Xu Zhi led a group of people from the capital to Tongzhou, and they arrived in one morning.
Xu Zhi rented a courtyard in Tongzhou and brought over several cake makers, who are currently staying in that courtyard. Originally, Xu Zhi had rented a shop in the most prosperous area of Tongzhou and had already started renovations, but the landlord told her that he was not renting the house anymore. The landlord was willing to pay Xu Zhi a penalty for breach of contract to take back the house. Xu Zhi naturally disagreed. In the end, the landlord secretly told Xu Zhi that she had offended someone.
Xu Zhi went to the Tongzhou County government office to file a complaint. After the clerk received Xu Zhi's complaint, there was no movement for several days. Xu Zhi sent people to check on the situation, but no one paid any attention. Xu Zhi was furious. There were also some hooligans causing trouble near the courtyard where she usually lived. Several times, her servants who went out to buy things were stopped and extorted. Xu Zhi understood that these were all people specifically targeting her.
Later, some people even threw garbage into the yard in the middle of the night, including rotten fish and shrimp. It's only because the weather isn't hot now, otherwise the stench would be unbearable.
Of all the people who brought her, only Hong Gu was skilled in martial arts. Fearing that something might happen to Xu Zhi again, Hong Gu told Xu Zhi to return to the capital for two days, at least to let things cool down before coming back. After returning, she would find more skilled people so that if anyone came to cause trouble in the middle of the night, she could catch one or two of them.
Who knew they would bring back these people who sounded so formidable? When Hong Gu saw Shi Liu, she was secretly alarmed. She had only heard that there was a group of highly skilled martial artists in the inner guards, but very few people had actually met them. Because of this, Hong Gu was very wary of Shi Liu and the other four guards.
Upon seeing Xu Zhi return, Manager Xu, who was in charge of Tongzhou affairs, quickly came out to greet her. Xu Zhi said to Manager Xu, "Manager Xu, these gentlemen have come specifically to protect our safety. Please prepare accommodations for them."
Manager Xu quickly went to the backyard, cleared out a few rooms, and settled Jia San and the others in.
After Xu Zhi settled the people in, she stopped paying attention to them. Then, Steward Xu came over to report to Xu Zhi on what had happened in Tongzhou in the past few days.
Manager Xu said, "Ninth Miss, we really couldn't reach an agreement on the courtyard we originally rented. I went to inquire and found out that it was the Tongzhou County Magistrate who handled this matter."
Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Manager Xu, I understand. Let's not rent any more houses. Ask someone to inquire around and see if there are any houses for sale nearby. Find one with a shop in the front and a yard in the back, and buy it regardless of price. If we are evicted in Tongzhou, it will be even more difficult to open a shop elsewhere later."
Manager Xu looked troubled and said, "Ninth Miss, Tongzhou is a very important port leading to the south. Tongzhou is only so big. Many of those houses represent the capital of several generations. Once they are bought, they are not easily sold."
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "There's always a chance of something going wrong. Manager Xu, don't be discouraged. Go out and inquire carefully. If you really find something suitable that you want to sell, just buy it."
After Steward Xu left, Xu Zhi sat at the table, looked at the teacup on the table, and couldn't help but sigh. When Hong Gu saw this, she smiled and said, "Ninth Miss, this is the first time I've seen you like this."
Xu Zhi lay on the table, turned to look at Hong Gu, and said coquettishly, "Hong Gu, no matter how capable I am, I'm still getting old. I also have times when I feel discouraged. When things don't go smoothly, I also feel sad."
Hearing Xu Zhi mention her age, Hong Gu smiled and said, "That's right. I always thought our Ninth Miss was an adult, but she hasn't even reached the age of marriage yet. Ninth Miss, don't worry. When other girls your age were still being pampered by their mothers, our Ninth Miss has already led people all over the country and opened several shops, and these shops are making a lot of money."
When Xu Zhi heard Hong Gu praise her, she felt a little embarrassed and waved her hand, saying, "Hong Gu, I'm not as amazing as you say. When I'm sad, don't I run all the way home to whine to my mother and brother?"
Shiliu, who was standing next to the two, didn't interrupt the conversation. Xu Zhi, however, saw Shiliu standing beside her and said with a smile, "Sister Shiliu, please sit down. We've been in a hurry. Sit down and let's have some tea and rest. We'll eat at the canteen in the backyard later."
Shiliu nodded and sat down next to Xu Zhi. Xu Zhi saw Shiliu's hand on the table; it was slender and long. Upon closer inspection, she noticed some white marks on her fingers. After the wounds healed, they left such faint marks.
Xu Zhi wanted to ask Shi Liu and the others what they did on a daily basis, but then she thought that these people were Emperor Liang Cheng's inner guards, and each of them was a top expert. They should have their own discipline and wouldn't say a word outside, so she let it go.
But as they sat there, there was an awkward silence, so Xu Zhi asked, "Sister Shiliu, did you start training when you were little?"
Shi Liu nodded and said, "Yes, miss."
Xu Zhi noticed that Shi Liu's clothes were made of poor material and were styled like men's clothing. She instructed the maid in charge of her clothes, "After lunch, take Shi Liu and Hong Gu to the street and find a clothing shop to buy a couple of outfits to change into. When we return to the capital, we can go to Jin Yi Fang to have a few more made."
The maid naturally agreed. Shiliu didn't want Xu Zhi to do it for her. This was the first time they had been sent out by Emperor Liang Cheng like this. After Chen Wufu selected the five of them, he had told them that Xu Zhi was working for the Emperor, and their job was to protect Xu Zhi's safety. As for their daily salary, it hadn't been explained. Xu Zhi didn't know if she should give them another salary, or how much. She thought she should ask Chen Wufu when she returned to the capital.
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