Chapter 152 Analyzing the Situation

Gu Yunxia assumed that Sun Qingchen was asking for help from Jinzhou, and nodded hurriedly. She also knew that the matter was serious and did not dare to be careless. "Husband, don't worry, I will handle this matter properly."

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On New Year's Eve, the Xu family had a rare reunion dinner together. Even Xu Deyuan, who had not been seen for a long time, showed up at the table for the first time.

However, when he saw the two main seats, the servants directly put Huang and Xu Zhenying's seats together, and when they sat down, Xu Zhenying sat on the main seat without any hesitation. Xu Deyuan still felt his eyelids twitching.

But Xu Lezhi dared to be angry but not to speak.

If they still can't see who is the real leader of the Xu family today, they are really deceiving themselves.

No one at the table dared to express any opinion on this. Even Huang just happily held Xu Zhenying's hand and asked about his well-being.

It seemed that Xu Zhenying's behavior of sitting directly in the main seat regardless of the elders in the room was natural.

The room seemed harmonious and harmonious, but some people felt extremely uncomfortable and wanted to escape immediately.

It’s strange to say, in the past, the family would sit together, and although they didn’t talk or sleep, it was New Year’s Eve after all, so they would still be lively.

But today, everyone keeps repeating the same few words: have you eaten, have you drunk, which dish is delicious?

Beneath this harmonious atmosphere, there is always a cautious alienation.

Fortunately, Xu Zhenying was called out halfway through his meal because of work.

The meal ended in such a strange way.

As soon as he returned to his own courtyard, Xu Deyuan couldn't help but complain, "The Third House is really becoming more and more lawless. She's so arrogant that she even dares to sit in the main seat! It seems that she has really become the head of our Xu family now?!"

No one in the room dared to say a word. They could only shrink their necks and wait for Xu Deyuan to lose his temper.

Xu Deyuan looked at Xu Yinxi again. He looked her up and down with gritted teeth, then sneered, "Why did you repeatedly interrupt your brothers and sisters at the banquet today? What's the matter? Do you think that the second branch of the Xu family has fallen on hard times and can't even let people speak?"

Lian glared at him and was about to reply when Xu Yinxi spoke calmly, her tone rather subtle, "Father, why are you so angry? This family has finally been reunited, and yet these brothers and sisters are either indirectly asking about the money earned from the soap sales of the Third Branch, or asking openly or covertly about how to divide the family property. Father, don't you think your brothers and sisters are behaving frivolously? I think they are petty and unpresentable. Father, you are a man of high character, like the bright moon. Naturally, you wouldn't care about such mundane matters. If I don't stop them, won't everyone think that my Second Branch is full of money? As your daughter, I will never allow them to tarnish your reputation like this."

Xu Deyuan was stunned.

Xu Yinxi's words were extremely sincere, and she looked like she had it all planned out for him, which made him swallow all the words that came to his lips.

Lian's mouth twitched, but she said nothing.

She finally figured it out.

Her eldest daughter hadn't been with Xu Zhenying for long, but she had learned a lot. Even though she was smart, she was burdened by the world and never dared to talk back to Xu Deyuan like she did now.

What Xu Deyuan values ​​most is his reputation. Now that Xu Yinxi is using his reputation to suppress him, he is tying himself up in knots.

This can kill people without making any noise, isn't it similar to that person's method?

Xu Deyuan's stunned look made Xu Yinxi sneer in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she acted terrified and said, "It's getting late. If father has no other instructions, please allow me to leave."

Afterwards, Xu Yinxi presented a completely impeccable etiquette.

Turning around, her eyebrows and skirt seemed cold.

In the end, Xu Deyuan didn't get to curse "evil creature".

Xu Minglu wanted to watch the fun, but was pulled away by Concubine Chun. Concubine Chun did not forget to teach Xu Minglu a lesson: "Minglu, stay out of Xu Lezhi and the others in the future. Did you learn the four arithmetic operations that Anping taught you today?"

Ming Lu pouted, "Auntie, do I really have to learn that? I'm not going to take the female top scholar exam, so it's useless to learn it. Besides, Sixth Sister despises our Second Branch, so what's the point of me learning it well?"

