Xu Di went to the old lady's courtyard. The old lady had someone open her storeroom and found a lot of fine and soft fabrics. When she saw Xu Di coming, she quickly called out to him, "Come and see. These are what I found for my unborn great-grandson. Take them with you and make some undergarments and blankets for the child. The child's skin is delicate, so these are the only things you need."

Xu Di smiled and said, "Grandmother, then I will thank you on behalf of my child."

The old lady smiled and refused to accept the thanks. Xu Rao and Chen Zhaoci came over, and the three of them had lunch with the old lady and the Marquis. Only then did Xu Di lead his men to Tongzhou.

Xu Di and his party traveled quickly and arrived in Tongzhou by evening. The boat was already waiting at the dock. Once on board, the boatmen put in their best effort and sailed smoothly with the wind and current toward Miaozhou.

That evening, after dinner, Xu Di lay in his cabin, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He was thinking about what he had said to his father. Emperor Liang Cheng had made it clear that he would give Xiao Yuan time to grow. Although Emperor Liang Cheng's health was not very good, he could still live for another ten or eight years. This period of time would be an opportunity for Xiao Yuan to grow, and in fact, it would also be an opportunity for Xu Di to develop.

Xu Rao once told Xu Di not to recklessly expand his power, but to find a balance between Emperor Liang Cheng and Xiao Yuan. This balance should not only maintain the father-son relationship between Emperor Liang Cheng and Xiao Yuan, but also show Emperor Liang Cheng that the Xu family is only dedicated to helping him cultivate the next emperor. This cultivation is based on Emperor Liang Cheng's vision, not on the Xu family's own ideas. Xiao Yuan is still the heir of the Xiao family. He will represent the Xiao family to take over the Liang dynasty in the future, not be cultivated by the Xu family according to their own preferences.

Xu Di knew very well that the heart of an emperor was unfathomable, and one could not use the mind of an ordinary person to understand the thoughts of an emperor, especially regarding the issue of Xiao Yuan. Why didn't Xu Rao keep Xiao Yuan by his side to train him, but instead had Xiao Yuan's bodyguards accompany him to learn martial arts and study with the Chen family's children? This was to maintain a distance from Xiao Yuan that Emperor Liang Cheng could trust. Later, when Wu Muyue was invited to be Xiao Yuan's teacher, Emperor Liang Cheng's consent was obtained, and Wu Muyue even personally contacted Emperor Liang Cheng. As for Xu Rao, he never offered his opinion on Xiao Yuan's training.

The saying goes, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked." History is replete with tragic examples of this, and Xu Rao, a man who has diligently studied history, certainly understood this principle. It was precisely because he understood this principle that he proceeded with extreme caution, ensuring Xu Di restrained his words and actions, and that the Marquis restrained the behavior of his family members. Among the Xu family men of Xu Di's generation, why were the others still unmarried? Ostensibly, it was to wait for the imperial examinations, hoping to improve their appearance, but in reality, they didn't want to have marriage ties with powerful figures in the capital. The Yongning Marquis's mansion was currently very influential; even if Xu Hua wanted to marry a princess, he would. It was the Yongning Marquis who dared not allow him to marry a noblewoman, fearing that Emperor Liang Cheng would perceive it as the Yongning Marquis's mansion using marriage alliances to build factions.

Feeling agitated, Xu Di tossed and turned several times before finally getting up, putting on his clothes, and opening the cabin door. He then discovered that it was pitch black outside, the sky was overcast, and it looked like it would snow in the middle of the night. It was so cold! Once Xu Di had cleared his head, he quickly returned to his cabin.

Not to mention Xu Di's hurried journey to Luzhou, because it was the end of the year and Zheng Yuanyuan was preparing to bid farewell and go home for the New Year. Chen Zhaoci felt that with the Sixth Prince executed, the Seventh Prince would not be able to cause any trouble now, so he asked Bai Wei and Bai Mi to help Zheng Yuanyuan pack some medicinal herbs, preparing to send Zheng Yuanyuan back to the Zheng residence.

Before leaving, Zheng Yuanyuan wanted to visit the Zhou family of three in the front yard one last time, but was told that the Zhou family of three had already returned to their shop in the south of the city. Next year was the year of the imperial examination, and many candidates from other places in the capital had already come to prepare. Business was booming in the shop. In order to promote the reputation of the bamboo paper shop, Xu Zhi had prepared some activities for the year before and after the New Year. Therefore, not only Zhou Erzhu couldn't stay here, but Zhou Ersao was also anxious. She was pregnant with a child she had been longing for and couldn't hold back any longer. So, the family of three packed their bags and returned to the shop a few days ago.