If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Chapter 32

"Going to Jiangzhou? And you're taking me with you?"

With a loud cry, a flock of birds on the branches in front of Liufang Courtyard were startled into flight.

"Sister, go! I'll go!"

"I haven't agreed to go yet."

"You two are already like that, what are you still being coy about? Do you expect Brother Wang to kneel down and beg you?"

Xi Lingxian was exasperated by his brain. "Could you please read less of my novels? You're going to lose your mind."

"Come on, come on, sister, this is a rare opportunity!"

Xi Lingxian asked in bewilderment, "Didn't you dislike Wang Jue before because I fell into the water? Why have you changed your attitude now?"

"No, I still don't really like him, but he doesn't get angry when I don't like him."

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "He treats you like a child, throwing a tantrum. Why would he get angry with you?"

"That would be even better! Go to Jiangzhou with him, and I'll give him a piece of my mind! I'll get revenge for you, how about it, sister?"

"You just want to go to Jiangzhou, so stop bringing me up."

"Would you like to come along too?"

"...I need to discuss this with my father."

Xi Song peeked out and muttered, "Sister, it's obvious that Brother Wang Er is still after you. If you go, you'll just be giving him a chance."

Xi Lingxian scoffed, "Do you know how terrifying a woman can be when she hardens her heart?"

Xi Song shook his head.

You'll find out soon enough.

After being beaten with thirty strokes of the military rod, Xi Wen was unable to get out of bed the following day.

Xi Jian only sent someone to deliver medicine for the wound; he did not go to see the patient in person.

In the mansions of aristocratic families, from retainers to maids and servants, everyone is shrewd and capable.

After a few back and forth, everyone had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

Xi Wen felt guilty, but apart from the unfinished sentence that he regarded his sworn sister as his fiancée, he didn't think he had said anything wrong.

Even before he entered the Xi family's gate, he had heard that his adoptive father had a beautiful daughter whom he cherished dearly and raised with the utmost care, no less than a princess. When he finally met her, she was indeed very beautiful, dressed in fine clothes, like a fairy.

But he wasn't as arrogant and domineering as rumored, and he felt the rumors were wrong.

I never imagined that my first experience with the temper of a noble lady would be under such circumstances.

His mind was filled with images of Xi Lingxian's fair and rosy cheeks, and the bright red mark on her neck. It felt as if a fireball was raging in his heart, burning his internal organs with intense pain.

He was convinced that the so-called marriage into another family was just a joke floating in mid-air, something these young masters and ladies casually talked about on a whim, but he took it seriously.

But he had no choice, especially since the other party was a son of the Langya Wang clan.

Even the emperor couldn't do anything about the Wang family, let alone him.

Xi Rui was pestered by Xu Zhaolan for two days. The two were like cats and mice. Xi Jian only found out from his personal guards. He was surprised that someone was not afraid of his son's temper.

Xi Rui left early and returned late, avoiding Xu Zhaolan.

On the day Wang Jue and his party were about to depart, he had no choice but to show himself, and was caught red-handed by Xu Zhaolan, who had been waiting for him at the dock for a long time.

Xi Song, amused, said, "Sister, look how cowardly eldest brother is. This Miss Xu looks delicate and frail, but I didn't expect her to be just like you, sister..."

Two piercing gazes shot over, and Xi Song wisely shut his mouth.

Xi Lingxian seemed to understand something: "What is Big Brother pretending for? Is he just putting on airs?"

Xi Song let out a sound.

Wang Jue also looked over.

Xi Rui was blocked in her way by Xu Zhaolan. "What have I done to you? Why are you avoiding me?"

"Miss Xu, I have no plans to get married at the moment, and not for the next few years. You, you shouldn't waste your time on me."

Xu Zhaolan nodded, "Oh, I see. No problem then. I'll reserve you for later. You can consider me first, whenever you get married."

Xi Rui was practically kneeling before her.

Xi Lingxian bid farewell to her father, saying, "You and your elder brother should take good care of yourselves and not overwork yourselves. You have a back injury, so remember to have Uncle Zhong heat up some coarse salt and apply it to your back every day. Don't think it's too much trouble."

Xi Jian: "Father is fine, so you can go without worry. The scenery along the way from Guangling to Jiangzhou is quite nice, so it's good to relax."

"Father, even your own flesh and blood can turn against you, so you must be wary of some people."

Xi Jian understood the deeper meaning behind the words, "Rest assured, my achievements today did not fall from the sky."

The official ship pulled anchor.

Xi Rui walked over to say goodbye to his younger siblings, and he now spoke to Wang Jue without any formality.

"Take good care of these two darlings of mine. If even a single hair on their head is missing, I'll come back and settle the score with you."

"Be careful on your journey. Jiangzhou might send more people."

Wang Jue nodded and said in a low voice, "Be careful in everything. If anything happens in Jiankang, there's no need to worry about loyalty, filial piety, or righteousness."

Xi Rui patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry, I don't have that thing. If anyone dares to cause trouble, I'll be the first to take them down!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhaolan, who was not far away, subconsciously took a half step back.

Wang Jue glanced at it, a half-smile on her face: "It's fine, cherish it."

