Chapter 290 Neither Are Smart
How could Xu Zhenying not have expected that someone in his family would get married so soon?
It was just after summer and autumn was about to begin. The Qianzhou natives' massive westward migration project had just come to an end, and construction work in the west was just beginning in full swing. However, Second Aunt Lian asked her opinion on Xu Lezhi's marriage.
Xu Zhenying didn't realize who Xu Lezhi was for a moment.
Since occupying the southwest, the war in the east was intense, reconstruction work in the west had just begun, and poverty alleviation work in Bao'an Prefecture and Xiangshui Prefecture was also a focus. Xu Zhenying was busy from morning to night, and she was so busy that she was exhausted. She even suspected that she might die suddenly one day.
That really proves the saying "The late emperor died before he could complete his career."
It took Xu Zhenying a while to realize who Lian was talking about. "Xu Lezhi?"
She remembered that before Xu Yinxi left, she locked Xu Lezhi up at home.
That was more than a year ago.
She only remembered that Xu Minglu from the second house had changed a lot, and even passed the clerk assessment. He started as a grassroots propagandist, working his way up step by step, and had some of Xu Yinxi's style.
"Xu Lezhi? Getting married?"
Then came surprise.
Judging from their ages, Xu Lezhi seemed to be one or two months younger than her, which meant he was not yet sixteen years old.
Lian nodded twice, as if afraid Xu Zhenying would overthink things, and she kept explaining, "Your Highness, it's time. Many girls in Bianjing are married at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Besides, you know Xu Lezhi's temper, and I'm afraid she won't change in this lifetime. I don't expect her to achieve anything in the future, just don't cause me any trouble. Instead of keeping her locked up at home endlessly, it's better to marry her off early."
Xu Zhenying didn't feel much about this. Although Xu Lezhi was a bad person, he was just talking nonsense and didn't cause any actual harm.
She is already in her thirties, so naturally she would not argue with a teenage girl.
"Don't be so anxious, you still have to choose. Getting married is a big deal for a girl, so you have to be careful!"
"I've been searching for a year or two, and it's been a rare opportunity to find a young talent of equal status. Your Highness, don't worry. You know the man, Zhou Bo. Although his ancestors were farmers, he is now a garrison general in Jinzhou Prefecture, a third-rank official. This is all thanks to Your Highness."
"Zhou Bo?" Xu Zhenying frowned slightly.
She now has numerous generals under her command, not to mention the recent Jiang Yongkang, Liu Dazhuang, Ming Xiaoshuang, Zhao Qiaonian, Mo Jinchun and others, as well as Zhang Wanjun, Zhang Qiuchan, Lu Fei, Chang Zizai and others. Each of them is a first-class player. Zhou Bo is not the best among them, but he can be regarded as a famous general of Jinzhou Prefecture.
But this guy... Xu Zhenying always felt that he was not as sincere as Lu Fei, and that he was a bit more tactful like a businessman in his behavior and actions.
But when she thought about how the Second House was already walking on thin ice in front of her, if she interfered with the Second House's marriage, it would probably be counterproductive, right?
Lian suddenly became a little nervous, as if she was afraid that Xu Zhenying would not agree to this marriage. Even her shoulders were tense. "Your Highness, do you think there is something wrong with Zhou Bo?"
Xu Zhenying looked at the overly cautious Lian, then smiled and said, "They are a perfect match, talented and beautiful. I'll come and have a drink after the wedding date is set."
Lian's eyes instantly lit up with joy. "Of course, it's truly an honor for Your Highness to attend. I...I...since Your Highness agrees to this marriage, could you please issue an imperial decree to grant...Le Zhi the marriage? This way, the Zhou family will also be informed, so they won't dare neglect Le Zhi."
Xu Zhenying pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Second Aunt, I'm sorry. You can drink the wedding wine, but I can't agree to issue an imperial decree to grant the marriage."
A look of disappointment flashed across Lian's face.
"Second Aunt, first of all, I haven't proclaimed myself emperor, so there are no decrees. Secondly, even if I were to become emperor, any notices I would issue would only represent court affairs and would not affect me personally or my family. In the future, whether it's the wedding or funeral of anyone in the Xu family, I won't issue decrees. In my court, there will be no such thing as imperial decrees, only announcements, proclamations, and declarations. Do you understand what I mean?"
