It was still the same garden pavilion as last time, and Cui Wenjing was still standing by the pavilion with his hands behind his back, watching the flowing water.
The difference is that Cui Yuanyang didn't even dare to come in to listen back then, but this time, after being blocked by numerous guards and shouting "Miss, please don't come in", Cui Yuanyang kicked her over and angrily dragged Zhao Changhe all the way into the garden, and no one dared to stop her.
Zhao Changhe was smiling all the way. He was worried that Yangyang would be under house arrest and cry. Now it seems that he should not underestimate his own rabbit. The stupid look of hugging his knees and huddling in the corner in the rain is gone forever...
It is true that the next generation of each family has long been in decline. It is rare to see a younger generation like Cui Yuanyong and Cui Yuanyang who can both be recognized by Qinghe Sword. They also have war experience, which is a treasure in each family and clan, and can be regarded as the backbone of the next few decades. With their father being the clan leader, it is not easy for a fool to exclude them...
Maybe he has already entered the center of family power, and he is not someone who can be bullied by anyone.
Cui Yuanyang didn't say much to Zhao Changhe on the way. He just held his hand and walked into the garden aggressively. He didn't look like a lover proposing marriage at all, but rather like someone trying to steal the bride. Zhao Changhe wanted to laugh when he saw it.
However, Cui Wenjing, who was handsome and elegant back then, now has a slightly hunched back as he stands by the pavilion watching the flowing water. Looking from behind, he can see that he has a lot more white hair on his head.
Hearing the young couple approaching, Cui Wenjing said calmly, "After fighting in Yanmen, Yuan Yong kept saying 'Mom' all the time. He was finally cured after being confined for a few months, but now he is back in the army. Not only is Yuan Yong unable to stop saying 'Mom', but even Yangyang has started to act rashly. It's really unfortunate for our family."
Zhao Changhe: “…”
Cui Yuanyang said angrily: "Don't give me that! If I don't act tough, I will be put in solitary confinement by some people. What did I do wrong to deserve solitary confinement? Huh? I can't beat them to death, I..."
Cui Wenjing said calmly: "If you dare to say the words 'his mother's surname is not Cui', I will see if your father dares to put you in solitary confinement. Do you really think that I am dead and you can do whatever you want?"
Cui Yuanyang: "… I won't say bad words when my elder brother Zhao is here."
Zhao Changhe finally laughed out loud.
"Please sit down. There is tea on the table. Please entertain Brother Zhao yourself." Cui Wenjing still did not turn back.
Cui Yuanyang curled his lips and pulled Zhao Changhe to sit at the stone table in the pavilion.
However, Zhao Changhe shook his head and gestured that he did not sit down. He walked to Cui Wenjing and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, looking at the water together.
This was the scene of the conversation between the father-in-law and the son-in-law. What Cui Wenjing said was, what qualifies you to stand shoulder to shoulder with me
Now Zhao Changhe stood here, and in the eyes of the servants and guards watching from afar, this was simply natural and reasonable. Putting aside other identities, just talking about the chaotic world list, Zhao Changhe is now second on the earth list. Although there is still a gap of one list with Cui Wenjing, the actual ranking is only three places behind, and it is clear that they are people of the same level.
Few people doubted whether Zhao Changhe was qualified to be on the Heavenly Ranking. Most likely, all he lacked was a battle. If things went well, he could get it directly from Cui Wenjing...
Cui Yuanyang also kept silent. He sat behind them with his chin in his hand, listening to the conversation between Brother Zhao and his father.
Zhao Changhe was the first to speak: "Uncle still seems to be in poor health."
Cui Yuanyang was stunned. Is his father's injury healed? You can't tell on weekdays...
Cui Wenjing sighed: "The injury has healed... But since he suffered such a serious near-death injury, the impact on his body is not small. After recovering from the injury, I obviously feel much older and my energy and spirit are not as good."
Zhao Changhe looked up and thought for a while, then sighed, "Yes... My father always thought he was strong as a rock, but he got a serious illness and he aged a lot visibly afterwards."
People once thought his father was Xia Longyuan, but now when he said this, people thought he was a victim of the Zhaocuo disaster... Cui Wenjing did not find it offensive, but sighed: "I didn't expect that a small place like Zhaocuo could produce a genius like you."
Zhao Changhe: “…”
Our Zhaocuo is very big...
Cui Wenjing sighed, "People say that daughters are like little cotton-padded jackets. At times like this, it's always the daughter who poops and pees in front of the bed, but someone can't even see her shadow. Afterwards, she barks louder than anyone else. I really don't know where this black-hearted girl came from."
“… I was fighting at that time.” Cui Yuanyang muttered, his voice becoming much quieter.
