Records of the Cattle and Horses of Chang'an

Wang Leisheng broke out in a cold sweat and sat stiffly on the ground. He wanted to pretend that he was not there, but the door was not locked. If he didn't say anything, Cui Bianxu would just push the door open and come in. Wouldn't it be even more embarrassing if he saw him?

Forget it, just die!

Thinking of this, he jumped up, wiped his face with his sleeve, forced a smile and opened the door: "Master Cui, it's already this late, where should we go? Master, you are not married and don't know the suffering of your subordinates. My wife is especially worried about my subordinates. Every day if I come home a little late, she has to send someone to wait at the door. Women are timid and like to worry..."

Wang Leisheng smiled awkwardly and made excuses, not wanting to go with them.

Unfortunately, a higher-ranking official can crush someone, not to mention Cui Bianxu was so many levels higher than him. Seeing him open the door, he didn't want to listen to his nonsense at all, and turned around and left: "Why don't you order people to prepare the horses?!"

He's anxious, but that's ridiculous. She's not his wife, so what does it have to do with him? He keeps talking about his wife all day long, what's the point? He acts as if no one else exists!

Wang Leisheng's facial features were all wrinkled together, and the smile on his face was a little forced. With a bitter face and sucking teeth, he followed in small steps: "Master Cui, where are we going? At least let me know what's going on, so that someone can go home and tell my wife, right? Hey, hey! Master Cui! Wait for me!"

The two of them rode their horses for a short while before arriving at the back door of a house. Wang Leisheng was always very attentive to currying favor with his superiors, so even though it was just a back door, he still quickly recognized it. He scratched his neck and whispered, "Shaoqing, what are we doing at Li Zuocheng's house?"

"Li Zuocheng is the one who reported the case. Now that there has been some progress in the case, how can I not come and tell him?" Cui Bian said as he dismounted and went straight forward to knock on the door.

Wang Leisheng wanted to say something but stopped himself. He couldn't understand why Li Zuocheng couldn't get away with it just because he helped report a case because his brother was not at home?

If it were him, he would have to distance himself from this matter as soon as possible. Didn't you see that when Li Xingquan found out about this in the morning, his face turned black and he didn't say a word. He looked at the old man so creepy that he felt a little bit sorry for him. He was so old and still had a cuckold on his head, but he couldn't afford to offend the adulterer. Tsk tsk tsk tsk.

The servants at Li Xinglian's house were obviously much more disciplined than those at Li Xingquan's. The man who opened the door immediately bowed upon seeing their official uniforms. "My two superiors, what is the important matter at the Dali Temple?"

Be polite and know when to ask for the truth before reporting back to the host.

"Cui Yi of the Dali Temple has something to discuss with Li Zuocheng. Please report this to me."

"I am guarding the back door and I don't know whether the master has returned home. Please wait a moment and I will go to the front to ask." After saying this, the servant bowed again and closed the door again.

This is the case for all well-behaved servants in wealthy families. Regardless of whether the master is at home or not, when someone comes to their house, they will try not to say anything final. As for how to respond later, it depends on whether the master is willing to see the guest.

Of course, if the status of the person is very different, there is no need to go through this process.

In the main courtyard of the Li Mansion, Li Xinglian's wife was helping him change his clothes. They were a young couple, but also a couple of poor people. Although Li Xinglian had several concubines after becoming wealthy, the couple had always treated each other with respect. Especially as they got older, the government affairs became more complicated. Although they could still manage some things, they were not as good as before.

As for men, without that kind of thing, their relationship with their wives will naturally be better.

"Zhao hasn't been found yet, I'm afraid..." Madam Li spoke slowly with a worried look on her face.

When this matter was mentioned, Li Xinglian's eyes drooped a little: "What a disgrace! He married a girl so young as his second wife."

"That's fine, but now I'm afraid the whole city of Chang'an is laughing at our family." Madam Li's gentle voice was a little harsh: "It would be better to die..."

"Master, Mistress." The maid called softly outside the house.

"What's the matter? Come in and tell me." Madam Li glanced at her husband and saw that he had closed his eyes. A trace of displeasure flashed across her face, and then she returned to her usual gentleness.

"Master, mistress, someone at the back door reported that Cui Shaoqing from the Dali Temple is here to look for you. Would you like to see him?" The maid lowered her head, her hands hanging at her sides, quietly waiting for instructions.

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Xianzi's eyes, and she looked at Li Xinglian: "My dear, could it be Zhao..."

"Go and invite him to the study."

Li Xinglian understood what she meant. Two kinds of people could not sleep in the same bed. His wife had never liked Zhao, and he could see that what she meant was that whether Zhao was alive or dead, it would be better for her to die.

He also meant that after being missing for so long, the Li family's reputation could not stand people outside continuing to talk about it.

Li Xinglian's mansion was only slightly larger than Li Xingquan's. It had a stone bridge crossing the lake and was shaded by green trees. It was obviously not something that could be built in a short period of time.

"Sir, the cost of renting this house is not cheap." Seeing him looking around and the servant leading the way was more than one meter away from them, Wang Leisheng felt that this was a good opportunity to break the ice. He sidled up behind his boss, followed Cui Bianxu's heels closely on tiptoe, and whispered to share the gossip he knew.

Chang'an is too special and too desirable in this era. Here there are magnificent palaces and a bright future. It is a place of poetry, wine and official career.

There are many people who want to find a house to settle down in Chang'an City. Li Xinglian is just a commoner, and his wife is also from an ordinary family. They have worked hard to climb to their current position. Their ancestors could not provide any help. The location of Shengpingfang can only be said to be average, but the house is big enough and built in a grand and ancient style. It is definitely not something Li Xinglian can afford.

Cui Bianxu glanced at the servant who led the way and did not comment. Seeing this, Wang Leisheng touched his nose, slowed down his pace, and kept some distance. His eyes rolled up and down, left and right, secretly thinking about how to repair the relationship, otherwise he could not bear to work overtime every day.

"Two superiors, we're here."

After walking for a long time, the servant finally stopped at a courtyard, but he only stopped at the door, not daring to take a step inside. However, half a meter away, another servant stood with his hands down and bowed his head, and saluted, "My two superiors, my master is waiting."

Cui Bianxu nodded slightly, and Wang Leisheng also put away his unruly look. Who doesn't pretend?

Arriving at the door of the study, the servant did not step through the threshold. Instead, he lowered his hands toward the interior, his eyes fixed on the bricks on the floor, and spoke in a voice neither too loud nor too low: "Master, someone has arrived."

"Well, come in." Li Xinglian coughed twice after saying this. It was not known whether it was because of his old age or a cold.