Zheng Boyuan's heart sank upon hearing the Marquis's words.
Xu Rao frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "I think Boyuan should hurry up and go to Wuzhou. In a few days, won't Xiao Jiu accompany the third young lady of the Shen family to Wuzhou to see Madam Shen? You can meet in Wuzhou then."
Zheng Boyuan blushed at his father-in-law's words. It sounded as if he was reluctant to set off because he wanted to be with his wife. But upon closer reflection, there was indeed such a meaning in it. If it weren't for the people he missed in the capital, Zheng Boyuan would have set off for Wuzhou long ago after reporting to the Ministry of War.
Seeing Zheng Boyuan's expression, Xu Rao smiled and said, "You two have had a tough time. You've been married for so long, but you haven't spent much time together."
What could Zheng Boyuan say? He could only blush and laugh it off.
For dinner, they ate steamed crabs. Xu Rao poured Xu Zhi a bowl of chrysanthemum wine. Xu Zhi ate to her heart's content and made a fuss until it was almost curfew before returning to the Zheng residence with Zheng Boyuan.
Zheng Boyuan had already made up his mind to hurry to Wuzhou. The capital was a place of trouble and danger. Zheng Boyuan had many important things to do later, and there was really no need to stay here any longer, in case something unexpected happened.
Xu Zhi also knew about Zheng Boyuan's plans. After returning home, she began to pack Zheng Boyuan's luggage. Zheng Boyuan looked at those grand ambitions and said with a wry smile, "Azhi, I'll just take two attendants and ride to Wuzhou at full speed. It'll be inconvenient to carry all this stuff on the road."
Xu Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Then I will accompany Sister Mingwan to Wuzhou in a few days. I plan to buy a house in Wuzhou. I have already inquired about it. It is more than 100 li from the barracks to Wuzhou. If you ride a fast horse, you can come back in half a day. I have to give you a place to stay."
Zheng Boyuan didn't speak. At this moment, he was speechless. From Hexi to Yuezhou, then from Yuezhou to Penglai, and now they were going to Wuzhou. Xu Zhi, a girl who was not yet fifteen years old, had accompanied him all the way. The journey was arduous, but she never talked about the hardships she had endured. She always talked about happy things in front of him.
Xu Zhi, oblivious to Zheng Boyuan's expression, happily said, "Brother Boyuan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. Yuanyuan and I need to help prepare warm cotton-padded clothes for the soldiers in Wuzhou. I'll go to Wuzhou with Sister Mingwan first to settle the house, and then I'll rush back to finish this. Once the cotton-padded clothes are done, Yuanyuan and I will go to Wuzhou together. We'll spend the New Year in Wuzhou this year. What do you think?"
Zheng Boyuan nodded and responded softly. Xu Zhi put down what she was holding and saw Zheng Boyuan with his head down. She knew he was sad, and Xu Zhi was sad too. But now was not the time for the two of them to be sad. The visible and invisible dangers around them kept Xu Zhi's heart pounding. She was afraid that at any moment, that dark hand that she feared would reach out to her.
Xu Zhi sat down next to Zheng Boyuan, took his hand, and whispered, "Brother Boyuan, after His Majesty sent Eunuch Shifang here, I felt much more relaxed and had more time to do what I wanted to do. Others think I'm foolish, that I handed over my own business to Eunuch Shifang, but I'm willing. His Majesty told me that in the future, whether it's the pastry shop or the orphanage, there should be a special organization to manage them."
Zheng Boyuan frowned upon hearing this. He understood what Xu Zhi meant. Both Xu Zhi and Shen Mingwan were women, and as women, they could not take the lead in court politics. Even though the pastry shop belonged to Xu Zhi, she had clearly stated to Emperor Liang Cheng that the ultimate goal of the shop's profits was to use the money to build orphanages—many orphanages—so that the elderly and children without support could have someone to rely on in their old age and be cared for in their youth.
Zheng Boyuan sighed and said, "It's clearly yours, but you've given it to someone else for personal gain."
Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Just do good deeds and don't worry about the future. I'm a girl, I don't want those empty titles, and I can't deal with people openly. This shop will have to be handed over sooner or later, but I can't just hand it over for nothing. I have to ask for some benefits for myself and for our family. Brother Boyuan, don't you think so?"
Thinking of the benefits Zheng Yuanyuan was planning to ask for, Zheng Boyuan smiled and nodded, saying, "I'm relieved that you're like this. Good things aren't so easy to do, are they?"
It was rare for the two of them to joke like this, so Xu Zhi smiled and nodded.
Zheng Boyuan left in a hurry. He got up early in the morning, ate breakfast, kowtowed to Madam Zheng, and then, with two attendants, rode a fast horse to Wuzhou, catching many people off guard.
After Zheng Boyuan left, Xu Zhi hurriedly went to the manor on the outskirts of Beijing. Madam Shen asked Shen Mingwan to go to Wuzhou to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with them. Xu Zhi had not originally planned to go with them, but since Zheng Boyuan had gone to Wuzhou, she naturally had to go.
Shen Mingwan was surprised to see Xu Zhi at this time. She smiled and said to Xu Zhi, "I heard that General Zheng is back. Why aren't you at home keeping General Zheng company? What are you doing here?"
Xu Zhi waved her hand and said, "General Zheng has already gone to Wuzhou. I came here to ask when you are setting off for Wuzhou. I'd like to go with you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingwan looked at Xu Zhi in surprise, and after a long while said, "Didn't you say that General Zheng was going to stay at home for a few more days? It's only been a few days, why did he suddenly leave?"
Xu Zhi said with a smile, "I heard things are a bit tense in Wuzhou. Brother Boyuan wants to go there as soon as possible. I don't have anything to do lately, so I might as well go to Wuzhou to check out the shops. Maybe we can build an orphanage in Wuzhou this time."
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