Although we were at war at that time, I didn't seem to care much about my father's obvious aging, and I didn't even notice it... The little rabbit scratched his head, feeling a little... Well, because I just came back for two days, and the war just ended... Cui Wenjing said: "Do you think you have to go to the battlefield? Is there really no one left in the Cui family?"
Cui Yuanyang was stunned for a moment, and then he heard his father continue: "I am intentionally cultivating your power and making you a personal guard under your absolute control. Because sometimes... your father may not be able to stand on your side completely, and you must give you some support in advance. When the time comes, for example, if someone in the Cui family wants to force you to do something, you have the confidence to speak up, and it would be best if even your father can't force you. It would be even better if the Qinghe Sword was still there. When you are in charge of Qinghe, no one dares to force you."
Cui Yuanyang was completely stunned and couldn't speak for a long time.
"Also, if the Cui family has to fall out with someone, you can leave home on your own and pursue what you want, and you won't be bullied too much." Cui Wenjing smiled: "Of course, if they fall out, your life will not be easy... Just like Yuan Yong's wife, now she can only be looked down upon. There is nothing we can do about it..."
Cui Yuanyang subconsciously said: "Can't you just not turn against each other?"
Cui Wenjing did not answer this, and said to himself: "I have also advised Yuan Yong that these things have nothing to do with his wife, so there is no need to do this. Now the relationship between Yuan Yong and his wife has warmed up, and they even slept together the day before yesterday... Some people interpret it as a signal that I am reconciling with the Wang family, and some people interpret it as Yuan Yong lashing out at the Wang family. How low-level. When people focus on the pros and cons of everything, they always forget the most basic family affection of being born as a human being. Aristocratic family, if there is no family affection, then what is the difference between the meaning of the existence of this family and an ordinary organization that huddles together for warmth?"
Cui Yuanyang sat there hugging his knees, feeling like a rabbit again.
"I also believe that no matter what the Cui family does, Changhe is a man of affection and will not treat you badly." Cui Wenjing's voice was still calm: "Similarly, as for Changhe... as long as this family does not hinder his relationship with you, then your relationship will not be too bad."
Zhao Changhe didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Old Cui, are you trying to teach me something you taught your children? Telling me to be nice to Yangyang no matter what happens to the Cui family in the future?"
Cui Wenjing said calmly: "I'm just telling the truth. If I don't say this, you won't treat Yangyang badly. If someone bullies her, you will protect her. I believe you have such a personality."
Zhao Changhe could only nod: "Yes."
Cui Wenjing sneered, "In fact, if you come here to ask for Yuan Yang's hand in marriage, you won't get any objection. Just marry her. Under the current situation, your marriage contract will not have any impact on other things, just like when the Wang family married off their daughter, it would not affect their upcoming military campaign. Therefore, the words you shouted at the city gate may seem heart-wrenching, but they are actually the words of a child."
Zhao Changhe: "... Will it affect the signals you send out?"
"Yes." Cui Wenjing smiled slightly: "What kind of signal we send to the outside world depends on what kind of wedding gift we use. Don't you understand this?"
Zhao Changhe: “Fuck.”
Cui Wenjing sighed: "So forget about coming to propose marriage and fulfill the contract. If you want, just go to the bridal chamber now. No one will care about you. Let's talk about the things that really need to be mentioned."
Zhao Changhe was silent for a while, then he reached out and took out several pieces of the broken sword: "This is the Qinghe Sword. Even the fragments are here, not a single one is missing."
Cui Wenjing looked at these broken swords, his pupils shrank slightly, he felt an indescribable pain, and his face looked even older.
"You can recast it and see if you can regenerate the sword spirit?" Zhao Changhe said, "To be honest with you, uncle, I just forged a magic sword myself. I know how to form a sword spirit. Do you want help?"
Cui Wenjing looked at it for a long time, and finally sighed softly: "That is no longer Qinghe..."
"Yes, there is no going back. If you recast it, it will be a new sword spirit, which is very different from the original river and mountain spirit... But if you want to use the sword spirit to pass on to future generations, you can still do it. It's just a matter of changing some of the inheritance. It doesn't seem to have much impact on your needs... Uncle, do you want to do it?"
Cui Wenjing was silent.
“Is it because, in fact, the most essential thing is not the inheritance, but the original ability of the Four Swords of Mountains and Rivers to influence the Qi of Mountains and Rivers, but now it no longer exists?” Zhao Changhe pointed out the problem that the noble families have been hiding: “What you have lost is the ability to check and balance the imperial power. Old Xia’s blow hit you right in the core.”
Cui Wenjing did not deny: "Not bad."
"Based on my understanding of uncle's vision, he should be actively adapting to the era without the Four Swords of Mountains and Rivers and walking at the forefront of the tide. However, he hesitated until now and even prepared to go to war with the capital... Let me guess, could it be that the gods and demons promised that you would have such abilities again?"
(End of this chapter)