When Xu Di came out of the old lady's courtyard, it was already past midnight.
The bright moon hangs high, and frost covers the ground.
It was already mid-October, and the weather was a bit cold at night. He heard that it had snowed in some places in Liaodong. Xu Di tightened his clothes and hurriedly walked towards his courtyard under the moonlight. He knew that Li Yuexi wouldn't sleep if he didn't go back. When she was tired, she would just lie down on the kang (a heated brick bed). Actually, Xu Di had gotten used to it. There was someone who was waiting for him to come back.
When Li Yuexi saw Xu Di return, she clutched her belly and tried to get up from the kang (a heated brick bed). Xu Di quickly said, "Don't move, just lie down. I'm cold. Take off your outer clothes at the door first before you come in."
The house was warm. After the weather turned cold, the kang (heated brick bed) was heated. Xu Di had put a lot of thought into building this courtyard. Not only was there a kang, but there was also a heated wall and a floor heating system. However, they were heated separately so that, like now, when it was not yet very cold, the house would be quite warm just by heating the kang.
Li Yuexi then lay down and watched as Xu Di took off his outer clothes, went to the corner room to wash up, and then came in wearing a new white undergarment. Like Li Yuexi, he lay crookedly on the kang (a heated brick bed).
The two had gotten used to this kind of life. Usually, the servants around them would not come to their bedroom after dark. Whether it was washing up or other things, they didn't need anyone to serve them.
Li Yuexi asked Xu Di, "Husband, are you hungry? Would you like the kitchen to make you something to eat?"
Xu Di waved his hand and said, "No need. I had dinner at my grandfather's place and have been staying at my grandmother's place until now. I'm not hungry."
Seeing Xu Di's expression, Li Yuexi made up her mind and asked him, "Does my husband have something to tell me again?"
Xu Di thought for a moment and said, "Yuexi, if I asked you to come with me to another place now, would you go?"
Without hesitation, Li Yuexi replied, "Of course I'll go. We're husband and wife, so I'll follow you wherever you go."
Xu Di knew that Li Yuexi would say that, but he still wanted to ask her in person to put his mind at ease. Hearing Li Yuexi's words, Xu Di got off the kang (a heated brick bed), went to his desk opposite him, found the map he had drawn, opened it, pointed to Dengzhou, and said, "Grandfather said he wants me to go to this place and become the magistrate of a county."
Following Xu Di's hand, Li Yuexi looked over there, pondered for a while, and said, "This place isn't very far from us. At least compared to Liaodong, it's much closer."
Xu Di nodded and said, "That's right. Look, we can take a boat from Tongzhou all the way to Dezhou. After we get off the boat, we can travel by land and head east. It will probably take more than ten days to reach Dengzhou."
Li Yuexi listened attentively, looking at Dengzhou which was right by the sea, and asked Xu Di, "Husband, why can't we take a boat from the sea? Look, we can take a boat directly to Dengzhou from here, can't we?"
Xu Di sighed and said, "This sea is not peaceful. Look here, this is Goguryeo, and this is Japan. Many Japanese ronin sail around here as pirates. For safety's sake, it's better to go through the territory of Daliang."
Li Yuexi said with some regret, "What a pity. If we could have gone through this area, we could have saved so much time."
Xu Di thought so too, but now, not only is the situation within Daliang complicated, but the international situation is also quite complicated. Daliang is currently exhausted from dealing with the Northern Di and Jin people in the north, and there is also unrest in the southwest. As for the Japanese pirates at sea, because the coastline is too long, they really don't have the energy to deal with them.
Xu Di thought for a moment and said, "If we want to open up the sea route more quickly, we must vigorously develop our coastal defense capabilities. We must not only train our own soldiers well, but more importantly, we must have strong ships and powerful cannons that can participate in naval battles."
Li Yuexi's eyes sparkled as she listened, looking at Xu Di with adoration. Then she glanced at the place called Dengzhou on the map and said to Xu Di very seriously, "Husband, once you get to Dengzhou, you will definitely drive these hateful Japanese pirates out."
Xu Di was speechless for a moment after hearing Li Yuexi's words. He really didn't know that his little wife thought so highly of him, even with a bit of admiration.
However, thinking of his grandfather's silent smile that evening, Xu Di's heart stirred, and he began to understand what his grandfather was planning.
Xu Di put down the map and came over to have his daily prenatal education with Li Yuexi. He gently touched her already protruding belly, softly read a few Tang poems and two Song lyrics, then drank a few sips of hot tea before leaning against the pillows on the kang (a heated brick bed) next to Li Yuexi.
The room was warm and cozy, so there was no need to cover oneself with a blanket. Xu Di, dressed in a white undergarment, said to Li Yuexi, "Yuexi, I asked Mother. She said that given your current condition, walking slowly and comfortably on the road will be fine. Mother also said that she will come with us."
Upon hearing this, Li Yuexi exclaimed in surprise, "Is Mother going too? But the New Year is just around the corner!"
Xu Di said, "Xiao Qi is leaving in the next few days. He's going to Jiangnan with his uncle. I'm relieved that our mother is going with us."
Li Yuexi said with some worry, "It's going to make Mother work so hard."
Xu Di smiled and said, "Mother doesn't really like staying in one place all the time. She's already a bit tired of life in the capital. Besides, you're carrying her most precious grandson. How could she bear not to come with us?"
Li Yuexi thought for a moment and said, "Then should I start preparing the things we need to take with us, and the people we need to take with us, tomorrow?"
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