Zhao Changqing's eyes suddenly lit up with surprise: That's right!
He just got himself into a dead end; he couldn't figure it out.
Only after Zuo Ming reminded him did he suddenly realize his mistake.
With this perfectly legitimate reason, wouldn't he be able to visit guests openly and without reservation in the future?
"Zuo Ming, let's go back to Youzhou!"
At the gates of Jizhou, long queues of people were forming to enter the city.
People who went home to pay respects to their ancestors are flocking back to the city today, so traffic jams are bound to happen.
He Youyou wasn't in a hurry; she enjoyed watching the caravans when entering the city.
It's springtime now, what kinds of goods are available in season?
When Han Wenzheng saw his mother get off the carriage, he knew that as her son, he had to serve her at all times and couldn't just rest in the carriage on his own.
He then came down and stood outside with He Youyou.
Upon closer inspection, the name "Youruitang" came into view.
There were four vehicles in total, one in front and one behind.
That's too little for a caravan.
It's probably a shipment from nearby, a short-distance transport, so a large fleet isn't necessary.
He Youyou strolled over nonchalantly and asked the guard of the Youruitang caravan, "Brother, what goods are you carrying on this cart? Where did they come from?"
Although she is the behind-the-scenes owner of Yuruitang, she does not participate in its management.
Since the establishment of Youruitang, the only time she appeared in front of Youruitang employees was when she went to the Youbei border with the team led by Xiao Qianshan.
Therefore, in Yourui Hall, besides Cheng Tingrui, only Xiao Qianshan's team knew her.
Seeing that she was a well-dressed woman from a respectable family, the servant escorted the cart without thinking much of it and replied, "This is sorghum collected from several surrounding villages and towns. It was just collected last night and brought into the city early this morning."
He Youyou immediately understood that Cheng Tingrui had acted overnight after seeing her letter.
Hey, Boss Cheng is a really reliable person.
The procession slowly moved forward into the city.
He Youyou's carriage was quickly allowed to pass by the guards and enter the city.
A few carriages behind, another tall and magnificent carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the city gate guards.
Upon seeing this, the guard immediately knelt down.
"Your Excellency the Prefect!"
A token was handed out from the carriage.
The guards had no choice but to go through the motions, taking the document and glancing at it briefly before letting it pass without delay.
Inside the carriage, a girl dressed in fine clothes urged, "Father, tell the driver to hurry up, don't lose us!"
The Prefect of Jizhou was Xie Zhihong, courtesy name Jinshen.
He passed the imperial examination at the age of nineteen and became a prefect in his early thirties, which can be described as a young man of great talent and a successful career.
"Don't worry, don't worry. Galloping on horseback is strictly prohibited in the streets of Jizhou. Their carriages are not fast, they won't get lost."
The girl felt slightly relieved after hearing him say that.
"Wan'er, is that the person you've taken a liking to just now?"
Xie Yuwan lowered her head shyly, but did not answer his question directly: "What does Father think of him?"
Xie Zhihong recalled the woman who had just stood outside the car window, and his face flushed: "Well, she was very beautiful."
The girl blushed and said, "That's right, I've never seen anyone as good-looking as him."
"I just don't know... what her personality is like? If she's too strong-willed, I'm afraid she won't get along with you and will unnecessarily upset you."
Xie Zhihong was, after all, a father who doted on his child. Even if he wanted to remarry, he didn't want his daughter to suffer any grievances.
"She also has an excellent temperament."
Xie Yuwan recalled that day when the young man was gentle, polite, and spoke to her with a smile, and a sweet warmth welled up in her heart.
Xie Zhihong was finally relieved.
He was good-looking and had a good personality; he didn't have many other requirements.
Now, all that's left is to find out about the woman's family background.
"Wan'er, do you know anything about her family background? What are the origins of her parents and brothers?"
Xie Yuwan shook her head.
She knew nothing about it.
They didn't even know the boy's name.
With the prefect's instructions, the coachman followed closely, and the two carriages followed one after the other.
On He Youyou's side, the three women and children in the carriage, along with Qin Ming and a group of experts, were all riding slowly around the carriage.
One of them leaned close to Qin Ming and whispered, "Boss Qin, there's a carriage following us."
"Yes, I see. There are ordinary people inside the carriage, and no signs of any expert. Just be careful. They may just be traveling together. Don't make any rash moves and disturb innocent civilians."
Inside Xie Zhihong's carriage, he looked at the direction the carriage ahead was traveling, and wondered to himself.
"Wan'er, why are they taking the same road we took back to the manor?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yuwan bit her lip, unable to suppress a charming smile.
She thought to herself, "That boy must have found out my address and is heading towards me."
This person... really has a short temper.
“Father, if... if he comes to our house, please... don’t treat him badly.”
Xie Zhihong laughed and said, "That's natural, that's natural."
But I felt a little uneasy.
Having not interacted with women for so many years, I inevitably felt a bit rusty about what to say and do.
Wait a minute, what if I say something silly?
“Father, don’t stare at people all the time. What if you scare them away? When you speak, be gentler in your tone and don’t look too stern.”
Xie Zhihong replied, "Yes, yes, Father knows what to do."
No, he didn't know.
I even felt nervous.
He Youyou's carriage arrived at the government office first.
The government office was located in the front and the residence in the back.
In front are the main hall, the second hall, and the third hall, as well as the offices of various functional departments.
Behind the three halls lies the inner residence, where officials and their families lived.
Han Wenzheng was not one to shy away from making a public appearance. He stepped forward and handed the visiting card to the gatekeeper of the yamen.
The gatekeeper, upon reading the visiting card and seeing that it was from the Grand Commander of the Youzhou Army, naturally dared not be negligent.
However, he also expressed regret: the prefect had returned from his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors and had not yet come back.
Han Wenzheng was also helpless upon hearing this.
He walked back to the carriage and told He Youyou about the situation through the curtain.
He Youyou then asked Han Wenzheng to leave the invitation, intending to visit again after the prefect returned.
The carriage left the government office and continued its journey.
After traveling for a short while, the driver suddenly heard a series of footsteps approaching from behind in a flurry.
"Stop the carriage in front, stop..."
Qin Ming quickly told the driver to stop the carriage, and dismounted to inquire.
The man who came running was clearly a yamen runner from the government office, judging from his clothes.
Several constables, who had been running so fast, stopped to catch their breath before saying, "The Prefect... is back... Please, Madam and Young Master, return to the yamen for a talk... Quickly... Quickly..."
He Youyou: Hey, what a coincidence?
Then let's go back.
The carriage turned around, and everyone returned to the government office.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the prefectural government office, the prefect was rubbing his hands together, waiting at the foot of the steps.
The gatekeeper was somewhat stunned.
Even the prefect of their family had never been this nervous when receiving visiting officials from higher levels. What does this mean?
The person recommended by the Grand Commander of the Army... does he have some powerful background?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
