Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 839 Zhengzheng: My Royal Mansion. [Thank you! Bow again! 6k words owed]

In the afternoon,

The banquet has ended.

Pingmei, Hualan, Rong Feiyan, and other peers drank tea and chatted in the cool hall.

Sun and Wang Ruofu, arm in arm with the old lady, strolled along the covered walkway to their own courtyard.

When Sun was young, she was mistreated by her mother-in-law as soon as she entered the Xu family. If it weren't for the kind-hearted old lady who was cold-faced, her life would have been much more difficult.

Over the years, Mrs. Sun has always been grateful to the old lady.

The old lady helped Sun back then for two reasons: first, she couldn't bear to see her suffer, and second, she was concerned about the Xu family ancestral temple, since the old lady's parents' memorial tablets were in the ancestral hall.

Back then, Madam He devoted herself to treating Madam Sun, which cost her a lot of favors.

But after helping Madam Sun, the old lady forgot about the matter.

After Sheng Hong passed the imperial examination, the relationship between the Sheng and Xu families soured and cooled down because of Sheng Hong's marriage.

From beginning to end, the old lady had no intention of seeking anything in return.

The old lady never expected that more than 20 years later, Madam Sun would still remember the kindness she had shown back then and be willing to help the Sheng family with the marriage of her eldest son, Zai Zhang.

If someone were ungrateful, they would have forgotten about it long ago after all these years.

Moreover, the Xu family had shown signs of decline before, and it was only after Madam Sun became the mistress of the Yongyi Marquis's mansion that the decline was stopped.

It was only through the years of management by Mrs. Sun and Mr. and Mrs. Xu Minghua that the Xu family achieved its current status.

The old lady was very grateful for this.

Therefore, although the old lady and Madam Sun did not meet often, whenever they did meet, they felt very close and seemed to have endless topics to talk about.

This kind of relationship made Wang Ruofu, who was standing by, somewhat envious.

However, Wang Ruofu couldn't say anything to her mother-in-law, Madam Sun.

After Hua Lan got married, she never stood up for the rules or suffered any mistreatment. Sun Shi even helped Hua Lan urge Zai Zhang to work hard.

Not only did Hualan have more money at her disposal each year, but her status also changed from that of a Marquis's wife to that of a Duke's wife.

Such a mother-in-law is a rare sight in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

On the way,

“Aunt, yesterday Jing’er and Zhengzheng went to the palace to express their gratitude, and the Crown Princess also made an appearance.”

"Oh?"

Both the old lady and Wang Ruofu looked surprised upon hearing Sun's words.

"Hiss! Sister-in-law, isn't the Crown Princess quite far along in her pregnancy?" Wang Ruofu asked.

"Yes, she's due to give birth next month," Mrs. Sun said with a smile.

The old lady nodded with a sigh: "It is truly a blessing for our dynasty that the Crown Prince has an heir!"

"That's what Auntie said."

As they spoke,
As everyone entered the main room, feeling the refreshing coolness, Wang Ruofu let out a comfortable sigh.

After taking a seat,
The maidservant served the drink.
The tall rotating fan placed to one side was also turned on, and a cool breeze blew through the room, making it very comfortable.

After taking a sip of her drink, Madam Sun placed the teacup on the table and asked with a smile, "Aunt, sister-in-law, has the marriage of that child Mo Lan been settled?"

Upon hearing this, the old lady gave a helpless yet self-deprecating laugh.

Wang Ruofu tried hard to hide the schadenfreude in her heart, pursed her lips and said, "Sister-in-law, thank you for your concern. From what your cousin said, it hasn't happened yet."

Madam Sun was taken aback and said, "It's not decided yet? I think my cousin has excellent taste in choosing the Pei family. Could it be that something has changed?"

Wang Ruofu glanced at the old lady and nodded, saying, "Mo Lan's birth mother, Lin Xiaoniang, is somewhat dissatisfied with the marriage arranged by the Pei family! Yesterday, she instigated Mo Lan to cry and complain to the master."

"She said things like her husband didn't love her, and that her sisters all married into good families. After a few sentences, her husband got a little annoyed and didn't settle the matter."

"This," Madam Sun glanced at the old lady who sighed and smiled bitterly, "Aunt, sister-in-law, when did it become the place for a mere concubine to interfere in the marriage of the Sheng family's children?"