Lian's expression softened slightly, "Yes, Your Highness, I understand. No private matters should be brought to court."
"That's right. But if you don't mind, I can be a witness."
Lian was immediately overjoyed, "In that case, then... thank you very much, Your Highness!"
After Lian left, she habitually pondered what Xu Zhenying had just said.
There will be no explicit instructions for weddings or funerals.
Why does it sound like Xu Zhenying wants to break away from the Xu family?
Lian really hoped it was just his illusion.
However, Xu Zhenying still summoned Zhou Bo one day.
Zhou Bo hasn't been to the Jinzhou Prefecture government office for a long time.
Although he is now the garrison general of Jinzhou Prefecture, Lu Fei is making great achievements in the west, Zhang Wanjun and Jiang Yongkang are fighting against Ming Wang's people in the east, and among the people of the same period, he is the only one who is arranged to stay in the original place.
Zhou Bo himself didn't believe that there was no intention of neglect.
Everyone who comes out of the army has been trained to be smart, and anyone would think that Zhou Bo can only hold on and not expand his territory.
Being stationed in Jinzhou Prefecture is the easiest, most convenient and safest job.
Every day, they are responsible for city security, cooperating with the criminal department to solve major cases, or mediating disputes between neighbors.
He is not even responsible for His Highness's safety.
His Highness's personal guards are all fourth-rank officers, all directly under the management of the Ministry of Military Affairs, and have nothing to do with him.
So a strange phenomenon occurred.
He was clearly a third-rank official, but he could only see His Highness once or twice a year.
Now, a year later, the city lord summoned him again alone.
Zhou Bo naturally knew the reason behind this.
He strode in, and after passing through numerous security checks, he finally saw the man in power who controlled nearly ten million people in the southwest amidst the flickering lights.
This time they must be talking about his marriage with Xu Lezhi.
Because none of the four secretaries in the room, known as the Four Heavenly Kings of the secretariat office, were there.
There was only Xu Zhenying.
Perhaps there are still a dozen or so secret guards who never see the light of day.
Xu Zhenying looked up from a pile of documents. When he saw him, he smiled and waved at him: "General Zhou is here? Please take a seat."
Zhou Bo knew that Xu Zhenying's "please sit down" was different from the emperor's granting of a seat in the Zhou Dynasty. The emperor's granting of a seat was the highest honor, while Xu Zhenying's request to sit down was just an ordinary courtesy.
Zhou Bo was dressed neatly and sat upright.
Xu Zhenying put down the piece of paper in his hand. Zhou Bo took a quick look at it and saw the words "Southwest Monthly" written on it. He guessed that this should be the key work currently promoted by the Propaganda Department.
The legendary newspaper.
"General Zhou, do you know why I asked you to come here today?"
When Xu Zhenying spoke, he was mostly slow and measured with a smile on his face, as if he was chatting about family matters, and did not give people a sense of oppression at all.
But Zhou Bo was still a little nervous. "I probably know. Your Highness is here today... for my marriage with the Seventh Miss of the Xu Family."
"That's right. I wanted to ask you what your plans are."
Zhou Boteng stood up suddenly and saluted Xu Zhenying with a standard military salute. Then he spoke directly to the point in a voice as loud as a bell, without avoiding or giving way.
"Your Highness, you are the smartest person in the entire Jinzhou Prefecture. I can't play any tricks in front of you, so I can only tell you the truth."
Xu Zhenying raised his eyebrows, as if he was now interested. "Okay, go ahead."
"It doesn't matter to me which woman I marry. I have no desire for love. But I know that Madam Lian is extremely anxious about her daughter's marriage, and I also know the grudge between Your Highness and the second branch of the Xu family. Therefore, I thought it would be great if I could help the city lord solve a small matter. Xu Lezhi is a member of my Zhou family now that she has entered my family. I will restrain her behavior and prevent her from causing you any unhappiness. But I am not a heartless person. Since I have asked to marry Xu Lezhi, she will be my wife in the future, and I will give her enough respect. This is a win-win situation. There is no loss for Your Highness, the Xu family, and myself. Why not do it?"