Xi Rui waved his hand helplessly, "I haven't thought about that kind of thing, you don't need to worry about it."

Five official ships.

Wang Jue, Xi Lingxian, and Xi Song were on one ship; Wang Jue's advisors and the physician Lu Niangzi were on another; maids, servants, and cooks were on another; the accompanying guards were on another; and the last ship was for carrying the necessary utensils and firewood.

Xi Song followed Xi Lingxian closely, as if she were a thief, treating Wang Jue like a shadow.

The river surface in the twelfth lunar month was bitterly cold, and Xi Lingxian hardly left the cabin except to eat.

Official documents and gazettes kept arriving at Wang Jue's desk in the capital, keeping him constantly occupied.

Before Xi Song could gloat for even a moment, two royal guards dragged him away.

"What? Is he finally showing his true colors and seeking revenge?"

"Fine, I'm going to tell my sister that he can forget about marrying her in this lifetime!"

The grumbling young master of the Xi family was led behind a long, rectangular desk, on which were piled several stacks of documents. Wang Jue, sitting in the main seat, was engrossed in writing, not even raising his head.

"This is?"

Wang Jue didn't even glance at him. "You're not young anymore. You should learn to read some court documents."

"In front of you are some not-too-complicated official documents. Take a look at them."

Xi Song's face immediately fell. "I reasonably suspect you're trying to get me to do things for you!"

"It's good for you too, isn't it?"

Xi Song looked utterly resistant. "I don't want to."

Wang Jue raised her eyes and stared intently at him.

Xi Song was momentarily breathless. "You, you want to force me into this?"

"Your older sister is coming right away."

"?"

"Whether you're willing or not, just tell her directly."

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid lifted the curtain, and Xi Lingxian stepped in.

He glanced at the two people inside the room and nodded in satisfaction.

She originally didn't want to come, but Wang Jue sent someone to tell her that he wanted Xi Song to start learning how to handle official documents and also learn some insider tips about officialdom.

This is a good thing.

But Xi Lingxian knew all too well how lazy her younger brother was; if she didn't keep an eye on him, he could read countless documents all day long.

Xi Song realized he had fallen into a trap set for him and went into a frenzy.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Xi Lingxian rubbed his head and coaxed him softly, "Good boy, you're not a child anymore. You should have started learning these things long ago. There are good teachers right here, so why not take advantage of them?"

Wang Jue glanced over casually.

His gaze was calm and expressionless, yet for some reason it sent a chill down his spine.

"I think so," he resigned. "I think so, is that not enough?"

Xi Lingxian didn't disturb the two of them and quietly went to the window, where Taozhi was holding a sewing basket.

She has her own ways of passing the time.

After reading for less than half an hour, Xi Song was filled with confusion: "These documents include household registration and land records submitted by prefectures and counties, official documents from the canal transport stations, and various reports on the verification of money and grain. However, I cannot distinguish the importance and urgency of these documents, nor can I understand the intricacies of the first annotations and the final judgments. Moreover, why are some government reports so elaborate in their wording, while others are concise and clear?"

He paused for a moment, then said, "And this one, a report on people's livelihood submitted by local officials. It seems to be well-organized, but I always feel that it is vague and ambiguous, yet I can't quite put my finger on what the problem is."

Wang Jue spoke calmly and clearly: "Official documents are most concerned with format and importance. Household registration, land registration, and tax payment are fundamental to government affairs and must be verified first; the canal transport stations and postal routes are important matters and must be dealt with immediately; while local social affairs and ordinary greetings can be dealt with later."

"As for wording, reports to superiors must be rigorous and respectful, and the writing must be elaborate; replies to subordinates must be decisive and clear, and concise. These are the rules of official documents, and they must not be confused."

When it came to discerning truth from falsehood, his gaze darkened slightly. "When reading documents, you can't just look at the surface words. You have to check the data and compare it with old files. For any matter concerning people's livelihood, whether the amount of money and grain, the number of households involved, and the actual situation in the local area are consistent with the records of previous years, you can see whether there are any concealments or false reports by scrutinizing every word."

Xi Song's eyes lit up as he listened, and he nodded repeatedly. His previous confusion suddenly became clear.

Ultimately, with such outstanding fathers and brothers, Xi Song couldn't possibly be anything less than excellent.

"Learning more won't hurt. Just watch and relax. If you don't understand anything, I'll teach you anytime."

Seeing his relentless persistence, Xi Song couldn't help but lean closer and whisper in a teasing tone.

"Brother Wang, you're teaching me so patiently, surely you're not trying to use this as an excuse to curry favor with my sister?"

His eyes crinkled into crescents, revealing a mischievous glint in his eyes, like a young man watching a spectacle.

Wang Jue raised her eyes and glanced at him sideways, her casual demeanor replaced by a cool and authoritative air befitting someone in a high position.

He spoke calmly, "Do you know what the first step in navigating the world of officialdom is?"

Xi Song shook his head blankly.

Wang Jue's lips curled into a forced smile as he slowly uttered, word by word: "Learn to pretend you don't know what you're doing."

"..."

At the window, Xi Lingxian smiled and dismissed the comment, seemingly unconcerned.