"I'm sorry you had to see this," the old lady said with a smile.

Sun quickly shook her head: "Aunt, what are you saying? Only close relatives would tell my sister-in-law the truth."

Wang Ruofu smiled and nodded.

The old lady waved her hand and said, "Now that the head of the Sheng family is your cousin, I shouldn't say too much about my children's marriages, lest I cause others to dislike me."

Sun didn't say the last word "dare" when she said "cousin," otherwise it would have sounded like she was using her power to intimidate him.

Afterwards, Madam Sun composed herself and said, "Aunt, sister-in-law, if possible, please try to persuade my cousin."

“The Pei family’s child’s older brother was seriously injured in front of the former Duke of Anguo’s Tan family’s gate. Although his life is not in danger, he can no longer join the army.”

"Jing'er said that the military position will most likely go to that child. If he misses it..."

Hearing Sun's words, Wang Ruofu felt even less inclined to offer any advice.

The old lady nodded, patted Madam Sun's hand, and smiled, "Alright, I'll talk to him about it when we get home. Thank you for taking this matter so seriously!"

"Auntie, what are you saying! I'm just keeping the good stuff in the family!"

After Sun finished speaking, the old lady, Wang Ruofu, and the mothers around them couldn't help but laugh a couple of times.

After the laughter subsided, the old lady looked at Madam Sun and said, "I noticed a worry in your eyes earlier, but don't worry too much. Today, I saw that the Chai family's child was quite well-mannered in his speech and behavior!"

“A noblewoman from a high-ranking family, she has no problem supporting Jing’er’s household.”

Madam Sun nodded: "Aunt is right! Actually, I'm not worried about the affairs of Jing'er's household, it's mainly..."

Looking up at the old lady and Wang Ruofu, Madam Sun smiled and said, "The main thing is that I never expected that Jing'er, the youngest, would be the first to move out. Especially now that he is leading an army, I really feel a little reluctant to let him go."

Looking at Sun's appearance, Wang Ruofu couldn't help but recall the days when Changbai entered the examination hall.

Although it was only a few days, Wang Ruofu missed Changbai terribly.

Xu Zaijing moved his residence and lived separately. He would be leading troops to the battlefield later, and the separation would last from him for several months to several years.

Thinking of all this, Wang Ruofu, who felt the same way, quickly comforted her, "Sister-in-law, don't think too much! Jing'er is a lucky child! He must be protected by the God of Literature and blessed by the gods! Whatever happens, he will surely turn bad luck into good and danger into safety!"

"It's just a matter of moving house. If you miss him, just send someone to tell him that Jing-ge'er will come back to see you right away!"

“I’m just worried that when Jing’er has more children, they’ll be too noisy and give you a headache,” Wang Ruofu said, pointing to the room.

The old lady beside her looked at Wang Ruofu, who was speaking, with a look of approval in her eyes.

Standing to the side, Liu's mother nodded repeatedly with a smile in her eyes.

After being comforted by a few words, Madam Sun felt much better and smiled, saying, "Then I'll take your kind words, sister-in-law!"

"You're being too polite," Wang Ruofu said with a smile.

The group talked for a while longer.

After glancing at the sky and exchanging a glance with the old lady, Fang's mother whispered a few words in Liu's mother's ear.

Liu's mother then whispered something to Wang Ruofu.

After listening, Wang Ruofu nodded and stood up: "Mother, sister-in-law, it seems that it's about time. I'll go to the front yard to check on the carriages and horses."

The old lady and Madam Sun smiled and nodded.

After Liu Mama returned and reported, Sun Shi accompanied the old lady out of the courtyard.

On the way,

The old lady whispered to Madam Sun, "Before Ming'er's marriage was settled, I heard her say that the Chai family's daughter was deeply in love with Jing'er; during the imperial examination, she even..."

Sun nodded: "Yes! Before."

After pondering for a moment, Madam Sun rejected a certain idea in her mind and continued, "The two children were quite destined for each other before. Zhengzheng was quite fond of Jing'er, and then the royal family gave their blessing, that's it."

As she spoke, Madam Sun glanced apologetically at the old lady: "That's right, if Jing'er hadn't asked for a marriage decree, he might have become the mistress of the Duke's mansion tomorrow."

“Eh—” The old lady shook her head in denial and waved her hand, saying, “Impossible! Princess Pingning is so proud and arrogant, how could she let Ming’er into the house?”

