Seeing Xu Zhi's puzzled expression, Zheng Boyuan smiled and said, "It's only natural for a father to discipline his son. The Third Prince can't go against his own father."
Xu Zhi looked at Zheng Boyuan in surprise. Zheng Boyuan nodded and said, "He did indeed go to meet the Emperor."
Xu Zhi was stunned for a long time before she thought of a question and said, "Does the Yun family's business involve things that the imperial court urgently needs?"
Zheng Boyuan looked at Xu Zhi with great admiration and said, "Truly, they have made their business renowned throughout the capital. Indeed, the Yun family started with just a few acres of cotton fields. Later, as their business grew, they probably bought a lot of land to grow cotton in memory of their ancestors. In secret, they are the largest cotton merchant in our Great Liang. Yuanyuan has purchased cotton before, so she should know this. The Yun family doesn't need to offer anything else; just offering this cotton to the Emperor, wouldn't the Emperor protect them?"
Xu Zhi thought about it carefully, frowned, and said, "But they are merchants. What if His Majesty wants to sacrifice the Yun family to protect his son?"
Zheng Boyuan sneered twice and said, "The Yun family didn't leave the capital quietly this time. They made a big show of it all the way, and even encouraged many local chambers of commerce to help raise supplies and money. After raising the money, they presented it to the Emperor to improve the living conditions of the border guards. With this big banner in hand, who would dare to make a move?"
Xu Zhi clapped her hands and said, "Wonderful! As long as the Yun family does this well in the future, not only will the Emperor protect them, but the soldiers stationed at the border to defend the country will also protect them. They gave up money but were able to bring peace to the whole family. Old Madam Yun has made an excellent decision."
Zheng Boyuan shook his head slightly and said, "Fortunately, the Yun family still has an old lady, otherwise, it is questionable whether the Yun family would even exist. This time, the disaster that befell the Yun family was not only due to Madam Shen's coercion, but more importantly, there was an internal traitor in the Shen family who wanted to make contact with the Third Prince through Madam Shen."
Xu Zhi thought of what Old Madam Yun had told her that day, and wasn't too surprised. She asked, "Is it the eldest son of the Yun family?"
Zheng Boyuan nodded and said, "It is indeed this person. Such people are not uncommon in large families. They put the entire family in danger because of their own selfish desires. I just don't know how the Yun family will deal with this man after they escape this disaster."
Xu Zhi shook her head, sighed deeply, and said, "Being unworthy of one's position, or unworthy of one's talent, are both extremely dangerous things."
Xu Zhi let the matter of the Yun family go. When she went to the manor in the city to attend Madam Shen's banquet, she met Madam Ming. Madam Ming greeted Xu Zhi and Madam Ping very warmly. Seeing the genuine smile on Madam Ming's face, Xu Zhi knew that the Yun family's trip to the capital must have been successful. After smiling back at Madam Ming, she took Miao'er to stroll in the garden.
Miaozhou is rich in water. Although this garden is located in the city, it is built around a large pond with flowing water. Willows sway along the pond, and strange rocks stand in the water. There are also several small hexagonal pavilions. The paths are all paved with bluestone bricks. Walking on them, the breeze blowing from the pond carries a bit of coolness, which dispels the summer heat.
Tired from walking, we rested in a pavilion. A maidservant, who had been waiting, brought over a food box, placed a pot of refreshing herbal tea on it, and several plates of what looked like exquisite snacks.
Xu Zhi drank a bowl of herbal tea and ate two pastries. She watched Miao'er and Bai Ying tease the koi in the pond with a willow branch.
There are several gardens like this inside and outside the city, each with its own characteristics. Many of them were built to be rented out for families to hold large banquets. The one we're visiting today is famous for its large pond.
For this banquet, Madam Shen not only prepared an exquisite feast, but also brought several jars of plum wine.
Xu Zhi had just seen those jars of plum wine in the banquet hall. They tasted very good, but Xu Zhi had recently claimed that she was still taking Chinese medicine, so she couldn't taste the plum wine.
Sitting in the pavilion, you can see the sizable flower hall across the pond. The flower hall is a wooden structure with latticed windows on all four sides. Right now, all four windows are open, and soft white gauze hangs in front of them. When a breeze comes, the gauze flutters in the wind, which is quite charming.
Hong Gu stood behind Xu Zhi, glanced at the hall, frowned, and whispered to Xu Zhi, "Miss, be careful what you eat when the banquet starts. I think this Madam Shen is setting up a trap."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhi looked towards the hall opposite. Through the white gauze curtains that were occasionally lifted by the wind, she could see a group of maids dressed in the same clothes moving around several round tables, taking out prepared dishes one by one from food boxes. Xu Zhi heard that today's feast was ordered from the best restaurant in the city.
Xu Zhi nodded. Seeing that Miao'er and Bai Ying were having a great time, she stood up and said to Hong Gu, "Hong Gu, it's getting late, let's go over there."
Seeing that Xu Zhi was about to leave, Bai Ying took Miao'er's hand and came over. Xu Zhi said to Miao'er, "When the banquet starts later, would it be alright if Miao'er sat with her aunt?"
Miao'er nodded with a smile and said, "My eldest sister is going to sit with my mother to take care of my third sister. It's just right for me to be with my aunt. I have to rely on my aunt's care."
Bai Ying gently pinched Miao'er's smooth cheek and said with a smile, "Listen to this, listen to this, our Miao'er is so good at talking. Don't worry, I'll stand behind you and our lady. Just tell me what you want to eat and I'll get it for you."
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