Xu Zhi didn't expect Xu Yao to come so late.
Xu Zhi pulled Xu Yao along and said, "Fourth sister, when are you coming to the capital? I haven't heard that you were coming to the capital."
Looking at Xu Zhi, who had become much thinner, Xu Yao said with heartache, "Ninth Sister, your Fourth Brother-in-law received a letter from the capital and asked me to bring the silver notes first. He said that you need manpower and money right now, and he will come over as soon as he has arranged things at home. Ninth Brother-in-law is a lucky man, he will definitely be alright."
Xu Zhi was surprised that Xu Yao had brought silver notes over the New Year because of Zheng Boyuan's matter. After being stunned, she couldn't help but feel a strange feeling. It was neither a feeling of grievance nor sadness, but a feeling of relief.
Seeing that Xu Zhi's eyes were red, Xu Yao quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and said, "We have so many sisters in our family. If you need any help or money, just ask. If you need help, we'll all come over. If you need money, we'll raise it for you. Even if Ninth Sister's husband was injured in the battle against Great Yan, and even if he made any mistakes, aren't his past achievements enough to make up for it?"
Xu Zhi's tears flowed even more freely. Xu Yao finally hugged Xu Zhi in her arms and gently comforted her, "Ninth Sister, we are sisters, and we should look out for each other. No matter who is in trouble, we should lend a helping hand. Your fourth brother-in-law told me to come and keep you company. If you need money, we will help you raise it. If you need manpower, we will step in. No matter what, we are family."
That night, Xu Zhi had a rare good night's sleep. When she woke up in the morning, it was already 7 a.m. Bai Ying was serving her with water to wash her face. She said to Xu Zhi, "Last night, Fourth Aunt didn't fall asleep until the third watch. I heard from the servants around her that she came all the way from Gaoqing by land without stopping to rest."
Xu Zhi washed her face and sat there blankly for a long time before saying, "Don't disturb Fourth Sister, let her rest properly."
Of the nine daughters of Xu Zhi's generation in the Yongning Marquis's mansion, six have already married. The eldest daughter, Xu Gao, went to Liaodong with her husband, Cheng Kai. The second daughter, Xu Tao, married the eldest son of the Minister of Rites and went to the south with her husband a couple of years ago. The third daughter, Xu Mian, married into her maternal family in Jizhou. The fourth daughter, Xu Yao, married into Gaoqing. The fifth daughter, Xu Tong, also married her cousin, the eldest grandson of Yao, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. The sixth daughter, Xu Gui, is with her husband in Hexi. The remaining two daughters, the seventh and eighth, are still unmarried. The seventh daughter is betrothed but not yet married, while the eighth daughter is still unmarried. The eighth daughter was born in the same year as Xu Zhi, but two months older.
Sometimes, Xu Zhi would think about how the sisters in the family used to play together all the time when they were young, or how they would argue and not speak to each other because of various conflicts. After they got married, they were like dandelions, scattered by a gust of wind, each finding a place to take root. It would be very difficult to meet again in the future.
Xu Zhi never expected that Xu Yao would travel all the way from Gaoqing to the capital after receiving the letter, just to help her. Regardless of whether Xu Yao could actually help, the sentiment alone made Xu Zhi feel deeply grateful.
Feeling much better, Xu Zhi ate breakfast and then took a carriage to the main gate of the Ministry of War as usual.
These past few days, Xu Zhi's carriage has become a common sight at the entrance of the Ministry of War. Some people have even made bets on how many days this young lady from the Yongning Marquis's family can stand guard at the entrance of the Ministry of War. Seven days have already passed, and the Lantern Festival is just around the corner. Yet, this young Madam Zheng still reports to the entrance of the Ministry of War every day.
Emperor Liang Cheng was naturally concerned about this matter. When he heard that Xu Zhi had gone to the gate of the Ministry of War again, he sighed to Chen Wufu and said, "This girl, at such a young age, has such perseverance. It is truly remarkable."
Chen Wufu was somewhat impressed and said, "Indeed, it's been several days. The Ministry of War is like an iron barrel. This girl hasn't received a single piece of news. She's remained calm and waits at the gate of the Ministry of War every day."
After pondering for a long time, the emperor said, "It's all just for show anyway, so let's just bring them out."
Chen Wufu quickly stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty, the agreement we made with Prime Minister Feng and Lord Xu wasn't for now. It was at least until after the Lantern Festival. Let's wait a bit."
Emperor Liang Cheng thought of the clowns who had popped up one after another in the past few days and said, "Fine, then let's wait a few more days."
Today is the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. Because Zheng Boyuan is in the Ministry of War prison, there are no lanterns or decorations at the Zheng residence. However, the Pingxi Marquis's residence is decorated with many lanterns throughout the courtyard.
Zheng Yunyun watched her mother, Madam Chen, assigning tasks to the housekeepers. After they all left, she whispered, "Mother, my older brother is still in jail. Isn't it inappropriate for us to make such a big fuss?"
Madam Chen sneered twice and said, "We've already separated our families, so what's the big deal? They can keep their own family members in jail while we celebrate our own Lantern Festival. Yun'er, what I'm most worried about right now is your marriage. Since all the talented young men in the capital are going to the streets to admire the lanterns during the Lantern Festival, why don't you take some people and go take a look?"
Zheng Yunyun was somewhat reluctant. She didn't want to go. During the Lantern Festival, young men and women from all families would go to see the lanterns, but it was also a good opportunity for kidnappers to strike. When Zheng Yunyun was a child, she became friends with the legitimate daughter of a fallen noble family. The two shared similar interests and often exchanged small gifts. That girl was kidnapped while admiring the lanterns on the street during the Lantern Festival. After that, Zheng Yunyun had never heard of that girl. She heard that the noble family had told others that the girl had died suddenly from an illness.
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