The old lady looked at Madam Sun and said, "Don't take these things to heart! The two children have been classmates for many years. Jing'er helped Minglan's mother in Yangzhou before, and Ming'er also likes him."

Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In the afternoon sunlight, the Xu family saw off their relatives.

Several clan elders stayed overnight at the Xu family's house and set off with Xu Minghua early the next morning.

The first quarter of the Xu hour (7 PM)

It was a little late, but the sky was still bright.

Xu Zaijing's courtyard
By the window in the study

Xu Zaijing sat in the chair,

Minglan and Rong Feiyan stood behind Xu Zaijing, following Chai Zhengzheng, watching with curiosity as Xu Zaijing opened the wooden box he had brought out from the ancestral hall.

The lid is flipped open.

Inside the wooden box was a thick book covered with silk, inscribed with the words "Genealogy of the Prince of Wei".

Just as Xu Zaijing was about to reach out to take it,
"Officer."

Rong Feiyan, who was standing nearby, reminded him and handed him the handkerchief in her hand.

Looking back at Chai Zhengzheng who was nodding, Xu Zaijing reluctantly took the handkerchief, wrapped his hands in it, and took out the booklet.

Opening the silk cover reveals a preface with exquisitely beautiful handwriting.

Upon seeing only the first word, Xu Zaijing immediately stood up.

The reason is simple: the very first sentence of the preface is, "I have heard that all things originate from Heaven, and man originates from his ancestors."

"My lord, did His Majesty write this preface himself?" Chai Zhengzheng asked in surprise.

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Yes."

Without reading the preface, Xu Zaijing pointed to the two red seals in the lower left corner and said, "These are His Majesty's personal seals and His Highness the Crown Prince's leisure seals."

Rong Feiyan and Minglan, who were standing next to Xu Zaijing, couldn't help but exchange a surprised glance.

After a while, Xu Zaijing sat back down in his chair and began to carefully read the preface with his three wives.

"The Xu family originated in Dai County, and their descendants have been known for their loyalty and virtue."

The preface is divided into several parts.

First, it traces the origins of the Xu family and recounts their lineage, from the founding of the nation to the achievements of Xu Minghua's generation. The content is quite detailed, indicating that a great deal of historical records were consulted.
The text then recounts Xu Zaijing's achievements, which are quite similar to the imperial edict conferring the title of prince.

It also showed his glory, recounting the honors and rewards Xu Zaijing had received;

They also established rules and explained the generational ranking of the newly established clan branches;

Finally, he expressed his hopes, which were his earnest expectations for future generations.

The inscription is signed by the current emperor, and it is also noted that it was copied by Crown Prince Zhao Fang.

After reading the preface and looking at the signature and markings, the three ladies couldn't help but shake their heads in amazement.

Such an honor is something even ordinary royal residences don't receive.

After Minglan and the other two finished their sighs, they noticed that Xu Zaijing's finger remained motionless on the preface page for a long time.

"My lord?" Minglan asked softly, "What's wrong with you?"

Xu Zaijing glanced back at the three ladies, took a deep breath, and said, "It's nothing! It's just that I didn't have a courtesy name before. Since the preface was written by His Majesty and copied by Your Highness, then..."

Chai Zhengzheng chimed in, "My lord, are you saying that the next page might contain the courtesy name His Majesty gave you?"

"Yes." Xu Zaijing nodded emphatically.

"Then let's take a look quickly!" Chai Zhengzheng urged.

Rong Feiyan and Minglan nodded repeatedly.

"it is good!"

Xu Zaijing took a deep breath, then, holding the high-quality pages, slowly turned the page to reveal the preface.

The first thing you see is a row of large characters: "The first ancestor (Kong) King named Zai Jing, courtesy name Ren Zhi."

Since Xu Zaijing was still alive, the emperor could not use the taboo name, but rather his given name.

Next to the large characters in the first column, there are smaller notes indicating Xu Zaijing's parents, all using their 'names' rather than 'taboo names'.

Next are the names of Chai Zhengzheng, Rong Feiyan, and Minglan.

“As the Analects of Confucius says in the chapter on Taibo, ‘A scholar cannot but be resolute and persevering, for his burden is heavy and his journey is long,’” Minglan said softly.

