Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

Chapter 159 Returning to Beijing

"General Zhao, you must calm down!"

Before Xu Muxin arrived, her voice had already traveled through the courtyard and into the house.

Su Zhi and Zhao Xuanguang looked at each other, then turned their heads to the right as if to say: My helper has arrived.

The woman opposite was very sensible. She put away her sword, plopped down on the couch, picked up the embroidered tiger-head shoes, and played with them in her hands.

Xu Muxin dragged the two men into the house and saw Su Zhi pouring tea for Zhao Xuanguang. She was so shocked that she stumbled.

Surprising!

So weird!

"you……"

Su Zhi smiled and said to her and the two behind her, "The place is small, I'm sorry to make you uncomfortable. Please find seats!"

Yan Qiao and Feng Quan each picked up a round stool and placed it on either side of Xu Muxin's lap, saying in unison, "Sit down."

Xu Muxin was extremely embarrassed and pointed to the low couch, "I'll sit there! Men and women should sit separately, I'll sit with General Zhao!"

Su Zhi covered her mouth and smiled, then instructed the maid to serve tea to the group of ancestors.

The group looked at each other, none of them speaking. After the pot of tea was emptied, Zhao Xuanguang, seeing that the three annoying fellows still hadn't left, spoke up: "Before my aunt passed away, she said a lot of inexplicable things. I don't understand what she meant, and I hope Madam Xiao can enlighten me."

Su Zhi closed her teacup and said calmly, "Tell me about it."

"The mastermind behind your drowning in your past life is indeed that person; she didn't lie. I hope that for your sake, you will join me in protecting the eldest grandson of the emperor."

My aunt's words before she died were incoherent; one moment she was talking about her past and present lives, the next she was crying loudly, and then she was reminiscing about her cousin Li Heng. I don't know if she was scared out of her mind by the fear of death.

She originally wanted to kill her enemy, but if she could protect Xin'er, it wouldn't hurt to temporarily make peace with Su Zhi.

Su Zhi pursed her lips and gave Xu Muxin a deep look. Xu Muxin immediately remembered the shocking words she had said before, and she didn't expect them to be true!

"Since they want to talk business, let's go!"

After Xu Muxin finished speaking, she stood up abruptly, grabbed the bewildered Feng Quan and Yan Qiao, and ran away.

Su Zhi sighed: "You actually believe the ramblings of a dying person?"

Zhao Xuanguang sneered. Sure enough, she shouldn't have made this trip!

What ability does a heavily pregnant woman have to contend with the royal family, and how can she protect the eldest grandson of the emperor?!

"In that case, I won't bother you any longer."

She threw down the tiger-head shoes and strode towards the door.

"and many more!"

Su Zhi called her over and said meaningfully, "The Empress is dead, so your agreement with Prince Kang is no longer valid. Besides, you have five thousand private soldiers under your command, which is more than enough to protect the eldest grandson of the Emperor. You don't need to marry Prince Kang as a second wife, do you?"

Zhao Xuanguang gripped the sword sheath tightly. "Only by marrying Prince Kang and becoming his consort can I rightfully take care of Xin'er. Therefore, I will not break off the engagement."

She paused, then said, "Although I don't know how you handed over the evidence of Grand Tutor Mu's death to His Majesty, the fact that Consort Liang and Prince Jin were rescued added another crime to my aunt's list before her death is something I will still hold accountable to you for!"

Su Zhi chuckled, "Grand Tutor Mu died at the hands of your private soldiers. Since they were all from your Zhao family, isn't it better to let someone who was destined to die atone for her sins than to have you imprisoned? I helped you, so why are you repaying kindness with enmity?"

Zhao Xuanguang gritted his teeth: "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome."

Su Zhi watched Zhao Xuanguang leave, her eyes flashing with a cold light. She had already given him advice; what the future held was up to Zhao Xuanguang's own fate.

*

The trip to southern Xinjiang went smoothly, and the two sides signed a ceasefire agreement. The Honglu Temple returned home laden with ten cartloads of wealth.