Aunt Chun tapped her forehead and said helplessly, "How can you be so short-sighted? Don't you see that Feng'er is now in charge of the female soldiers' camp, and wherever she goes, she is surrounded by people and looks very impressive. She is a woman, and you are also a woman. If she can do it, can't you do it yourself?"

Xu Minglu was even more dissatisfied. "Auntie, why do you always compare me with others? Besides, Feng'er is just a lowly person. In our Xu family, after all, she is just a servant. What's there to be proud of?"

Concubine Chun cried out, "Try to say such nonsense again? I have told you countless times that our family is no longer what it used to be. Your father injured his hand and can no longer lift a pen. We don't know how we will survive in the future. The Third House is so powerful now, how can we not rely on them to survive? You follow Xu Lezhi all day long, and Xu Lezhi is against the city lord every day. What good will it be for you to follow her? From tomorrow on, if you still consider me your mother, you are not allowed to see her! Study the things the city lord said at home. When you have learned them, I will let you go!"

"Mom!" Xu Minglu sighed reluctantly!

Lan County is like a pure land. While people in Jinzhou Prefecture are displaced everywhere, on this New Year's Eve, thousands of lights and fireworks illuminate the night sky of Lan County.

People rushed out of their homes, carrying the elderly and children, to watch acrobatics under the overpass, go out to eat some rice dumplings, or watch the fireworks by the river.

Although the gates of Lan County were closed, the city was extremely bustling, as if all the sufferings in the world were isolated outside.

But in the county government office, Xu Zhenying was very busy.

Miao cooked Yuanxiao, and Xu Huiming brought it to her, and watched her writing and drawing at the desk.

She seemed so engrossed that she didn't even notice him pushing the door open.

Xu Huiming placed the Yuanxiao on the table, dimmed the lights, and said with a smile, "You really are so busy. Just now, when my mother came to ask you to watch the fireworks, you were already writing. It's been an hour, and you're still writing. Could you please let me take a look at what masterpiece you've been working on?"

"Brother, you've come just in time. I've already finished editing these textbooks, and I still need you to polish and transcribe them."

Xu Zhenying is still not used to using a brush and still writes and draws with a charcoal pencil every day. The picture is really funny.

Xu Huiming was slightly surprised. "You got all the textbooks out?"

Xu Huiming quickly reached for it and flipped through it. Only then did he see the math, physics, and chemistry sections. Unlike the first draft, this version was more complete and detailed, supplementing previously omitted knowledge points. The title page even had an outline, making the overall knowledge framework more rational.

"Great! The complete version of the textbook is finally out. Sister, I'm not bragging, but if these works of yours were released, they would definitely be masterpieces that would stir up an unprecedented sensation in the Great Zhou Dynasty. I'm afraid the world would be vying to collect them—"

Xu Huiming couldn't help but flip through the math section first. He saw that it included introductory questions like Arabic numerals, arithmetic operations, area calculations, and chickens and rabbits in the same cage, as well as trigonometric functions, vertical columns, logical reasoning, and so on.

The more Xu Huiming turned, the colder he felt on his back.

The publication of the elementary mathematics book only proved that Xu Zhenying's mathematics was top-notch, but Xu Huiming could not find any words to describe the symbols in the book that were like heavenly books, the door that had never been opened by anyone, and the unreachable world!

This is not mathematics at all, it's clearly metaphysics.

Otherwise, how do we explain that Xu Zhenying knows these things?

Xu Huiming could almost confirm that there were no books in his grandfather's house as his sister mentioned. As for the hermit master his sister mentioned, Xu Huiming could not figure it out after thinking about it. In the end, he could only comfort himself by thinking that Xu Zhenying might have really met a god who enlightened him.

Xu Zhenying did not feel tired when writing these books. The knowledge was all in his mind, and he only needed to organize, summarize and write it down.

Xu Zhenying himself didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing to bring out something that far exceeded the level of contemporary research too early.

Maybe she would be the one burned to death, or maybe she would become a colorful figure in history.

All this can only be solved by time.

Xu Huiming flipped through the books with his hands trembling slightly. His mind was filled with excitement that such a unique work was in his hands. He could fully predict what kind of storm these books would cause once they were published, and he was so lucky to be the first to witness it.

