Xu Di smiled gently and said, "Grandfather, we should hold ourselves to high standards and strict requirements. As for others, we should not think too highly of them. I also thought that my aunt's mother-in-law was a kind-hearted but ruthless person. I thought I should do more to deal with her. If it comes in handy, great; if not, so be it. Who knew that it would actually come in handy?"
The Marquis looked at the candle on the desk. The candlelight flickered, making it difficult for Xu Di, who was sitting opposite him, to make out the expression on his face.
Seeing Xu Di staring at the candle, the Marquis glanced at it and said, "Now think about it, was it a good thing or a bad thing that we secured this marriage for the Zhou family's daughter?"
Xu Di thought of the smiles on Zhao Sixing's face these past few days, and seeing that the Marquis felt somewhat guilty about the marriage, he quickly comforted him, "Of course it's good. They've met and both agreed to the marriage because they liked each other. Besides, this girl from the Zhou family isn't from an ordinary family. Since she already knows what kind of family she's going to marry into, how could she not be prepared at all?"
Thinking of what Chief Zhao had just said, that Zhou Junhong had single-handedly defeated several troublemakers with a red-tasseled spear, the Marquis's guilt was greatly relieved.
Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Di said to the Marquis, "Grandfather, it's getting late, you should get some rest."
The Marquis stood up, stretched, and said, "I felt uneasy when I received the letter, but now that you've said that, I feel much better. Alright, I'll go and rest now."
When Xu Di came out of the study, he saw Chief Zhao standing at the entrance of the study courtyard. Xu Di nodded, and the two walked to the side.
Xu Di whispered, "Brother Zhao, is there any progress on the matter I asked you to inquire about?"
Chief Zhao nodded and said, "We've found out some things, but we haven't found out the specifics yet. Young Master, the relationship between the Zhao family and the First Prince isn't as simple as it seems on the surface."
Xu Di nodded and whispered, "Brother Zhao, don't alert them. Just send someone to keep an eye on them."
The news about Zhou Junhong quickly spread to many families. However, people only heard that some street thugs, seeing that the Zhou family only had one girl and one child living there, were thinking of taking advantage of her. Who knew that the girl alone would pick them out?
Many people felt that Zhou Junhong lacked the gentleness and chastity expected of a woman and was not a good match. Others felt that they would feel at ease with a woman like her. In any case, the Zhou and Zhao families once again became the most exposed families in the capital.
Upon receiving the letter, Zhao Sixing went to the Zhou family. After carefully inquiring and learning that there had been no loss, he was finally relieved. He wanted to invite a few bodyguards from a security escort agency to temporarily help guard the house, but Zhou Junhong stopped him. Last time, those thugs came suddenly, and she thought they would catch her off guard. It was only this time that Zhou Junhong realized that the Xu family had already sent some people to guard her house. Zhou Junhong now felt that her future husband's family was truly a den of dragons and tigers.
Xu Shao only heard about this in the afternoon. After hearing it, she was so angry that she trembled all over. How could she not guess who sent the person? It was a pity that she didn't have any manpower at her right now. If she had capable people, she could help them out.
Xu Shao wrung out her handkerchief, thought for a long time, wrote a letter, and had it sent to her parents' home.
When Marquis Yongning received the letter, he was quite surprised. After reading it, he sighed and instructed Chief Zhao to arrange for two people to guard the gate of the Zhou family. These two people were in the open, standing openly on both sides of the gate. If anyone came to ask, they would tell them what had happened that day. When everyone heard that it was the Marquis Yongning's residence, they naturally understood what had happened.
Upon receiving the letter, Marquis Yongping summoned Zhao Ziqi to his study, smashed his favorite tea set, and, with red eyes from anger, said, "Go and tell your mother that before Xing'er gets married, she should stay quietly in the inner quarters and not cause any trouble. Although our family has declined, we are still a noble family. We cannot do anything that will make us a laughingstock in the capital."
Zhao Ziqi stood there meekly, watching his father get angry and listening to him scold his mother. The key problem was that he still didn't know why his father was angry or why he was scolding his mother.
After losing so many things, Zhao Ziqi originally planned to go to Xu Shao's courtyard to coax them all back. Who knew that Xu Shao would act so quickly? Zhao Ziqi was unhappy and hid in his own courtyard. His concubines surrounded him all day long, fighting and stepping on each other. Zhao Ziqi was really annoyed, so he went to a secret brothel in the capital.
There are some clandestine establishments in the capital that secretly engage in prostitution. These families either buy or rent elegant courtyards in the capital and have girls trained from a young age secretly entertain customers. These girls are often gentle and well-educated, and their ability to chat with customers and play musical instruments attracts many self-proclaimed romantics.
After being introduced to a brothel by a friend, Zhao Ziqi met a talented young woman. He stayed at her house for the past few days, enjoying a carefree time exchanging poems with her.
The man sent by the Marquis of Yongping found Zhao Ziqi in this household. Without saying a word, he brought Zhao Ziqi back to his mansion. Therefore, Zhao Ziqi was actually unaware of what had happened in the Zhou family.
When Marquis Yongping looked at his son, who was standing timidly in front of him with his arms tucked in, and whose perfume could be smelled from afar, Marquis Yongping felt a wave of dizziness. The child was his own flesh and blood, and he had raised him himself. How could he be so unambitious?
Lord Yongping, furious, slammed his hand on the table and waved to Zhao Ziqi. Zhao Ziqi quickly went out, found someone to inquire, and learned what had happened to the Zhou family. Only then did he realize why.
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