Xu Zhenying actually smiled upon hearing this. She stared at Zhou Bo and then slowly said, "Okay, I appreciate your frankness. I prefer a true villain like you to a hypocrite. But you should have noticed that I'm different from the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I don't care about clan honor. I am me, the Xu family is the Xu family, and Xu Lezhi is Xu Lezhi. Personal honor ultimately depends on personal struggle. I say this... do you understand?"
Zhou Bo nodded, "I understand."
Xu Zhenying looked Zhou Bo up and down, wondering if he really understood.
But the other party had already frankly stated that he wanted to marry Xu Lezhi just to get in touch with her, Xu Zhenying. And she had also explained it, so could it be that Zhou Bo also gave up this marriage?
At most, if he asks for something in the future, she will have to consider it based on the circumstances.
If Zhou Bo had any requests to Xu Yinxi and Lian, they would probably also decide based on the circumstances.
"When is the wedding?"
Zhou Bo was delighted, knowing in his heart that Xu Zhenying did not object to this marriage.
In this way, the biggest hurdle was overcome.
"Mrs. Xu means as soon as possible. After all, it's not good for the Seventh Miss Xu to be locked up at home all the time. If she stays at home for too long, others will definitely talk about her."
"Okay, let me know when the wedding date is set, and I'll officiate your wedding."
Zhou Bo immediately stood up respectfully: "Thank you, Your Highness."
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As autumn arrived, the earth became cool, and almost all the people and officials of Jinzhou Prefecture went to the fields to ensure the autumn harvest.
Even the garrison soldiers of Jinzhou Prefecture helped to manage the official fields.
The lives of the people in Jinzhou Prefecture continued as usual.
Most of the people in the city do not have their own land and rely on business for their livelihood.
As it approached noon, the alley where the institute's families lived was quiet. Occasionally, a woman came to buy groceries, but she was in a hurry, anxious to go home and cook.
Aunt Feng was walking briskly on the road, carrying a vegetable basket in her hand. Suddenly, a dark-faced man came towards her and asked where Dean Luo lived.
This immediately alerted Aunt Feng. She looked the man up and down and said in a shrill voice, "Where does this Dean Luo live? How would I know? There are so many people with the last name Luo around here, including deans, principals, and ministers. Does anyone know who this Dean Luo you're talking about?"
"It's the craftsman from the research institute who studies firearms!"
"Oh, you're looking for him? Who are you? What do you want to see him for?"
"I'm from out of town and want to discuss some cooperation with Dean Luo."
"Then you've come to the wrong place. The research institute is state-owned and belongs to the imperial court. You have to go to the Ministry of Commerce to discuss business!"
But the man refused to leave. "I'm not going to the Ministry of Commerce. I just want to visit President Luo."
The man calmly handed Aunt Feng a few ingots of silver and said with a smile, "I know I have to negotiate the business with the Ministry of Commerce, but I also have to take care of Dean Luo's affairs, right? I'd like to ask this lady to help me."
Aunt Feng weighed the silver in her hand and immediately smiled happily.
The man sneered in his heart. It is said that the people of Jinzhou Prefecture are united and vigilant, and it is not easy to be their spies, but he thinks this is quite easy.
Women like this are the easiest to deceive. Once you see that she doesn't come from a wealthy family, she will definitely say anything for a few trivial things.
Aunt Feng took the money and immediately became enthusiastic. "Oh, why didn't you say you were Director Luo from the research institute? I know he lives in the west lane in front. When you see a well, turn left and go all the way to the end. The second house is his house!"
The man immediately bowed and thanked her, "Sister, I'd like to ask who are the people in Dean Luo's family. Once I know this, I can prepare some gifts for him."
"Oh, how many people? The whole family, young and old, probably more than ten or twenty people."
"When will Dean Luo go home? I heard he's usually at the research institute."
"He'll be back by the weekend. Hey, isn't today Saturday? It's dinner time now. You should hurry over now, you might even run into him!"
"Thank you so much, big sister!"
"Go ahead, don't delay your work."