Compared to Xu Huiming's excitement, Xu Zhenying was much calmer. After working day and night for more than a month, he finally organized what he had learned in the past 30 years into a clear logic.

She felt like she had just finished a long paper. She was so exhausted she could only lie there, looking like a shrew. "Finally, I'm done. If I keep going like this, I'll lose ten years of my life!"

Xu Huiming, however, forcibly pulled Xu Zhenying closer, unable to conceal her excitement. "Sister, I've always been curious about where you learned all this stuff. Such common sense, like judging the weather by clouds, determining a tree's age by its growth rings, and the neutralization reaction of acids and alkalis—it's simply a stroke of genius! Tell me, have you ever been enlightened by a deity?"

Xu Zhenying began to scratch her head. She tried to appease the eager-to-know Xu Huiming and said quietly, "The secret cannot be revealed."

Xu Huiming couldn't control himself. His chest heaved as he clutched Xu Zhenying's wrist, his eyes gleaming. "Don't try to bluff me with this. You once said you were a staunch materialist, an atheist. You firmly believed that humans could understand, utilize, and transform nature. You firmly believed that we could discover the laws of nature and thus harness all the world's resources for our benefit. So, what secrets are you talking about?"

Xu Zhenying didn't expect that he would get himself into trouble this time.

She didn't expect that the word "materialist" that she casually said would be remembered by Xu Huiming and would bother him so much.

She had long anticipated that the things she did and the words she said unintentionally would inevitably arouse other people's suspicion sooner or later, but she did not expect that the first person to suffer would be Xu Huiming.

She sighed, "Brother, you may not understand what I'm saying now. Just like you can't understand why earth dragons suddenly turn over without warning, why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, why the sea ebbs and flows, and why the moon is sometimes full and sometimes crescent."

Xu Huiming was stunned. He felt an indescribable excitement in his heart, as well as an inescapable powerlessness. The complex emotions made it impossible for him to face the person in front of him rationally.

He wanted to say, but this has never been the case in this world...

These things exist naturally in the world, who would wonder why?

But then another question arises: why has no one ever thought about why?

Existence is reasonable?

Xu Zhenying's voice was slow, as if to soothe his anxiety. "Brother, I'll tell you later. I can't tell you now, but at some point in the future, I will definitely tell you everything. By then, perhaps you will have a different understanding of my origins."

Xu Huiming suppressed the numerous questions in his mind and let go of his hand somewhat dejectedly.

He sighed deeply and gently pushed the bowl and chopsticks towards her. "Mom made some Yuanxiao. She was afraid you would be hungry, so she asked me to bring it to you."

Xu Zhenying picked up the Yuanxiao and gently bit it open. The aroma of sesame filling filled the air, and the sweet and soft feeling instantly exploded between his lips and tongue.

Seeing Xu Huiming standing there in a daze, Xu Zhenying put down his bowl and chopsticks and smiled slightly: "Brother, is there anything else on your mind?"

Xu Zhenying came back to his senses and seemed to remember the important matter. "There is one thing."

"you say."

Xu Huiming hesitated, seemingly deliberating before speaking. "I see that all matters, big and small, in Lan County are now handled by our people. Jiang Yongkang handles city defense, Ming Xiaoshuang distributes land, my aunt and her female relatives handle logistics, and Fang Xun handles animal husbandry. I don't consider myself exceptionally talented, but I'm no less incompetent than the people you've chosen. Sister, do you have other plans for me?"

Xu Huiming had also thought about this question.

He even wondered if it was because he and Xu Zhenying were both children of three wives, and Xu Zhenying was afraid that he would seize power, so she deliberately put him on the bench.

But then he thought: Although Xu Zhenying was a woman, she had always acted with integrity and hated others' tricks. After much thought, Xu Huiming felt that Xu Zhenying might have other plans for him.

"Are you planning to let me take charge of the comprehensive education in the spring?"

Xu Zhenying smiled slightly, then shook his head, "No."

"Then I really can't guess."

Xu Zhenying gestured for Xu Huiming to sit down, then slowly spoke, "Brother, I'm glad you came to ask me directly. I really like your way of doing things. I thought it was time for you to come over, but I didn't expect you to be so patient."

