Xu Zhi had the idea of going to Dengzhou at that time. The matter was urgent, and Xu Zhi was not at ease sending anyone. Fortunately, it was only about two days' journey from Miaozhou to Dengzhou at a fast pace. Even if the journey was arduous, it was manageable.
Xu Zhi changed her clothes and went outside, only to find that Madam Shen from the Wan family had already arrived. She was chatting and laughing with several ladies surrounding her. Upon seeing Xu Zhi, she quickly stood up and bowed. Xu Zhi nodded and went straight to her seat.
After Xu Zhi was seated, Ping Shi leaned close to her and said sarcastically, "I don't know what's wrong with the Wan family, letting a concubine act so arrogantly outside."
Xu Zhi's mind was in turmoil. In recent years, the current emperor had been very tight on the money of his sons, and would often ask them for money under various pretexts. It has to be said that the current emperor was truly a benevolent father, which was rare in an era where there were no fathers and sons in the imperial family.
The Emperor probably thought that as long as the children had no money, they would settle down. Little did he know that the princes were no longer personally accumulating wealth outside, but instead sent out inconspicuous people to secretly amass riches. Wan Jingchen's concubine, Lady Shen, was already being suspected by Xu Zhi. Not only Lady Shen, but also Wan Jingchen, and even many others like Wan Jingchen, were secretly doing shady things in small places under the guise of inconspicuous official positions.
Xu Zhi gently tugged at Ping Shi's sleeve and gave her a wink. Ping Shi quickly sat up straight and greeted the lady beside her with a smile.
Xu Zhi's mind was no longer on the banquet. Even the lotus flower feast on the table, with its beautiful colors, aromas, and flavors, had lost its appeal to her. All she could think about was how to explain this to Zheng Boyuan when she got home, and how to get there. Xu Zhi was worried that someone might be monitoring her, and she didn't want to take the risk. She needed to carefully plan how to conceal her whereabouts from home to the city gate.
Xu Zhi didn't show it on her face. To outsiders, she seemed to be enjoying the meal and even helping Ping Shi take care of the three children. Until the banquet ended and she parted ways with Ming Shi, who was seeing off the guests, at the gate, no one could tell that anything was amiss.
On the carriage ride home, Madam Ping frowned and whispered to Xu Zhi, "I always feel that Madam Chen looks a little different than before."
He'er and Miao'er leaned against the carriage wall, their eyes still heavy with sleep. Sui'er had already fallen asleep in Ping's arms. Xu Zhi pulled Miao'er into her embrace. Miao'er looked up at Xu Zhi, then closed her eyes again. He'er, however, stubbornly stayed awake. Seeing that she was uncomfortable, Ping pulled her against her and told her to rest. It would still take more than half an hour to get home from here.
Xu Zhi asked Ping Shi, "Why do you feel that she is different from Ping Shi?"
Ping frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "When I saw her in the past, she seemed clever and charming, but I always felt she was a bit reserved. Today, when I saw her, I felt that she was much less reserved and even a little proud. I don't know what I'm thinking, why do I feel this way?"
Xu Zhi thought about it carefully. She didn't have many opportunities to meet with Madam Shen, so she couldn't be like Madam Ping. Madam Ping had been dealing with Madam Shen for several years and naturally had a deeper understanding of her.
Ping continued, "Although we are neighbors with the Chu and Wan families, I only visit the Chu family during holidays. We don't usually interact much. Madam Chu is not a very sociable person. As for the Wan family, I only visited them once after they moved here. They haven't had any contact with me since. I felt that I couldn't be so eager to please them, so our relationship cooled down. We only meet at some gatherings."
Xu Zhi asked curiously, "Does Madam Shen of the Wan family never associate with other women?"
Ping thought for a moment and said, "I don't know how she treats other people, but at least with me, she never makes friends with them in private. We just exchange a few pleasantries when we meet on certain occasions, and that's it. As for how she treats other people, I don't know."
Xu Zhi nodded. She had heard from Old Madam Yun today that this Madam Shen was on very good terms with many wives of merchants. She didn't associate with Madam Ping in private, probably because she thought Madam Ping came from a humble background, and also because she wanted to keep her distance from Madam Ping. The two families were neighbors, and some things were hard to hide.
Ping, seemingly lost in thought, leaned close to Xu Zhi and whispered, "Our neighbors are the Wan family. One night, my husband went out to inspect the dikes, and I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk in the backyard. I overheard people talking in the neighboring yard, saying that their master had given another maid a 'face service' today. That Madam Shen is quite virtuous, managing everything herself. I find it strange, though. Madam Shen is a concubine, accompanying her husband outside. How can she find maids to share the bed with him?"
Xu Zhi was now even more convinced of her judgment. This Madam Shen was probably like the concubine in Yuezhou, staying in a small place to help the Third Prince amass wealth.
The matter was of great importance, and Xu Zhi wished she could find her brother Xu Di immediately to ask him how to handle it. Xu Zhi knew that she didn't have the brains to fight against Madam Shen right now. Perhaps Wan Jingchen would even have one or two strategists by his side, just to help Madam Shen amass wealth?
The more she thought about it, the more her head throbbed. Seeing Xu Zhi's serious expression, Ping Shi still whispered, "I heard my husband say that Lord Wan originally planned to stay in Miaozhou for a year or two before leaving, but who knew he would stay for so many years. Lord Wan no longer cares about politics. My husband usually handles the affairs of the yamen, while Lord Wan spends his days holed up in the back house, playing around with a few maids."
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