Zhang Zhaoci personally went to the second gate to greet them. The visitors were Zhou Qingchun, the current head of the Zhou family, Princess Longyu, and their only daughter, Zhou Yanran.
Princess Longyu was a woman around forty years old, with a pair of phoenix eyes that shone brightly. Upon seeing Zhang Zhaoci, she quickly bowed, which startled Zhang Zhaoci. She hurriedly returned the bow and said, "Princess, what are you doing?"
Princess Longyu held Zhang Zhaoci's hand and said, "A few days ago, our Yanran was riding a horse at the racecourse when the horse got spooked. Fortunately, your eldest son came to her rescue, and nothing bad happened. After we got back, my eldest son told us what happened, and my husband and I were so scared that we couldn't sleep for several days. Your eldest son did a good deed without leaving his name, and we had to make a lot of inquiries to find out that he was your son. We came here today to express our gratitude."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhaoci finally understood why the Zhou family had come. He quickly led them to the inner courtyard, saying as they walked, "Our grandmother hasn't been feeling well lately, so she's come here to recuperate. I happen to be here with my children, preparing for our second daughter's wedding next year. I'm not good at socializing, so I've decided to stay here with our grandmother to recuperate."
Princess Longyu smiled and said, "I've long heard that the Third Mistress of the Yongning Marquis's Mansion is a straightforward person, and it's truly well-deserved. I wonder if your eldest son is here? Our master would like to thank you in person."
Zhang Zhaoci quickly ordered someone to call Xu Di over, saying, "Our eldest son is a playful and mischievous person. Since my nephews are here, he takes the kids around to play all day long, causing quite a bit of trouble on this estate. I only knew that he took them out for a stroll a few days ago, but I really didn't know that he took them to the horse farm."
Princess Longyu said, "Your eldest son is so chivalrous. Our Yanran really owes a debt to your eldest son this time. The horse that our Yanran was riding fell to its death. If it weren't for your eldest son's help, we don't know what would have happened to our Yanran."
Zhang Zhaoci said, "If you encounter such a situation, you should step in; it's the right thing to do."
When Princess Longyu met the old lady, she chatted happily with her. When the old lady saw Zhou Qingchun, she said with a smile, "Back then, I often met with your mother-in-law. Thinking about it now, it was decades ago."
Princess Longyu said, "Yes, that was when I had just married into my husband's family. I still remember my mother-in-law taking me to the palace, where I met you. My mother-in-law said that you were no ordinary person, that you could fight on the battlefield, and that you were a heroine."
The old lady chuckled and said, "Oh dear, that's all ancient history, not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning at all."
Before Xu Di even entered the door, he heard the old lady's hearty laughter, which told him that this family was quite close to his own. The old lady was very willful as she got older, and she would refuse to see anyone she didn't want to see.
Upon seeing Xu Di enter, Zhou Yanran's face flushed instantly, making her appear even more beautiful. Xu Di, however, did not seem to mind. After bowing to the old lady, he then bowed to Princess Longyu and Zhou Qingchun. Princess Longyu looked at the handsome Xu Di and exclaimed in surprise, "Your eldest son is so handsome! He passed the imperial examination at such a young age; he is truly a talented man."
Zhang Zhaoci watched with a smile as Princess Longyu praised Xu Di. Even though Xu Di was thick-skinned, he couldn't resist Princess Longyu's endless stream of compliments.
Seeing that her brother was really embarrassed, Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Grandmother, may I take Sister Zhou to my courtyard for a while? I made some snacks this morning and would like to invite Sister Zhou to try them."
This interruption finally relieved Xu Di, who then took the opportunity to suggest taking Zhou Qingchun to the study in the front courtyard to ask him about the imperial examinations. Zhou Qingchun was the third-ranked scholar in the palace examination back then, so his knowledge was naturally excellent.
The Marquis has been in the capital recently, and he needs to cooperate in many ways with Consort Zhu's affairs. Over the years, Consort Zhu has done several major things in the capital, which were only discovered later. These included the fact that several princes colluded with the Northern Di people for the position. If Consort Zhu hadn't secretly stirred things up, it wouldn't have escalated to such a large extent. Fortunately, Xu Rao and his son helped Wei Lang withstand the pressure and turn the tide. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened to the Great Liang.
Concubine Zhu has been imprisoned in the Yongning Marquis's residence under strict guard, awaiting Xu Rao's return before being dealt with. Chen Wufu, as Emperor Liang Cheng's representative, has consulted with the Yongning Marquis several times regarding Concubine Zhu's matter. The final agreement reached is that anyone who knows about this matter must remain silent and not spread it further.
Xu Rao and Xu Shao's identities cannot be reversed. After all, this was something the late emperor tacitly approved. Emperor Liang Cheng obtained the throne by chance. After the deposed crown prince was disliked by the late emperor, he offended the late emperor again because of Grand Tutor Zhu. The Zhu family was wiped out by the late emperor. In order to prevent the late emperor from killing more people, the deposed crown prince committed suicide in front of the late emperor. The late emperor realized his mistake and could only accept reality. After the deposed crown prince committed suicide, the remaining adult princes fought fiercely and ended up losing to each other. The throne could only be passed to the not-so-impressive Emperor Liang Cheng.
This happened decades ago, and there's no point in bringing it up again. Emperor Liang Cheng felt the same way, but the power held by Consort Zhu had to be eradicated completely, which was also what the Marquis most wanted to see. Therefore, the Marquis hadn't had a proper rest for quite some time because of this matter.
With Zhang Zhaoci and the old imperial physician guarding the estate, not only were there guards from the Marquis's residence, but Emperor Liang Cheng also sent a troop of men to watch over it, so there was no need to worry about safety. He repeatedly instructed everyone in the manor not to disturb the old lady at the estate, so she was able to live a relatively peaceful life there.
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