Xu Huiming finally felt relieved and said with a smile, "We're family, so let's not talk about different things. What are your plans? Just tell me the lowdown. I'm mentally prepared. It's definitely going to be the most challenging, right?"

Xu Zhenying laughed heartily. "Brother is right. The hardest tasks are definitely reserved for our family. To be honest, I do have high expectations and plans for you, but I'm still hesitant."

Xu Huiming's eyes lit up. "Why not tell me about it?"

"Brother, do you know where our current predicament lies?"

Xu Huiming knew that Xu Zhenying was not really asking him, so he pretended to listen.

“Our dilemma is that we have no money.”

Xu Huiming laughed, "Sister, if you say you have no money, your aunt will beat you with a big stick!"

Xu Zhenying shook his head, his face solemn. "I know what you mean. The money from selling soap is indeed enough to support the Xu family, but we have to support 15,000 people now. These tens of thousands of taels of silver are simply a drop in the bucket."

Xu Huiming gasped, "Are you seriously planning to use your own money to subsidize the people of Lan County? Zhenying, wake up. We're only hiding in Lan County temporarily. Once the road is safer, we'll definitely leave. If that's the case, why are you spending so much effort protecting Lan County?"

Xu Zhenying frowned slightly. "Brother, having more money never hurts. Now that we've occupied Lan County, we have to be responsible for its people. With the arrival of spring, infrastructure, universal education, agricultural tools and seeds—none of these things require money. Besides, even if Lan County doesn't need them, we'll definitely need them in the future. It's better to be prepared."

Xu Huiming remained silent, as if he couldn't figure out what the person in front of him was thinking.

After a long pause, he said, "Qingying, please don't hide it from me. Although I'm not as smart as you, I'm definitely not stupid. You've always been a person who thinks three steps ahead and never does anything useless. Why don't you just tell me honestly what you're thinking?"

Xu Zhenying sighed, thinking that Xu Huiming really wasn't as easy to fool as Miao Shi. Her eyes flickered. "Since that's the case, I might as well tell you the truth. Brother, take a look at what the Great Zhou Dynasty looks like now."

Xu Huiming remained silent.

"You should have sensed it too. The Great Zhou Dynasty... is about to descend into chaos. To the north, there's the Tartars, to the south, the Chen Dynasty is eyeing us covetously. The chieftains of Qianzhou are rebelling collectively. After the nine vassal kings entered the capital, I'm afraid none of them will leave. The Great Zhou Dynasty is bound to be engulfed in bloodshed. Within ten years, there won't be a single peaceful place for us to rest in the Great Zhou Dynasty."

Xu Huiming clenched his fists, bit his lip and said nothing. He knew very well that what Xu Zhenying said was true, but because of the fear deep in his heart, he refused to face the reality.

He always felt that the Zhou Dynasty had lasted for three hundred years, and even if it was in turmoil, it could at least last for a few decades.

"Although Lan County seems like a paradise right now, this good time won't last. Just wait and see. The war in Qianzhou will soon spread to our side. This year's fields will be destroyed, and next year's harvest will be barren. Jinzhou will be filled with starving people, and the tragedy will be even worse than this year!"

Xu Huiming felt as if his chest had been hit hard by someone.

On the one hand, he was astonished at Xu Zhenying's keen understanding of the situation, and on the other hand, he was terrified of the miserable situation of the people after the spring.

Yes, how could he not have thought that a large number of fields in Jinzhou Prefecture were washed away this year, and the people all fled. Those lands could only be left barren. Where would the food come from next year?

In other words, the real crisis will be next year!

No, tonight is New Year's Eve, and this shocking crisis can be said to happen tomorrow!

"The Tusi in Qianzhou are causing rebellion, and a large number of people are undoubtedly displaced. And the fact that we haven't heard any movement from the imperial court yet can only mean two things. First, the vassal kings are fighting tooth and nail for the throne, and have no time to care about a small Jinzhou. Second, the Jinzhou camp itself is also empty, with no extra garrison to stop the Tusi's rebellion! Therefore, I conclude that we can operate in Lan County for at least several years!"