After dinner, Xu Zhi chatted with Li Yuexi for a few minutes. Seeing that Li Yuexi wasn't in a good mood, she went with Xu Di to talk to Chen Zhaoci.
It's getting cold, so Chen Zhaoci no longer takes a nap at noon. When she sees her brother and sister coming over, she quickly serves them tea and fruit. When Xu Zhi is eating, she sees Xu Bai eating in a hurry. After finishing his meal, he says a few words to Xu Zhi and then goes back to his own courtyard. He asks, "Mother, what has Xiao Qi been busy with lately? I saw him eat so fast and then leave in a hurry."
Chen Zhaoci said with a smile, "He's busy with his studies. He has to practice kung fu in the morning, read books, and do the homework your uncle assigned him. Your uncle took Yuyuan to the countryside a few days ago and said he would be back before the twelfth lunar month. Xiaoqi didn't go with him, so your uncle gave him homework and told him to hand it in regularly."
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "I was wondering why he was eating like he was fighting for food. By the way, why did Uncle take Yuyuan to the countryside? It's so cold there."
Chen Zhaoci said, "He planted a few acres of land on his country estate. A few days ago, he went there to harvest corn and never came back. He said that living in the countryside was comfortable. As people get older, they want peace and quiet. The courtyard on his country estate is well-built, with underfloor heating and a heated wall, so it's not cold."
Xu Zhi listened with longing and said, "When will I be able to live wherever I want, like my uncle? Just thinking about that kind of life is wonderful."
Xu Di frowned upon hearing Xu Zhi's words and asked, "Why would you have such a thought? Has something happened?"
When Xu Zhi saw Xu Di ask this question, her eyes welled up with tears, which startled Chen Zhaoci and Xu Di.
Chen Zhaoci quickly grabbed Xu Zhi's arm and said, "Oh dear, what's wrong? Tell me what happened. If I can't help, you still have your brother. If your brother can't help, you still have your grandfather and grandmother. Do you think we'll let you be bullied?"
As Chen Zhaoci spoke, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and was about to wipe Xu Zhi's tears.
Xu Zhi snatched the handkerchief from Chen Zhaoci's hand, wiped her eyes haphazardly, took a breath, and said, "Mother, I'm fine. I just feel that trying to do things well is really too tiring. If things are difficult, I can try my best and whether I do them well or not is my problem. But when you do things and others trip you up, it makes me feel really bad."
Upon hearing this, Xu Di knew something was wrong. He remembered Xu Zhi crying briefly in front of her parents and brother when she was four years old. He hadn't seen her so upset since. Xu Di thought back carefully. Everyone knew that the two shops in the capital were backed by the powerful Yongning Marquis's mansion, making them untouchable. Although there were initial obstacles, they eventually opened and thrived, appearing to be incredibly lucrative businesses to many.
Since it's not a problem with the shops in the capital, then something must have happened in Tongzhou.
Tongzhou is half a day's journey from Beijing. It is an inland port city. The fastest way to go south is to take a boat from Tongzhou to Yuhang. If you want to continue further south, you can either take a boat from Yuhang to the sea or travel by land, all of which are very cheap routes.
Tongzhou was therefore very prosperous, and many businesses had branches there. As a result, Tongzhou, a small place, was a melting pot of all sorts of people, with various forces intertwined. It was not an easy thing to establish oneself in Tongzhou.
Thinking of this, Xu Di said to Xu Zhi, "Xiao Jiu, is there something troubling you? Tell us, and we'll help you solve it."
Xu Zhi wiped away her tears and said, "Brother, it's really nothing. It's just that it's a bit difficult. What is not difficult when you do something? I came back to talk to you and Mother. I feel better now, and I won't be afraid of anything when I go back."
Chen Zhaoci said with some concern, "Xiao Jiu, your mother is afraid that you will be wronged."
Xu Zhi held Chen Zhaoci's hand and said with a smile, "Mother, what's there to feel wronged about? I'm not afraid. I can do what others can do, so don't worry. Besides, I have a lot to do in the future. Can I come back and ask you to help me every time things don't go smoothly? I'll find a way to solve it myself."
Xu Di thought about it and realized that it made sense. However, Tongzhou was no ordinary place, and Xu Di was still a little worried. He said to Xu Zhi, "Xiao Jiu, I'll give you a few more people to take with you and protect your safety."
Xu Zhi smiled and shook her head, saying, "Brother, I know you have even more to do now, and you won't have enough people to spare later. Don't worry, with Hong Gu here, what could possibly happen to me?"
Xu Di was still worried, and then he had a sudden idea. He said, "Xiao Jiu, no matter how powerful Hong Gu and Qing Lian are, they are only two people. What if they encounter a large number of opponents? As for manpower, don't worry, I can still allocate some for you."
Xu Di thought of the group of men that Emperor Liang Cheng had given him, and several of them were staying in his own residence in the capital. Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to become a guard for Xu Zhi. Those men were truly skilled, and most importantly, they all carried tokens. If they were to encounter those men, once the tokens were displayed, who would dare to fight against the emperor's men?
Xu Di had this idea, but sending them to guard Xu Zhi would be considered a private job, and he couldn't just send them out like that. He needed Emperor Liang Cheng's permission first. After thinking about it for a long time, he felt that this matter should be entrusted to Chen Wufu.
The next day, when Xu Di went to his shift, he found a moment and asked someone to deliver a message to Chen Wufu. Before he finished his shift in the evening, a young eunuch came and invited Xu Di to talk in the grove outside the Hanlin Academy.
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