Aunt Feng accepted the money, feeling very satisfied. After the man left, she quickly returned to her room. As soon as she bolted the door, she began to call out to her husband, "Old man! Old man!"
Uncle Feng was still chopping wood at home when he came out with his hatchet in hand. He gruffly replied, "What are you doing? Have you bought the vegetables? Hurry up and cook for the kids! It's Saturday, and school is finally closed. What are you dawdling about for?!"
Aunt Feng pulled her old man, her face filled with anxiety. "What are you even cooking for? Hurry up, get out the front door and report to the patrol station. Tell them we've spotted a spy and I've directed him to the Second Patrol! Tell them to hurry up. What's that saying? Oh! Cheating in a jar!"
The old man dropped his hatchet and said doubtfully, "Is this true? Don't lie about military intelligence!"
"Really! That guy is definitely a spy! Well, didn't Aunt Lu next door get 20 taels of silver last time because she caught a spy by accident? Let's go too, maybe this time the reward will be 50 taels!"
Fifty taels of silver was tempting enough. The old man immediately said, "Hurry, hurry, wait until we catch them to find out if they are spies! The propagandists said these spies are walking silver!"
Sure enough, a patrol team soon captured the spy and exchanged twenty taels of silver for Aunt Feng on the spot!
Aunt Feng couldn't stand the excitement of the enthusiastic neighbors, and the propagandist asked her to share her experience. Aunt Feng was not afraid of the stage, and said loudly: "Oh my God, this is not my cleverness, but the propagandist's good teaching! Didn't the propagandist organize a class for people in our alley last time? I remember that the propagandist said that if you come up and ask where the people from the research institute live, nine out of ten are not from the right place! Our research institute is closely connected with the Ministry of Commerce. If you want to discuss business, you will naturally go to the Ministry of Commerce. If you want to see Dean Luo seriously, you can also go to the security department at the government office to register and take him to see him. There's no need for anyone to visit in person! The first thing he did was ask where Dean Luo lived, and then he said he was a businessman. He didn't tell me what he did for a living, and he refused to go to the Ministry of Commerce when asked. I think there's something fishy going on! Besides, those girls in the Propaganda Department have been saying that many of the people in the institute are researching new weapons to be used on the battlefield. If anyone asks about the institute, especially the officials there, we have to be on high alert! I'm also a result of the Propaganda Department, otherwise how would I know about the spies?
Aunt Feng's words made perfect sense. The other women huddled together, nodding their heads. "That's right. The girls from our Propaganda Department come here every week to give us instructions. They say a lot of people have been asking about Jinzhou Prefecture lately! We live right next to the alley for the families of the research institute, so we have to be on high alert! No matter if the cat is black or white, we have to catch one first!"
"That's right! Besides, there's money to be had!"
Everyone was laughing and talking happily.
But the spy probably didn't understand why until he was caught.
However, when Xu Zhenying received the report from the Criminal Division, he couldn't help but laugh and complain to his secretary, "Can't that guy from the East send some smart people? They keep sending people to steal the blueprints. They have no sense of innovation at all."
That's what I said...
No matter how you listen to it, it has a sense of tsundereness.
Only Pang Xiaohua was honest enough to smile and say, "This proves that our publicity work is effective. The people are on guard. Dean Luo is now a meritorious official of Jinzhou Prefecture, and he's always protected by dozens of soldiers. How could these blueprints be stolen so easily?"
Not knowing what was wrong, Pang Xiaohua clearly saw Xu Zhenying frown slightly, and then the corners of his lips slightly raised.
Qu Min laughed beside him: "Looking at the expression on His Highness's face, I'm afraid he might be planning to trick us again."
"Tell me, the King of Ming has sent so many people to investigate our firearms. It would be a shame to just let them go back empty-handed, right?"
Everyone in the secretarial office was looking at her.
The man in the light had a more mature face, but when he was scheming against others, he showed a bit of the cunning of a fox.
"Why not find a way to leak the blueprints of the repeating crossbow?"
"Your Highness!" Pang Xiaohua shouted immediately, "Please think twice!"
Chang Yuanshan, however, smiled and said, "Secretary Pang, when has Your Highness ever done anything that lost money?"
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