Rong Feiyan and Chai Zhengzheng exchanged a glance and then said, "My lord, His Majesty used the character 'Zai' from your name, not 'Jing'."

Chai Zhengzheng looked at Xu Zaijing and said, "This courtesy name shows His Majesty's trust and expectations of you, sir."

Xu Zaijing took a deep breath and nodded, "Yes!"

The room became quiet.

The sounds of people moving and packing things could be faintly heard from the yard.

outside the house,

Shady spot under the grape trellis
The raccoon with a red rope around its neck stood up and stretched.

"My lord, we will prepare some gold-flecked stationery for you tomorrow."

"it is good!"

The sun sets in the west, and twilight descends.

The lanterns were just lit in the back hall of the Xu family home.

At a table much smaller than the one at noon, Xu Minghua and Madam Sun sat at the head of the table, with Madam Xie, Zai Zhang and Hua Lan, Xu Zaijing and his three wives, and Ning Mei sitting next to them in order.

At the very bottom seat sat Xingdai, Xingzhong, and Qingyi.

A maid carrying a tray entered the hall.

After exchanging a glance with Rong Feiyan and Minglan, Chai Zhengzheng, who was sitting below Xu Zaijing, stood up and walked toward the maid.

"Hey, what are you three doing? Sit down!" Madam Sun beckoned.

Xu Minghua nodded and waved his hand.

Xu Zaijing said, "Father, Mother, the three of them have already discussed it and decided to have a feast tonight."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing waved to Xie Shi and Hua Lan: "Sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, please sit down."

As they spoke, Chai Zhengzheng placed a dish on the table and said to the others, "Sisters-in-law, please sit down! The three of us haven't done any work since we came in!"

Seeing Xie Shi and Hua Lan get up, Xu Minghua finally nodded and said, "Alright, let's listen to Jing'er and the others."

Soon, Rong Feiyan and Minglan helped set the table, and Chai Zhengzheng placed several wine cups in front of everyone.

Today is certainly not the last family banquet of the Xu family, but it is the last one before the family splits up.

Then, Chai Zhengzheng took the wine pot and filled the wine cups for the Xu family.

Sun smiled at Chai Zhengzheng and said, "Zhengzheng, you, Feiyan, and Minglan, sit down too, let's drink together." Chai Zhengzheng quickly agreed and sat down with Rong Feiyan and Minglan.

When Chai Zhengzheng was about to pour himself a drink, Xu Zaijing reached out and took the wine pot from him.

"Jing'er, what are you doing?" Madam Sun scolded.

Xu Zaijing glanced at the shy Chai Zhengzheng and then looked at Madam Sun and said with a smile, "Mother, let's leave Zhengzheng alone. If you won't let her drink alcohol, let her have some beverages instead."

Rong Feiyan and Minglan looked puzzled upon hearing this.

Everyone else had the same expression, except for Hua Lan, who had a drink in front of her. Her eyes lit up with surprise as she looked at Chai Zhengzheng.

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng with his head down, the people at the table reacted for a moment, and the adults understood.

"Zhengzheng! Could it be?" Sun asked in surprise.

Xu Minghua's eyes widened as well.

Minglan and the others all looked at Chai Zhengzheng.

Chai Zhengzheng raised her head and nodded shyly: "Mother. Mm!"

Upon seeing this, Zai Zhang gave his younger brother a thumbs up.

The three people below Xu Xingdai were still a little confused, so Minglan, who was closest to them, smiled and explained a few words.

"Haha! Okay, okay!" Xu Minghua nodded with a smile.

Xu Minghua was overjoyed to hear the news the night before he left home.

Sun smiled first, then glared at Xu Zaijing and said, "Zhengzheng is already here, Xu Zaijing, why are you still making her get up to set the table and pour the wine?"

"Mother, your son..." Xu Zaijing was speechless.

“Mother, it was my wife who didn’t let my husband say it. Mother loves my wife, but I can’t just do nothing,” Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile.

"Oh dear, you're all being ridiculous!" Mrs. Sun shook her head and then hurriedly asked, "Have you told your mother-in-law?"

Chai Zhengzheng shook her head slightly.

"You two are really something!" Madam Sun shook her head and pointed at the two of them angrily: "You're moving tomorrow, and you can stop by the Chai family's house on the way. Tell your mother-in-law! Understand?"

