Chapter 67: To rob or not to rob?
Jiang Bingshi was woken up not long after he fell asleep. He turned over impatiently with his back to Yao, "Aiya, Madam, what's wrong with you? You just think too much."
Yao was relentless and pushed the issue back, "I was thinking that the horoscope we gave to Dingyuan Marquis Mansion wasn't Jiang Rufei's real birth date, so could there be something wrong with the auspicious date we calculated?"
The main reason was that when we bought that girl, we had to choose carefully, and we finally found a horoscope that could protect Rulin from disaster.
But that horoscope was only six months different from Jiang Rulin's. How could there be a six-month difference between the two sisters? Therefore, it could only be announced to the public that there was a difference of more than a year.
Jiang Bingshi was so sleepy that he could barely open his eyes. He mumbled, "Why would the Wei family delve into this? Besides, the girl herself can't even remember her birthday, so how can we tell if it's true or not? She's going to marry him anyway, so what's the big deal about whether our horoscopes are compatible? The Dingyuan Marquisate is looking for a daughter-in-law, not someone who will bring good luck to her husband."
"What if someone finds out? Jiang Rufei not getting married is our family's business, and outsiders can't interfere. But getting married..."
"Who would bother to check this?" Jiang Bingshi interrupted impatiently. "It was said before that the girl was in poor health and had been kept on the farm. Even the family tree was added later."
Yao stared at the ceiling of the tent. "But I still feel uneasy."
"You're feeling guilty, aren't you?"
"What do you mean by a guilty conscience?" Yao complained, "Is this just my fault?"
Jiang Bingshi was finally awakened by the noise and propped himself up helplessly. "I told you from the beginning that this wouldn't work. It's immoral and will only damage your virtue."
Yao raised her voice, "Rulin is your biological daughter. If you hadn't listened to the master and bought a ward off evil, she would have died long ago! Now that things have come to this, you're pretending to be a good person. If you hadn't tacitly agreed back then, would I have done such a thing? Now that Rulin's health is getting better, you're regretting it? What are you still talking about good deeds? As long as my daughter is alive, I'll be willing to become a ghost, not to mention losing good deeds."
There was a sudden "click" sound outside the window.
"who?!"
Yao got up quickly, her heart pounding. Why was there such a movement just as the evil ghost was mentioned?
After a rustling sound, the wild cat meowed.
"Listen, it's just a cat, look how scared you are." Jiang Bingshi complained.
Yao was still worried, so she put on her coat, walked to the window, and pushed it open.
A black cat jumped from a tree onto the courtyard wall, then quickly ran over the eaves and disappeared into the night.
"It's a black cat."
Jiang Bingshi was very annoyed. "It's just a black cat."
"Black cats are unlucky!" Yao half-closed the window and sat down on the bed in a restless mood. "Seeing a black cat in the middle of the night is definitely not a good thing. Luckily, I've already sent someone to invite the master to the capital."
Jiang Bingshi opened his eyes and asked, "Why did you invite the master here again?"
"Master, do you remember? For this method of warding off disasters to be effective, you need to use two talismans. Ever since the incident with Zhao Xingbang, I felt that there was something wrong with that girl. She always looked at me strangely, like a different person. Maybe she was possessed by something? I need a master to take a look."
Jiang Bingshi sighed, "What are you trying to do? After all, we have raised Rufei for so many years. After all, she has called us father and mother for so many years."
Yao sneered, "A bought bastard is worthy of being the daughter of our Jiang family? Giving her good food and drink is better than her being a beggar outside."
Seeing that the two of them had nothing to agree on, Jiang Bingshi was too lazy to continue and turned over to sleep.
The room was silent again, with only the ticking of the clock.
…
The vermilion lacquered and carved wooden windows were half open. The weather was hot, and the wind blowing in brought with it a damp and hot air.
Pei Jing cast his gaze out the window, two fingers resting on the rim of his cup, tapping intermittently, "Has the wedding date between Dingyuan Marquis's Mansion and the Jiang family been set?"
Duan Jiu nodded, "Your Highness, the date is September 28th, an auspicious day for a wedding."
"An auspicious day?" Pei Jing sneered. "It can only be considered an auspicious day if the marriage is successful. If it's not, it can only be considered an unlucky year and an unlucky month."
The weather was already hot, and when Duan Jiu heard these words, he sweated even more.
He asked tentatively, "Is the prince going to grab the bride?"
Pei Jing turned around and looked at him like a fool. "Why would I go and grab the bride? To take that girl home just to piss me off?"
Duan Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that they didn't steal the bride. "Then why are you so sure that this marriage won't happen?"
"When did I ever say this couldn't happen?"
Duan Jiu: “…”
Pei Jing continued, "Everything has two sides. Who knows what will happen next?"
Okay, Duan Jiu was helpless.
He was afraid that his prince would have a sudden inspiration, and as soon as he did, something would happen and he would have to clean up the mess.
Just as he felt relieved, he heard Pei Jing mutter, "I've never tried to rob a bride before, but it might be quite interesting."
"It's boring, very boring." Duan Jiu said quickly.
Pei Jing lowered his gaze to his face. "You know it's boring, have you ever tried to rob it?"
Duan Jiu has followed Pei Jing since he was a teenager. How could he not know whether he had robbed Pei Jing or not?
"I haven't snatched it before." Duan Jiu said stiffly, "But I have seen others snatch it before."
Pei Jing put down his wine cup and leaned against the window sill. "Tell me about it."
Duan Jiu had never seen anyone kidnap a bride, but he was in a dilemma. He had already told the lie, and he had to finish it even if he cried.
He hesitated and said, "Last year, the prince sent me to Qingzhou on an errand. A wealthy businessman tried to steal a bride, but the bride hit her head against a pillar... and died."
Pei Jing raised an eyebrow. "Dead? Truly a chaste hero. What happened to that wealthy businessman?"
"His legs were broken by the girl's family."
"Heh." Pei Jing suddenly chuckled, and with a flick of his finger, the wine glass fell onto the table with a clang. "I want to see who dares to break my leg."
"Besides, even if I were to snatch it, that girl wouldn't hit the pillar. She cherishes her life very much."
Duan Jiu wanted to cry. Didn't you say you wouldn't fight over it? Why are you still getting so competitive?
On second thought, isn't it still early? It's the end of September. The prince is fickle-minded and does things one way or the other. He often says he's going somewhere one day and changes his mind the next. By then, he might have forgotten everything completely.
Pei Jing looked out the window.
Pleasure boats come and go on the Jinlu River, and the sunlight turns the river surface a light golden color, reflecting the flying eaves of the taverns on both sides. This is the origin of the Jinlu River.
Several vermilion-painted pleasure boats were lined up in the middle of the river, extending all the way to the shore, and the sound of stringed instruments could be heard from the boats.
"Why is it so lively?" Pei Jing asked casually.
Duan Jiu sent someone out to inquire and came back with the news, "It's Miss Wei's banquet. All the better pleasure boats on the Jinlu River have been booked, and all the young ladies from decent families in the capital are here."
It can be said that these girls know how to have fun. The pleasure boats are connected together with wooden boards, which makes it convenient to get on and off the shore, and there is no need for a small boat to pick them up. Some girls are leaning on the side of the boat to play in the water, and there are people playing tossing pots under the shed.
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