked at Zheng Shi expressionlessly.

Madam Zheng lowered her eyes and said, "I think that if the real estate agent offers too low a price, we can keep the house so that Qingjian will have a place to stay when he returns to the capital in the future."

Jiang Zhengming asked, "If we don't sell this place, where will this whole family stay in Anlu?"

"Sir, we can stay in the backyard of the county government office."

Seeing that Jiang Zhengming didn't get angry, Zheng looked up and met his cold gaze.

Jiang Zhengming snorted coldly and said, "That's a woman's view. Do you even know what kind of place Anlu County is?"

"It is less than a hundred miles from the Nanzhao Kingdom. The two countries have been in a tense relationship for several years, and the border has not been open for trade. We do not know what the situation is like there now."

Finally, Jiang Zhengming added, "If you don't have any money, be prepared to suffer."

Zheng understood.

Jiang Zhengming was determined to sell the house and move to Anlu County to establish a new residence.

It's impossible to leave this house to my son.

"I will obey my master. Even if it means going to Anlu to eat coarse food and wild vegetables, I will be happy to do so."

Zheng's words were sincere, but Jiang Zhengming had no interest in listening to her declarations of loyalty.

He waved his hand impatiently, and Madam Zheng lowered her eyes and left.

A short while later, the servant came to the study to report, "Master, a real estate agent has arrived outside and requests that you come to the main hall to negotiate the price."

Jiang Zhengming roused himself once again.

As soon as he stepped out of the study, Madam Yang hurried over.

Madam Yang gave a perfunctory bow and said worriedly, "Master, those real estate agents all know we are leaving the capital. They must be conspiring to drive down the price."

Jiang Zhengming had always thought that Yang was clever and had many ideas.

He stopped and frowned. "The news has spread. What can we do now? We can't just stay in the capital on the appointed day and be accused of disobeying the imperial decree."

"No, that won't do. I'm worried that if the house is sold too cheaply, my lord won't feel at ease either."

Yang glanced at Jiang Zhengming and continued, "It's not impossible for us to come up with a solution that satisfies both sides."

Jiang Zhengming frowned. "There are brokers waiting in the front hall. Just say what you have to say. I don't have time to listen to your beating around the bush."

“Master, we can leave the capital on time and entrust the affairs of the house to Jiao’er. Let her handle it slowly, sell it for a good price, and then she can send the banknotes to Anlu…”

"No way! Absolutely not!" Jiang Zhengming said outright.

Before Yang could finish speaking, Jiang Zhengming interrupted her.

He looked coldly at Madam Yang, "Do you want to stay in the capital?"

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