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

After several days of sailing on the river, Xi Song spent his days in quiet contemplation, studying diligently.

As dusk fell, the maid prepared exquisite snacks and hot tea, placing them on the table in the cabin—all flavors that Xi Lingxian usually preferred.

Osmanthus cake, lotus seed soup, and almond shortbread—it's clear someone specifically ordered these.

Xi Song was stubborn to some extent. If he didn't want to learn something, he would just learn it thoroughly and make sure he understood it clearly.

He didn't even glance at the snacks, focusing intently on his pen, oblivious to everything else;

Looking at her younger brother, who had finally made progress, Xi Lingxian felt gratified and grateful to Wang Jue; he was such a good teacher, so many members of the Wang family main branch had asked him for guidance but he hadn't been able to, let alone...

Wang Jue moved closer without making a sound, his well-defined hand quietly crossing the table and suddenly grasping Xi Lingxian's wrist hanging by her side.

Xi Ling abruptly pulled her hand back, shaking off his touch.

That feeling of gratitude vanished in an instant.

If it weren't for the fact that my younger brother was still alive, I would have slapped him across the face long ago.

Wang Jue wasn't annoyed. A faint smile appeared in his eyes. He stopped what he was doing, and the two of them quietly enjoyed their snacks.

The peaceful days passed quickly, and a few days later, the ship finally slowly entered the Jiangzhou waters and steadily docked at the Jiangzhou wharf.

The brocade robe that Xi Lingxian had sewn herself was also completely finished. The stitches were fine and exquisite. She carefully folded the brocade robe neatly, put it into her personal bag, and followed the others to disembark and dock.

The scenery of Jiangzhou is completely different from the prosperity and elegance of Jiankang.

Jiankang was full of the grandeur of the imperial city, with orderly and luxurious streets and alleys, and was frequented by the sons of the powerful and wealthy who lived in luxury.

Jiangzhou was built along the river, and the whole city was filled with the moist river breeze. The streets and alleys were arranged according to the terrain, and the green tiles and white walls exuded a simple and elegant charm.

When the boat arrived at Xunyang Ferry, it was dusk.

A river breeze carrying the fishy smell of water blew in, and a few rows of people were already sparsely standing on the shore.

They were officials from the Jiangzhou government who came to greet them. The head official, dressed in a crimson robe, was all smiles, his face crinkling with wrinkles.

Wang Jue stood at the bow of the boat, his blue robe fluttering in the wind. He glanced back at the cabin.

Xi Lingxian sat by the window, holding a book in her hands. She wore a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her hair was simply tied in a bun, making her look elegant and refined.

True beauties are probably all like this; they look good whether they wear heavy or light makeup.

The prefect, surnamed Zhou, was in his fifties. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency has had a long and arduous journey. The people of Jiangzhou have been longing for your arrival as if it were a timely rain."

The chief administrator, the military commander, and the various officials paid their respects in turn.

Wang Jue returned the greetings one by one, being polite and courteous, but not overly warm.

Xi Song followed at the back, tugged at Xi Lingxian's sleeve, and whispered, "Sister, there are so many people."

Xi Lingxian gently pressed his hand down, not looking at Wang Jue, and whispered, "Follow me, don't run around."

Prefect Zhou glanced at Xi Lingxian and her brother, and asked with a smile, "And who are these two...?"

"The children of Grand Secretary Xi Jian came to keep me company," Wang Jue said casually, completely ignoring the fact that some people were so shocked they could swallow an egg.

Zhou, the Prefect, tactfully refrained from asking further questions, and simply smiled and nodded: "It's getting late, and the government office has prepared a welcoming banquet. Please, Your Excellency, take your place."

---

The welcoming banquet was held in the main hall of the government office.

The lights were bright, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air.

The room was filled with officials of all ranks from Jiangzhou. Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, every pair of eyes was secretly observing the young man in the main seat.

Wang Jue sat in the main seat, and Xi Song was arranged to sit beside him.

The boy sat up straight and whispered, "Second brother, I really can't take it anymore. Maybe I should go back first. These people are making me feel so uncomfortable."

