Can the shaft seat be the same as the carriage?

The weather is getting colder now. Before, sitting on the ox cart, her face was almost blown wrinkled. Finally, there’s a carriage, and you’re telling me to go outside in the cold wind? No way!

"I can take care of mother inside," Xu Yulan said, resolutely not letting Liu Yun step in, then changed her tone, "Aunt surely wishes for me to be by her side to care for her, why don’t we ask Father’s opinion."

Gu Baijiang thought of how Xu Huizhen always valued her niece, and immediately said without hesitation, "Then let’s have the second family’s daughter go inside to look after her."

Since Gu Baijiang said so, Liu Yun could not say anything more. Luckily, she had foresight and pushed her son and daughter inside, or the second branch would take advantage of them.

Gu Baijiang glanced at the three sons outside, "Drive the cart steadily."

The three Gu Family brothers quickly responded affirmatively, and only then did he enter the carriage.

But in his mind, he felt something was off, as if he had forgotten something.

Seeing the Gu Family not delaying the journey, the escort said nothing more. Before leaving the post station, Liu Pingkang left another letter at the station, truthfully writing down all the events of last night, asking them to quickly send it to the capital.

Bai Suihe leaned against the soft pillow, eating the pastries bought by the two maids early in the morning from the neighboring courtyard.

Sure enough, the pastries used to entertain dignitaries tasted quite good; you could tell the kitchen poured their heart into them.

"Miss, are we really not caring about the son-in-law?" Chunxiang worried, afraid the Gu Family’s ox cart might be inaccessible to the son-in-law.

"It’s not that we don’t care, but we can’t manage it." Bai Suihe knew very well that was how it was in ancient times. If you cannot even fulfill filial duties as a child, how can you stand in this world?

Bai Suihe may not care personally, but she has to consider the child’s future.

Even wanting to leave the Gu Family, they can’t be the ones to speak out.

Now she and Gu Kaiyuan are waiting for the most suitable time, needing to rely on Gu Baijiang to change their current convict status.

"It’s just because I have a baby in my belly right now, otherwise I couldn’t stay here." Bai Suihe stroked her abdomen, thinking if it weren’t for the family’s reputation, they might call her back.

In the last life, the whole family was mixed together, even though the Bai Family bought an ox cart with silver, as a pregnant woman she still had to walk beneath.

Occasionally when she couldn’t bear it, she could only rest briefly on the ox cart.

"Why don’t we make a couple of pairs of shoes for the son-in-law," Dongmei held back Chunxiang, who wanted to say more, removed needlework supplies from the cabinet and began some handiwork.

"They don’t need to be so foolish, all walking below when there’s a shaft seat they can sit on."

Bai Suihe found it amusing too, "They don’t know how to drive a cart, only using the dumbest way to lead the ox."

"Can’t they learn, and isn’t our son-in-law proficient at driving?" Chunxiang questioned, confused as to why the son-in-law couldn’t drive the cart.

"The whole group isn’t fast now, without careful control, your son-in-law could be blamed. Besides, the Gu Family probably doesn’t know Gu Kaiyuan can drive a cart." Bai Suihe lifted the curtain looking ahead; many families were leading livestock along the way, with only one cart allowed per family. For large families, except for respected elders and young children, many walked alongside, how fast could their speed be?

Xu Huizhen, with her injuries, wasn’t suited to quick speed either; splits could occur, and blame might again fall on Gu Kaiyuan.

☆

In the capital, at the imperial court.

The emperor read the memorial, enraged. "You tell me, why are the exiled Gu Family continuously being ambushed?"

He was the one who decreed their exile, knowing Gu Baijiang was bearing the blame for the Third Prince.

Yet now, someone wanted the Gu Family dead; if there’s no conspiracy, he’s an ineffectual emperor.

Eyeing the Third Prince, Rong Ruiyuan, who stood there with a detached attitude.

He couldn’t believe the other group of black-clad men wasn’t under his control.

Not even old yet, his sons already coveted his throne, how could he not be disappointed?

He scanned the other princes, questioning if they knew who ordered the ambush.

Why were they targeting a once-exiled old minister?

The confiscated list from the Gu Family revealed no major discrepancies.

The family wasn’t adept at business, nearly below sustenance levels.

Gu Baijiang calculated well, marrying a businesswoman for his third son, possibly to accumulate a family base for his descendants.

Luck seemed lacking; Ms. Bai wasn’t great at business, and soon after joining the Gu Family, her dowry shop began to falter.

(Bai Suihe, if not fearing in-depth investigation, she’d empty it out, her little fortune...)

Yet he didn’t understand why the princes wanted such people dead, unless Gu Baijiang had greater secrets.

Thinking this possibility made the emperor regret not arresting Gu Baijiang for further investigation.

But his word was like gold, not easily changed.

"First Prince, speak," when no response came, the emperor called on someone directly.

Rong Ruixue, fearful and anxious, replied, "Father Emperor, I too am unaware, perhaps those Gu offended sought revenge amid their troubles." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Second Prince, your thoughts?"

"My thoughts align with the elder Imperial Brother," Rong Ruisi stepped forward. "This is merely Gu Family’s affairs; they’ve already been exiled, irrelevant to court matters. I think, wasting ink from the Censorate over an insignificant criminal is unnecessary."

"Fool! Even criminals are citizens of our Rong Dynasty. Who dares such boldness under the sun? Disregarding our laws?" The emperor, angered by his reply, felt his fury rise.

So recently out of the capital, acting like that, how brazen must they be elsewhere?

"It wasn’t under the sun, all happening deep in the night."

Merely some thieves, taking advantage; Father Emperor regards them highly." The Fourth Prince, Rong Ruibo muttered softly, almost tempting ministers nearby to bite their tongues, heads bowed low.

The Third Prince glanced at his brother, wondering if genuinely foolish or feigning, "Fourth Brother, what did you say?"

This inquiry focused all eyes on Rong Ruibo, who quickly raised his head, innocently answering, "Third Brother, I’m just pondering why these people act at night, must be some hidden secrets.

My curiosity lies in where those embezzled silver coins, supposedly taken by Gu, are now?

The house raid revealed none, whether Gu was wrongfully accused or had accomplices is unknown."