All the way there, Ping kept talking about the Wan family, their neighbors. When they arrived at her door, Ping had two maids, one supporting He'er and the other carrying Miao'er, while she carried Sui'er. Bai Ying helped carry the bundles and escorted the group home.
Xu Zhi got out of the car and returned to the backyard. She invited Hong Gu and Shi Liu over and said to them, "Hong Gu, Shi Liu, I want to go to Dengzhou by fast horse."
Hong Gu was stunned for a long time after hearing Xu Zhi's words before asking, "Why did you suddenly decide to go to Dengzhou, Miss?"
Xu Zhi frowned and said, "There are some things that I need to discuss with my brother properly. No one else can go."
Xu Zhi called out to Bai Guo. After Bai Guo came in, Xu Zhi said, "Bai Guo, hurry up and invite the best doctor in the city to our house. Also, send someone to tell Brother Bo Yuan that I caught a cold at the Yun family's villa during the day and now I have a fever. Go quickly."
If the Yun family knew Xu Zhi's background, how could Madam Shen not know? Xu Zhi never intended for Madam Shen to know about her trip to Dengzhou. Since that's the case, she might as well pretend to be sick at home and go to Dengzhou herself, which would make it less likely for anyone to find out.
Shi Liu turned and left the room, and soon Jia San came in.
Xu Zhi saw Jia San and said, "Lord Jia San, the matter is urgent and I need to leave immediately. I will bring Shi Liu with me. Please find another official to come out so that the four of us can go together. As for the other two officials, please send one of them to guard the Wan family's courtyard carefully and keep an eye on who has come to the Wan family recently and who has been in contact with Madam Shen of the Wan family."
Jia San agreed and hurried out to make arrangements. Zheng Boyuan came in at this time. He had probably seen the people sent by Bai Guo and then walked back. His temples were wet.
When Zheng Boyuan saw Xu Zhi sitting at the octagonal table, he narrowed his eyes, took a few steps forward, and asked in a low voice, "Has something important happened?"
Xu Zhi nodded, pulled Zheng Boyuan into the inner room, briefly explained the situation, and then said, "Brother Boyuan, no one but me can go on this trip to Dengzhou. I have already made arrangements at home. Please help me cover it up and don't let anyone know that I have left Miaozhou."
The journey to Dengzhou is a thousand miles long, and riding a fast horse all the way would be unbearable for most people. Zheng Boyuan wanted to go in Xu Zhi's place, but he also felt that Xu Zhi was right. He really couldn't go anywhere right now; staying at home and taking care of the family was the most important thing.
Xu Zhi went to the backyard to arrange the luggage. Shi Liu lay on the bed and drew the bed curtains. Zheng Boyuan brought in the most skilled doctor in Miaozhou City and said worriedly, "Doctor, my wife started complaining of cold after returning home. Now she is delirious with fever. Please take a look."
Shiliu used her internal energy to adjust her pulse to the state of someone suffering from typhoid fever. The doctor felt her pulse, deliberated for a long time, and then prescribed a medicine. Before leaving, he repeatedly told her to rest and recuperate.
Bai Guo sent someone to fetch the medicine, and soon the Zheng family's courtyard was filled with the smell of Chinese medicine. Xu Zhi had already arranged their luggage, and she and Shi Liu each carried a bundle containing pancakes that Hong Gu had baked in the kitchen. When evening came and they saw that there were no people on the back street, Shi Liu carried Xu Zhi and jumped over the wall out of the backyard, hurrying towards the outskirts of the city.
Jia San was already waiting outside the city with another guard. There were several fast horses that the Yun family had helped find, as well as an elderly steward. When Xu Zhi came over, the steward stepped forward to greet her and then gave Xu Zhi a purse, saying that it was travel expenses given to Xu Zhi by their old lady. Xu Zhi did not refuse, took it and stuffed it into her bosom. After mounting her horse, she galloped off towards Dengzhou.
Traveling by day and resting by night, the hardships of the journey need not be elaborated upon. Fortunately, the post road from Miaozhou to Dengzhou was quite flat, and riding a horse on it was not very bumpy.
On the evening of the third day, when Xu Zhi saw the gate of Dengzhou, she felt that she had used up all her strength. The flesh on both sides of her thighs had become numb after experiencing stinging pain. At this moment, even moving her legs felt like her legs were no longer her own.
When Xu Di returned to the back office and saw Xu Zhi being helped by someone, he was shocked and, unusually, lost his usual composure in front of Xu Zhi.
He loudly summoned the servants in the mansion to use scissors to cut off the pants stuck to Xu Zhi's inner thigh bit by bit, and then found the best wound medicine to apply to Xu Zhi.
After being helped to wash up and get ready, Xu Zhi dragged her legs, which ached terribly with every movement, to find Xu Di to talk to.
Xu Di came in from outside and quickly helped Xu Zhi sit down. With a cold face, he said, "You're really something. You rode all this way by yourself. Tell me, what earth-shattering thing happened? Even if the sky fell down, wouldn't there be someone taller than you to catch it? Was it worth it for you to ride over a thousand miles by yourself?"
Xu Zhi quickly tugged at Xu Di's sleeve and said, "Brother, please don't scold me yet. I really had something urgent to tell you, so I resorted to this. You don't know, Brother Boyuan was covering for me at home when I came out, and Sister Baiguo is still lying in my bed right now, afraid that people would find out that I wasn't in Miaozhou."
Xu Di helped Xu Zhi sit down carefully before saying, "Then tell me, what terrible thing happened?"
Xu Zhi then told Xu Di what Old Madam Yun had asked for a few days ago, as well as what Madam Shen had asked for, and what about the concubine of the Yuezhou prefect when she was in Yuezhou a few years ago.
Xu Di's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened. After a long period of contemplation, he said, "Xiao Jiu, the problem you discovered is very important. I think the Third Prince has probably amassed a considerable amount of wealth from various sources through this method."
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