Wang Jue poured him a glass of honey water and whispered, "Eat your food, don't worry about them."

As a noblewoman of the Xi family, Xi Lingxian was also invited, but she stayed at the mansion on the grounds of "tiredness from the journey and feeling unwell".

Wang Jue knew she didn't want to come, so he didn't force her.

Zhou Biejia raised his glass and said some polite words.

Wang Jue agreed to everything, touched the wine to his lips, but didn't actually drink it.

After several rounds of drinks, the group from Jiangzhou took turns probing their newly appointed superior.

First, the Prefect casually mentioned, "I've heard that you have a close relationship with the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat in court. I wonder if the court has given you any special instructions regarding your appointment to govern Jiangzhou?"

Wang Jue picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and said slowly, "The court has its own considerations, and we should just do our duty. Since you, the Prefect, have been in Jiangzhou for so long, you should be giving me more guidance."

Zhizhong smiled and didn't ask any more questions.

Next was Sima, who mentioned that "Jiangzhou's military preparations are insufficient, and barbarian bandits frequently harass the area," and asked him how he planned to deploy his forces.

Wang Jue simply replied, "Since I'm new here, I should first observe, listen, and learn. As for matters of military campaigns, I will still need to rely on Sima."

It neither reveals its strengths nor its weaknesses.

Zhou Biejia watched with a smile, then suddenly clapped his hands.

The music changed, and four women emerged from behind the screen.

Each of them was alluring, dressed in light silk robes, their jade pendants jingling, and their presence filled the room with fragrance.

Everyone smiled knowingly, and their eyes all turned to Wang Jue.

Prefect Zhou smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Excellency has come from afar, and there is no one to attend to your needs. These few humble maids are just a small token of our appreciation. If Your Excellency does not find them offensive, they are truly fortunate."

All eyes in the room were fixed on Wang Jue's face. Even Xi Song stopped picking up food and looked up at him.

Wang Jue's expression remained almost unchanged.

He put down his chopsticks, his gaze sweeping lightly over the four women. He raised his cup and offered a toast to Prefect Zhou from afar: "Your Excellency Zhou is so kind; it would be impolite of me to refuse."

He turned his head and instructed the attendants behind him: "Take them to the inner quarters and settle them in. Let them rest for now."

He didn't glance at the women twice, nor did he ask their names or where they came from.

It was as if they weren't four vibrant and beautiful women, but rather four pieces of luggage.

Prefect Zhou immediately raised his cup and laughed heartily: "Your Excellency is so generous! Come, come, let's toast Your Excellency again!"

Xi Song's face had already changed, and he muttered under his breath, "Second Brother, do you have a death wish...?"

Wang Jue didn't explain, but simply reached out and gently patted him on the head.

The banquet ended at midnight.

Xi Lingxian had already gone to bed, and Wang Jue couldn't wake her up, so he had to give up for now.

next morning

While Xi Lingxian was combing her hair, she heard her maid say that Wang Jue had arrived before dawn and had been waiting for her for a long time.

She knew Wang Jue's personality; he wouldn't act like this unless it was an emergency.

When the door was opened, Wang Jue was standing under the crabapple tree in the yard.

The thin morning light cast a pale golden hue on his shoulders.

He had clearly been standing there for a while; his robes were damp with dew, and he was holding a twig that he had broken off from somewhere.

He looked up when he heard the door open.

Eyes facing each other.

Xi Lingxian paused for a moment, then lowered her eyes. "What's so important that it's taken you so long? You could have had a maid call me."

Wang Jue threw away the branch, took two steps closer, stopped, and whispered, "At last night's welcome banquet, they sent four women. They sent them in simply to plant spies and test our strength. If we refuse them on the spot, we'll break off relations; but if we accept them all, they won't know what they're up to."

Xi Lingxian looked at him, her expression unchanged.

Wang Jue continued, "These informants are useful for other purposes. They can be used to spread false information, or as witnesses in the future. I didn't intend to..."

He paused for a moment, looking into Xi Lingxian's clear eyes, trying to find something within them.

but.

"I didn't intend to let them get close." He said it bluntly, finally admitting it.