"Yes, Mother," Xu Zaijing and Chai Zhengzheng replied in unison.

With such a joyous occasion, the banquet was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, with little trace of the sadness of Xu Zaijing's departure before moving.

After offering a few toasts, Xu Minghua drank three more cups alone with Xu Zaijing.

“Jing’er, you’ve already experienced the battlefield in Bai Gao. But being a scout and commanding an army are completely different. There’s still a lot to learn and experience.”

"Never be arrogant and stubborn, and never charge around recklessly just because you are brave!"

Hearing his father's words, Xu Zaijing looked at Xu Minghua's graying hair and nodded, saying, "Father, don't worry, I understand."

Xu Minghua looked into his son's eyes and saw that Xu Zaijing's gaze was steady and serious, so he raised his wine glass with peace of mind and clinked glasses with Xu Zaijing.

Zai Zhang, standing to the side, watched his father and younger brother clinking glasses, his eyes filled with envy as he pursed his lips.

Just as he was feeling a little down, he felt someone squeeze his hand under the table. Turning his head, he saw Hua Lan smiling at him.

Looking into Hua Lan's bright eyes, Zai Zhang's depressed mood instantly vanished.

The next day,

morning,

The sunlight shone on the eastern wall of the imperial city, causing the guards on the palace wall to squint.

Looking down from the high vantage point, a procession of honor had stopped at the gate of the Chai family's residence along the moat.

At the second gate of the Chai family's residence.
Mrs. Chai, who was having breakfast, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng shake off Xu Zaijing's hand and walk towards her with a smile, Madam Chai felt a jolt in her heart.

After taking two steps forward with her two daughters-in-law, Madam Chai took her daughter's hand.

Ignoring Chai Zhengzheng, Madam Chai smiled at Xu Zaijing first: "Young Master, is breakfast ready?"

Xu Zaijing quickly bowed and said, "Mother-in-law, we already used it when we arrived."

Madam Chai smiled and nodded, then glanced at her daughter questioningly before continuing, "Son-in-law, let's go into the courtyard first."

"Yes," Xu Zaijing replied with a smile.

On the way, Madam Chai said to Chai Zhengzheng, "What brings you here today?"

After smiling and nodding to her two sisters-in-law, Chai Zhengzheng asked in confusion, "Mother, can't I go back to my parents' home for a visit since I'm on my way?"

After frowning and pursing her lips at Chai Zhengzheng, Madam Chai smiled at Xu Zaijing and asked, "Young Master, is the Duke of Dai setting off today?"

"Yes! We set off around the exact hour of Yin (3-5 AM)."

"The time is perfect, the weather is cool and not too hot!" Madam Chai said with a smile.

Upon entering the hall,

Xu Zaijing sat to the left of Madam Chai.

Looking at her handsome and dashing son-in-law Xu Zaijing, who, despite his habitually upright posture, had a relaxed and smiling expression, Madam Chai became more and more pleased and satisfied, nodding repeatedly in satisfaction.

Such a look made Chai Zhengzheng jealous: "Mother, I am your real daughter."

Madam Chai put on a stern face: "I know."

After saying that, Madam Chai's face lit up with a bright smile again. She looked at the maid serving tea and said, "Young master, please have some tea."

"Yes." Xu Zaijing took the teacup.

After nodding with a smile, Xu Zaijing raised an eyebrow smugly and glanced at Chai Zhengzheng, who was frowning and pouting, speechless.

Sitting opposite Xu Zaijing, Chai Zhengzheng's two sisters-in-law couldn't help but smile at each other after seeing the couple's interaction.

Madam Chai shifted her gaze from Xu Zaijing, her face hardening again as she frowned at Chai Zhengzheng, her eyes urging her to tell her why she had returned to her parents' home.

Seeing her daughter pout, Madam Chai then looked at Yunmu and the other personal maids who had followed her in.

Seeing the maid's repeated winks, Madam Chai looked at Chai Zhengzheng with suspicion.

Ignoring Chai Zhengzheng, Madam Chai looked at Xu Zaijing and smiled, "Young Master, what brings you here today?"

Before Xu Zaijing could speak, Chai Zhengzheng turned and stared at him intently, her eyes full of threat.

Xu Zaijing pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow. He held the teacup in one hand, took a sip of tea, looked at Madam Chai, touched his stomach with the other hand, and said with a smile, "Mother-in-law, this is truly excellent tea."

