After Xu Di settled in, everyone quickly got into the swing of things, while Wu Muyue, accompanied by Yue Qingchuan, gained a good understanding of the academy.

What Wu Muyue was most interested in was how much time those who had passed the county-level imperial examinations should spend working as clerks in the government offices each year. Wu Muyue was a graduate of the imperial examinations and ranked first in the class, so he naturally understood that if one wanted to truly pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom, one had to study matters concerning people's livelihoods carefully. Writing policy essays was not something that could be done simply by being good at reading books; it required certain experiences and the ability to combine one's own experiences with the theories in books in order to make one's policy essays substantial and readable for the examiners.

Wu Muyue stayed in Tai'an for a few days before continuing his journey south. He had been away for quite some time. Although the academy could still function normally without him, he still felt uneasy not being there to oversee it.

Xu Rao traveled north, and the further north he went, the colder the weather became. When he woke up in the morning, he could already see white frost on the ground.

The group of people, with their carriages and horses rumbling along, did not travel very fast. The carriages had neither rubber tires to make the ride smoother nor any shock absorbers. As for the road, although it was an official road built by the government, some sections had only been simply leveled. Sitting in the carriage was quite uncomfortable.

After two days of carriage travel, Zhang Zhaoci felt he couldn't take it anymore. While resting at the post station that night, he said to Xu Rao, "Could it be that I've gotten old just because I got married? Why do I feel so uncomfortable traveling by carriage? I didn't feel this uncomfortable the previous times."

Xu Rao sometimes travels by car, sometimes by horse, and is always exhausted. Hearing Zhang Zhaoci say this to him, he sighed and said, "This time I also feel more tired than the previous times. We are both really not young anymore, almost forty years old. In this world, the average lifespan is only a few decades."

Zhang Zhaoci rubbed his lower back and said, "Tomorrow morning I'll go to the street and buy a few thick quilts to put on the cart. Granny Lu is getting old, and it's hard on her to travel with us like this."

Xu Rao, as if remembering something, asked, "What are your plans for Xiao Jiu's marriage?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "In the past two years in Beijing, she has met many people. Since she hasn't mentioned finding someone she likes, it means she doesn't want to find a husband in Beijing. This time, she insisted on coming back to Ganzhou with us. Do you think there's someone she wants to meet in Ganzhou?"

Xu Rao frowned upon hearing this and said, "She's at the age where she should be getting married, but she insists on coming to Ganzhou with us. I don't believe she has no ulterior motives, but a young girl of fourteen or fifteen is just the time when she has her own ideas and is forming her worldview. It wouldn't be good if we said too much. Sigh, it's really difficult."

Zhang Zhaoci said, "What's so difficult about this? I'll find an opportunity to ask her properly and see what she thinks. As long as she says she has her eye on someone, and as long as that person is unmarried and of decent character, we'll help arrange the marriage. Girls, especially girls this age, should listen to their own opinions when it comes to marriage."

Xu Rao said, "In other families, marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers. Why do we have to listen to her in our family?"

Zhang Zhaoci said, "If you find her a husband now and tell her she has to marry into that family, I doubt Xiao Jiu would object. But I just can't bear to see her marry into a family she doesn't want to marry into. When a girl gets married, she has to choose someone she likes. That way, she'll have something to look forward to. Otherwise, even if she has a good life, she'll still feel bitter."

Xu Rao said, "Then find an opportunity to ask him properly, and once you've got the information, we'll quickly finalize Xiao Jiu's marriage."

Seeing Xu Rao's expression, Zhang Zhaoci's heart skipped a beat, and he asked in a low voice, "Is there anything else I don't know about?"

Xu Rao said, "That Third Prince has already sent someone to test me. He said that as long as we are willing, he will give Xiao Jiu a concubine position. Do I need a concubine position? This time, when Xu Di got married, I originally thought that Xiao Jiu could just find a family she wanted to marry into and that would be fine. Who knew that she hadn't found a suitable husband yet? Zhao Ci, this matter must be treated as a top priority. When we return to Ganzhou, we should ask Xiao Jiu what she thinks. If she has someone in her heart, as long as the person is suitable, we should quickly arrange the marriage. If she doesn't have a suitable person, we should help her find one. This matter cannot be delayed any longer."

Hearing Xu Rao's words, Zhang Zhaoci felt both angry and fearful, but she didn't say anything more, only saying that she understood. However, she tossed and turned all night and couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

With something on her mind, Zhang Zhaoci got up early in the morning and went to a shop in town that sold cotton quilts and cotton clothes. Because winter was approaching, the shop was doing very well.

Zhang Zhaoci bought several cotton quilts and arranged for people to spread them on his carriage, the carriage that Granny Lu rode in with Xu Zhi, and the carriage that Madam Li rode in. After breakfast, Zhang Zhaoci couldn't hold back any longer and called Xu Zhi to his carriage.

The carriage traveled along the uneven road, swaying and rocking. Zhang Zhaoci felt her heart leap into her throat. Seeing that Zhang Zhaoci's face was pale, Xu Zhi took out a few dried apricots from her purse and said, "Mother, have a couple of these."

Zhang Zhaoci shook her head. She knew that with the carriage moving like this, it wouldn't be easy for people outside to hear if they spoke quietly inside. After thinking for a moment, she whispered, "Xiao Jiu, tell your mother the truth, is there someone in your heart?"

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