Wei Qing's Heart

"The Number One Swordsman of Huainan!"

The banquet at the palace was a fine feast, but it was hard to say whether the people attending were of good or bad character.

During banquets, it's inevitable to seek some entertainment.

This involves composing poems and essays, as well as exchanging ideas on Technique Method, martial arts, and other aspects.

There were representatives from the imperial palace and representatives from the King of Huainan's Household's residence.

The King of Huainan's men did not come to Chang'an City to show off their power, but rather maintained a relatively humble demeanor.

For example, Lei Bei, who fought Wei Qing, lost, but Wei Qing could tell that Lei Bei was deliberately avoiding him; otherwise, Lei Bei's strength would not have been enough to maintain his reputation as the number one swordsman in Huainan.

Wei Qing allowed himself to lose when playing against cultivators of the same level, but he was not willing to accept victories that others had conceded.

If Lei Bei's schedule hadn't been so rushed, he would have liked to invite Lei Bei for another real swordsman sparring session.

Watching Lei Bei enter the Prince of King of Huainan's residence in Chang'an City, Wei Qing finally lowered his right hand, which had been gripping the longsword.

He pondered for a few seconds, then quickly turned and walked away.

After taking off the robe he was wearing over his clothes, Wei Qing quickly boarded a carriage.

"Want to take a carriage? Three and a half taels of silver to get to Chang'an City!"

"They have five while you only have three, this is ruining the market... I'm definitely taking the bus!"

Wei Qing slightly raised his whip, and Zhang Xuezhou, who had been rambling on about market conditions, quickly lifted his leg up.

"Old Tree Alley!"

Zhang Xuezhou, inside the carriage, called out the place name, Wei Qing was already driving the carriage slowly through the official street.

"You look quite well," Wei Qing said casually, sitting in front of the carriage.

"It's not just that I look good, I'm actually quite good-looking," Zhang Xuezhou replied. "Why does your voice sound familiar? Who are you?"

"We've met before!"

Wei Qing cracked his whip, then turned his head back.

Zhang Xuezhou stared at this for quite a while.

"So it's Brother Wei. Following His Majesty, even if you don't enjoy wealth and honor, at least you won't have to drive a carriage anymore, right?"

Upon seeing Wei Qing again, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but complain.

The new emperor seemed to have cultivated many people, but none of them rose through the ranks and entered the court directly because of it.

Zhang Xuezhou knew that Wei Qing was highly valued by the new emperor, and that Wei Shao'er's ability to enter and leave the palace and steal the blood of the ancestral dragon might even be related to Wei Qing.

However, when they met again, Wei Qing was still driving the carriage, which made Zhang Xuezhou realize that it was too difficult to get along with the emperor.

"There's nothing wrong with driving a carriage," Wei Qing said calmly. "Anyway, I'm just idling around. Every little bit of money I can earn is money I can make. And if I happen to run into a generous customer, I might even make some gold and silver."

"Then you're unlucky to have run into me. I'll just give you three and a half taels of silver," Zhang Xuezhou said sullenly.

"You won't lose out by bringing in regular customers," Wei Qing said with a smile.

Wei Qing was indeed skilled at pulling carriages. Not only was he a good driver, but he also knew who had deep pockets and who might tip him.

Although it may seem like just driving a horse-drawn carriage, Wei Qing earns quite a bit of money. If he perseveres a little longer, he might even be able to afford a house.

Normally, he wouldn't even glance at a client like Zhang Xuezhou.

However, since Zhang Xuezhou knew Lei Bei, Wei Qing clearly hoped to learn more about Lei Bei, or perhaps he wanted Zhang Xuezhou to act as an intermediary so that he could meet Lei Bei and thus have a real exchange and training in swordsmanship.

"Speaking of which..."

Just as Wei Qing was about to start a conversation, Zhang Xuezhou unexpectedly started a different topic altogether.

"You go first," Wei Qing said.

"I must congratulate you," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Why congratulate me?" Wei Qing asked curiously.

"Your sister had a baby, congratulations on gaining a nephew," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"What? My sister had a baby?" Wei Qing asked in surprise. "Are you kidding me? The last time I saw my sister, she didn't mention she was pregnant. How could she have suddenly given birth!"