Madam Chai was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Good tea? If the young master likes it, I'll have someone pack two baskets for you before you leave."

"Oh! Thank you, mother-in-law."

"Don't mention it." After saying that, Madam Chai could not get anything out of Xu Zaijing, so she could only look at Chai Zhengzheng again.

The two daughters-in-law of the Chai family sitting to the side exchanged a surprised glance.

“Mother,” the eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Lu, called out to Madam Chai.

"Well?"

After giving Madam Chai a wink, Madam Lu looked at Chai Zhengzheng.

Mrs. Chai was still somewhat bewildered.

"Mother, Zhengzheng, belly," Madam Lu reminded helplessly.

After frowning and thinking for a while, Madam Chai looked at her daughter, who was pursing her lips and not knowing where to look, and an idea suddenly came to her mind.

"Zhengzheng, are you pregnant?" Madam Chai asked after glancing at Xu Zaijing.

"Yes!" Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

Upon hearing this, Madam Chai looked blankly at Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded: "Mother-in-law, I'm about 80 or 90 percent sure."

"squeak--"

She pushed the chair that Madam Chai had been sitting on aside as she suddenly stood up.

After taking a few steps, Madam Chai walked up to Chai Zhengzheng and asked, "Zheng'er, really?"

"Yes, mother."

"Fine! Fine! Fine!" Madam Chai smiled and took two steps, then stormed up to Chai Zhengzheng and said angrily, "You, Chai Zhengzheng, why didn't you say so at the beginning?"

Chai Zhengzheng pouted and said, "The moment you enter the house, Mother, you only have eyes for your son-in-law. How can your daughter have a chance to speak?"

"You!" Madam Chai said, reaching out to grab Chai Zhengzheng's ear.

But he withdrew his hand halfway through, saying, "I'll save it for you, and pay you back in full later!"

As she spoke, Madam Chai turned to look at Xu Zaijing and smiled, "Thank you for your hard work, son-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaijing quickly put down his teacup, bowed, and clasped his hands in greeting: "Mother-in-law, you, you are too kind. Your son-in-law has not worked hard; he has worked very hard."

"Pfft."

Chai Zhengzheng, who was standing to the side, covered her mouth and laughed.

The two wives sitting next to them, and the maids like Yunmu, couldn't help but purse their lips tightly to keep from laughing.

Madam Chai was slightly embarrassed, but after smiling, she said, "Don't go back for lunch. Have lunch at home."

"Yes, Mother-in-law." Xu Zaijing bowed his head as before.

"Sit down quickly!"

"Hey."

After they sat down, Madam Chai looked at Chai Zhengzheng and said, "Your mother-in-law knows about this, right?"

"know."

"Yes. We'll keep this to ourselves for now. We'll talk about it outside after we've settled in for three months." As Madam Chai spoke, she looked around at everyone in the room.

Those whose gaze swept over her all nodded in agreement.

At noon,

The head of the Chai family was still drinking with his son and Xu Zaijing.

Chai Zhengzheng was then pulled into her room by Madam Chai.

In the cool room,
Madam Chai waved a round fan at Chai Zhengzheng and asked with concern, "Zhengzheng, where did your husband sleep last night?"

Chai Zhengzheng pursed her lips and said shyly, "On my bed."

As soon as he said this, Chai Zhengzheng saw Madam Chai looking at him reproachfully.

Chai Zhengzheng said with a hint of pride, "Mother, I also wanted my husband to go to my two younger sisters' place, but he just wanted to sleep with me."

Madam Chai said helplessly, "Your husband said he wanted to sleep with you, and you just agreed?"

“Yes, he said he was afraid I would overthink it,” Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile.

Madam Chai shook her head: "Fortunately, the daughters of the Rong and Sheng families entered the family one after another after your marriage, otherwise..."

"Don't keep your husband confined tonight, let him sleep in another room!" Madam Chai added.

Looking at Chai Zhengzheng's appearance, Madam Chai said earnestly, "Your husband is such a strong and vigorous man, and you've really gotten a taste for it! According to you, you haven't been intimate for three days, have you?"

Chai Zhengzheng nodded shyly.

"So you two have to separate, otherwise you'll be inseparable, like fire and water, and who knows when something might go wrong, and then you'll be crying!"

