After Xu Zhi recounted to Xu Rao what she had heard from Shen Mingwan about Wuzhou, she tugged at Xu Rao's sleeve and said, "Father, it's not that I'm afraid Brother Boyuan will suffer there. I just feel that those people are really bullying people. Back at Yanmen Pass, Brother Boyuan was clearly going to be promoted to a higher position very soon, but they immediately sent him to the south. After he did well in the south, they sent him to Dengzhou. He made contributions in Dengzhou, and now they want to make room for someone else. You can't just bully one person at a time, can you?"

Xu Rao said with a smile, "Wuzhou is actually quite nice. I think it would be good for Boyuan to go there."

Xu Zhi pouted, a rare sight for her. Seeing Xu Zhi's girlish expression, Xu Rao laughed and called out to Chen Zhaoci, who was busy outside, "Honey, come and see! Our daughter's pout is so big, it could hang a sesame oil bottle on it!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaoci quickly put down what she was holding and rushed into the house, saying with a smile, "I have to take a good look at what my daughter looks like when she pouts."

Xu Zhi was completely exasperated by her optimistic parents. She sighed and said, "Dad, you and Mom have such big hearts."

Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "It's not that we're carefree. Things are already like this, so there's no need to focus our energy on how to change this one thing. Instead, we should think carefully about what kind of preparations we need to make now in order to do things better in the future."

Xu Rao chimed in, saying, "To do a good job, you must first have the right tools. What you need to think about now is not how to overturn this imperial decree that has basically been agreed upon, but to help Boyuan figure out what he needs after he goes to Wuzhou, what he needs from the Ministry of War or even the Ministry of Revenue. The threat from the Northern Di and the Jin people to the Great Liang is now very small. As for the southwest, those chieftains are basically vassals of the Great Liang. The most important one is the Great Yan. If the Great Yan has any ideas, Wuzhou will be the first to be affected."

Xu Zhi nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll go and find out for you right away. You've been through a lot, so we'll make sure to hear your opinions and avoid a lot of detours."

Watching Xu Zhi skip and hop away, Xu Rao sighed and said to Chen Zhaoci, "No wonder people say girls are outgoing. See, it's really very true."

Chen Zhaoci laughed and said, "Why do you sound so sour? What's wrong with a girl getting along well with her husband? We can't be with her forever. Isn't it better for her to find someone she can truly connect with and spend the rest of her life with?"

Xu Rao didn't say anything. Chen Zhaoci took the first-aid kit, changed Xu Rao's dressing, and said, "Your wound will be healed in two or three days. Are you planning to go to work right away?"

Xu Rao scoffed and said, "Am I stupid? I've barely had any vacations in the past ten years. Now that I finally have a paid leave, how can I not enjoy it properly? I'd be doing myself a disservice."

Chen Zhaoci nodded in agreement and said, "That makes perfect sense. But if you keep delaying your return to work, won't someone take away your authority?"

Xu Rao leaned against a large cushion, feeling very comfortable, and said, "What belongs to someone should belong to them. Being jealous won't solve anything. Even if we let them hold onto it for a while, can they hold onto it forever?"

Chen Zhaoci smiled and said, "Since you're recuperating at home and can't go anywhere else, I was thinking of visiting a farm in the suburbs of Beijing in a few days. It's almost autumn, and the scenery there must be beautiful."

Xu Rao said with some annoyance, "Why didn't I go straight to the estate when I came back? It's so much more comfortable there."

Chen Zhaoci said, "Aren't you comfortable now? Look at you, you're waited on hand and foot all day long, and I, your attending physician, am there to take care of you 24 hours a day. If you still feel uncomfortable after all this, there's nothing I can do."

The couple were chatting and laughing when they heard hurried footsteps coming from the yard into the room. Before Chen Zhaoci could even go outside to see what was happening, he saw that Xu Zhi's hair was all matted and her face was flushed.

Chen Zhaoci quickly helped her up and said, "What are you doing? Can't you just walk properly? Why do you have to run like this?"

Xu Zhi said excitedly, "Oh my, Mother, my eldest aunt has brought my cousin Shen over. I just happened to pass by Grandmother's courtyard and heard my eldest aunt standing there cursing the people from the Yongping Marquis's mansion."

Chen Zhaoci said nonchalantly, "Let them scold us. Your eldest aunt has already had several rounds of battles with the people from the Yongping Marquis's mansion since her eldest daughter-in-law entered the family."

Xu Zhi quickly said, "Mother, this time is different. I heard from the people my aunt brought back that my aunt wants to divorce my uncle. She came back this time to ask my grandparents to help talk to Marquis Yongping."

Chen Zhaoci was somewhat surprised. She looked at Xu Rao, who was also surprised, and said, "What's going on? Your aunt is about to have a grandchild, why is she planning to get a divorce?"

Xu Zhi fanned herself behind her ear. Seeing this, Chen Zhaoci quickly grabbed a banana leaf fan from the kang table for her. Xu Zhi fanned herself a few times with the fan, and after Chen Zhaoci poured her some tea, she picked it up and drank it all in one gulp. Then she sat on the edge of the kang and said excitedly, "I made a bet with my fourth and fifth sisters about whether Aunt could continue to tolerate the people from the Yongping Marquis's mansion. They both think that now that Cousin Xing is married, Aunt can live a good life with Cousin Xing, Cousin Xing and Cousin Shen in the mansion. Cousin Xing will be taking the imperial examination again soon. As long as he passes the examination, Aunt's life will be better."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!