"I'm not kidding," Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand and said, "She was calling for help all night at our neighbor Zheng's place yesterday, and this morning there was a big, fat boy there!"

"Oh my god, it's true!"

Now that Zhang Xuezhou's name was mentioned, regardless of whether Wei Shao'er had given birth or not, Wei Qing felt he needed to rush over and check on her immediately.

If he were to suddenly have a child, then he, as the uncle, would be overjoyed.

If Wei Shao'er didn't have children, at least that would put his mind at ease.

Wei Qing originally wanted Zhang Xuezhou to help make the connection, but after his nephew's incident, he had no choice but to postpone the matter for the time being.

If the facts are verified, Wei Qing feels he won't be able to find the time for three days.

"Is my second sister still at the doctor's house next door?" Wei Qing asked.

"She left this morning," Zhang Xuezhou waved his hand and said, "She went with Chen Zhang. Chen Zhang is an illegitimate son of the Marquis of Qu Ni. Don't ask me about the rest; I don't know much about your sister!"

"Thank you!"

Wei Qing cracked his whip, and the carriage sped up considerably.

He was overjoyed and couldn't wait to get to Wei Shao'er's side, but the Qu Ni Marquis's residence was not a place Wei Qing could go to at will, so he had to keep it to himself.

As Wei Qing drove his carriage past the residence of Marquis Qu Ni, Wei Qing stood up and peered into the mansion.

He hadn't expected to see anything, but when Wei Qing stood up, he actually saw Chen Zhang standing naked and being punished inside the mansion.

Wei Shao'er was watching from under the eaves of a nearby house, holding her child.

Wei Shao'er is fine for now, but Chen Zhang's life isn't so easy.

"Second Sister!"

Chen Zhang's life was not easy, which meant that Wei Shao'er might also be in some trouble. This made Wei Qing stand on the carriage and shout loudly, then gently rein in his horse and bring the carriage closer to the Xiangqu Nihou Mansion.

"Zhongcong cavalry Wei Qing wishes to pay his respects to Marquis Quni!"

"Get out of here! How dare a mere cavalry guard come to the Marquis of Quni's residence!"

Wei Qing jumped off the carriage and ran a few steps, but as expected, he was blocked by the servants of the Marquis of Qu Ni's mansion.

His official position was undoubtedly too low. Even with the new emperor's patronage, Wei Qing had only improved his individual strength and had not yet seized power.

Although the new emperor had the good intention of letting Wei Qing focus on his cultivation and not do any miscellaneous tasks, this identity did indeed make Wei Qing feel very awkward.

He was currently a mid-level cavalryman with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain), similar to a palace guard, but with more freedom of movement and no need to patrol the palace.

However, this official position would not allow him to gain any special treatment from visiting court officials.

At this time, Wei Qing could hardly even step into the residence of the Marquis of Lianqu.

"My second sister gave birth to Chen Shao's child, and I've come to congratulate her," Wei Qing said hurriedly.

"Don't cause trouble for the Second Young Master. The King of Huainan came to the capital today, and all the officials, big and small, went with him. I heard that the Prince of King of Huainan mentioned the Second Young Master, which made the Marquis lose face. Now that the Second Young Master is being punished, no one can stop him. Moreover, the Marquis said that Miss Wei is a jinx. Ever since Miss Wei came to the Marquis's mansion, she has been constantly losing things, and it is said that she even lost a valuable treasure. The Marquis is furious right now!"

Seeing Wei Qing's sincere expression, the disciples, though not daring to go and report on his behalf, still whispered a brief account of the situation.

"If you really are Miss Wei's brother, it would be better if you came in a couple of days," the disciple whispered.

Thank you!

Separated by only a wall, or a mere few dozen meters, Wei Qing could not enter, and Wei Shao'er could not leave.

Looking at the imposing gates of the Marquis of Quni's mansion, Wei Qing felt for the first time that something was missing from his role as a groom.

Even if he didn't become one of the Three Dukes or Nine Ministers, if he had just held a third or fourth rank official position, he should have been able to enter the Marquis of Qu Ni's mansion at this time.