Hearing Madam Chai's words, Chai Zhengzheng nodded helplessly, "Daughter understands."

Seeing that her daughter was obedient, Madam Chai finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Whether the baby in your belly is a boy or a girl, it is your husband's first child. This kind of feeling will only happen once."

"We can't let it go to waste or let someone steal it."

"I know," Chai Zhengzheng replied with a smile to Madam Chai.

"Hmm, that's more like it!" Madam Chai nodded, then asked, "You said before that your mother-in-law had handed things over to you, so have you figured out how much property your Wang family has now?"

Upon hearing this topic, Chai Zhengzheng's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly with a smile, saying, "Yes, Mother, I understand now."

"Tell me about it," Madam Chai said with a smile.

“Mother, you know about the corn and cotton, right?” Chai Zhengzheng asked.

Madam Chai nodded: "I know, ever since these two crops were added, our dynasty's annual revenue has been increasing year by year! Last year it hit a new high, reportedly totaling nearly 100 million strings of cash!"

Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Mother, behind both of these things, there is actually the shadow of the Xu family, or rather, the shadow of my husband."

"My mother-in-law united with the Cao family, the Gu family, the Wu family, the Lu family, the Zheng family, the Sheng family, the Bai family, and other families to do these things together. Over the past ten years, they have amassed considerable wealth."

Mrs. Chai suddenly realized: "Corn is easy to deal with; after it ripens, it is mostly used as military supplies."

“Cotton is different. From harvesting it from the ground to turning it into cotton cloth and cotton armor, there are many intricacies involved, such as dyeing and ginning.”

Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "Yes, Mother, many of the secrets lie in the hands of these powerful families."

Seeing Madam Chai's still questioning gaze, Chai Zhengzheng said in a low voice, "When the family property was divided, my mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law decided on the allocation to my family."

Looking at the five fingers Chai Zhengzheng held up, Madam Chai exclaimed in surprise, "Five million strings of cash? That much?"

Chai Zhengzheng nodded emphatically: "My mother-in-law said it's half of the Xu family's savings over the past ten years! My mother-in-law also said..."

After talking for a while, Chai Zhengzheng looked at her interested mother but didn't say anything more.

"Tsk!" Madam Chai couldn't help but slap Chai Zhengzheng's arm in exasperation: "You child, speak up!"

Chai Zhengzheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "My mother-in-law said that if it weren't for the fact that my husband had taken the initiative in the past few years to allocate tens of thousands of strings of cash each year to build ships for the Pan and Bai families' fleets, the money they would have received would have been even more."

"The Pan family? A fleet?" Madam Chai was taken aback. "Could they be transporting sulfur to Japan? That's incredibly profitable!"

Chai Zhengzheng shook his head, somewhat puzzled, and said, "If it's along the way, we'll transport it, but the main purpose is to have the fleet head straight north to find the northernmost country, 'Liugui Kingdom,' which was recorded in the historical records of the previous dynasty as having paid tribute to the previous dynasty."

Madam Chai nodded slowly: "Oh—! If it is found, it will be an auspicious omen for our dynasty! Perhaps the royal family will be pleased and a reward will make up for the loss!"

"But logically speaking, if we went north and could do some business, we shouldn't have lost hundreds of thousands of strings of cash, right?"

Chai Zhengzheng sighed: "I heard that no matter how much they make, the officials have already set up outposts along the coast for the fleet! There are also some other ideas involved, saying that they can land on the coast and ride horses to the capital of the Jin Kingdom from behind."

"The capital of the Jin Kingdom? Good heavens!" Madam Chai couldn't help but shake her head and exclaim, "I never would have guessed that this lad had accomplished so much without making a sound!"

"Yes!" Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "Looking at the Xu family's spending habits from the outside, I never expected my mother-in-law to be so rich."

"Oh, right, Mother! His Majesty has bestowed a courtesy name upon my husband." Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile, "His husband's courtesy name is Renzhi! He just sent out invitations to the families he's befriended today."

Madam Chai nodded upon hearing this, and said with satisfaction, "Xu Zaijing, courtesy name Renzhi! He has a heavy responsibility and a long way to go!"

"Ah."

Madam Chai touched her daughter's face and said, "With such a husband, you shouldn't cling to your dowry."

"Mother, I know!" Chai Zhengzheng lowered her head shyly.

She never intended to do this in the first place.

(End of this chapter)