Xiao Jianye, with a gentle breeze from the south, patted Xiao Zong on the shoulder, "After many days of traveling, you can finally return to the capital!"

Xiao Zong smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, we can finally go back."

The official from the Court of State Ceremonial flattered, "Thanks to Lord Xiao, if it weren't for your plan, we don't know how much longer we would have been stuck here!"

"Yes! Commander Xiao deserves the greatest credit!"

As the group showered him with compliments, Dou Zhao pushed open the door and entered. His clothes were tattered, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked travel-worn, hardly better than a beggar.

All eyes turned to look at him, and Dou Zhao hesitated before speaking.

"My lord, the lady has asked me to deliver a letter from home."

Seeing that his expression was strange, Xiao Zong wondered if something had happened and quickly took the envelope from his hand.

It's very thick, unlike a letter.

The officials of the Court of State Ceremonial were very sensible. Seeing that he hadn't taken it apart, and knowing that Lord Xiao was easily embarrassed, they all withdrew.

Xiao Jianye, being family, saw no need to avoid the topic and curiously peered inside: "What private words did your sister-in-law write for you? Quickly open it and read it, so your sister-in-law can learn from it later."

Gu Shuang's writings were always about what her father did, what she did, and what her son did, like a diary entry, and not sweet at all.

Xiao Zong lowered his eyelids, opened the envelope, and took out a stack of silver notes, which looked to be about ten.

His long eyebrows furrowed slightly as he gripped the paper and asked, "What happened?"

Dou Zhao took out the two remaining envelopes from his pocket and handed them to him. "The lady asked me to give these to you. She said you should stay in Fuzhou for the time being and not return to the capital."

"Have you explained the reason?"

"No, she just said that she had planned it all along."

Xiao Zong's eyes were cold and gloomy as he held the three letters without uttering a word.

Xiao Jianye was still processing what was happening. "What's wrong? You look so pale."

Xiao Zong took a deep breath and told Xiao Jianye about his plan to place people around the Emperor and about Zheng Xiangxiang. Xiao Jianye slapped him on the back and scolded him for being foolish.

"What should we do now?"

Xiao Zong said expressionlessly, "Pack your bags and return to the capital."

"Return to the capital?" Xiao Jianye jumped up and down. "Do you think you'll survive if you go back to the capital?"

Xiao Zong clenched his fists, his face solemn. "I can't leave her there alone."

Despite Xiao Jianye's assurance that she had the support of the Marquis of Changping's family and that His Majesty wouldn't do anything to her, Xiao Zong still insisted on returning to the capital. He exchanged a few words with Qiu Peng, packed his luggage, and rushed alone into the night, without waiting for the people from the Court of State Ceremonial.

Dou Zhao originally wanted to go with him, but Xiao Zong, considering his health, kept him and the officials of the Court of State Ceremonial to travel together, so that he could both recuperate and protect the safety of the delegation.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, people go to the streets to buy New Year's goods, and every city they pass through is packed with people.

Even though Xiao Zong was eager to return home, his pace was slowed down. He had no choice but to lead his horse around to look around and bring some gifts for his young son and unborn child along the way.

They rushed as fast as they could, and by the time they reached the vicinity of Qingzhou it was New Year's Eve. Thinking that taking the waterway would be faster, they went to the ferry to board a boat.

However, despite his careful planning, he forgot that boats do not operate during the holidays. Even after offering a high price, the boatman refused to let him go, citing the icy conditions on the water.

“My boat is small and cannot withstand the wind and waves. Why don’t you go and ask the Su family? Their boats travel all over the country and their helmsmen are very experienced. They can guarantee that they can send you back to Shengjing safely.”

Xiao Zong was so anxious that he forgot about his brother-in-law.

He rushed to the Su residence without stopping. Su Ziyuan was drinking and enjoying music, leaning on the couch like a boneless person, when he was suddenly interrupted by the uninvited guest.

"My child sent me back, so don't come here to interrogate me!"

Xiao Zong was somewhat surprised to see him, but knowing that this man was unreliable, he didn't bother arguing with him and urged, "Quickly prepare a boat, I want to go back to the capital!"