Tianliangyuan

Chapter 306 The dust has settled

Xu Zhaozhao still agrees with her mother's arrangement.

Whether they were of good or bad status, it would be somewhat inappropriate for former friends to address each other as master and servant upon meeting again; both would feel awkward.

Over time, the other party may even develop resentment.

After all, their backgrounds were not too different, but now that things have changed, they are addressing each other as master and servant. How can they easily adjust to this psychological gap?

Therefore, from the very beginning, Xu Zhaozhao did not quite agree with Kobayashi's approach.

It's better to redeem the daughter of an old friend and settle her on a farm in the countryside than to have her serve him in person.

I'm afraid that instead of getting their gratitude, we'll end up raising a few more ungrateful wretches.

Xu Zhaozhao then reminded her, "Mother, since they haven't been reduced to slavery, we should find a place for them to live peacefully. If they lack money or food, you can send someone to help them out, but you must tell your subordinates to be respectful and not to be bossy towards them."

"Your reminder is timely. Now that her family has suffered misfortune, she must be very sensitive. I still need to visit them in person when they are released from prison."

Xu Zhaozhao's mind raced: "Mother, is it possible to send things inside now?"

Wang Ruolan genuinely didn't know. At first, she sent someone to inquire, but at that time, the interrogation was in full swing, and no one was allowed to visit. Now that the imperial decree has been issued, visits should be permitted.

And so, the mother and daughter changed into less luxurious clothes and went inside to visit.

Of course, they also brought some food.

Having experienced prison life, Xu Zhaozhao had a glimpse into ancient prisons. In such a place, escaping was simply a pipe dream!

After obtaining their consent, Wang Ruolan began to order people to find them a place to stay in the countryside.

The estate under Wang Ruolan's name is naturally the most suitable.

After all, they were relatives of prisoners, and these days many rural people also bully newcomers.

Even if the families of the powerful and wealthy who have fallen on hard times find a place to stay, it will probably take them some time just to adjust their mindset.

That evening, Xu Zhaozhao recounted the different methods and attitudes her mother and Madam Lin had towards their old friend, and waited for Xie Zheng to offer some advice.

"According to your logic, your mother-in-law's approach is actually more advisable. The two girls that your fourth aunt rescued, although they are slaves, can be temporarily sent to the estate to make a living. There are no proper masters there anyway, and if they are given enough money and food, they can manage to support themselves."

Xu Zhaozhao wholeheartedly agreed: "In the end, it's not our business, so it's not appropriate for us to interfere. Besides, after what happened last time, there's clearly been a rift between me and my fourth aunt, so let's just leave it to her."

Xie Zheng hugged her, knowing that Xu Zhaozhao had brought this up with him because she didn't want any trouble at home.

But with her temperament, Fourth Aunt probably wouldn't listen.

"This time, it's all thanks to you. Otherwise, my fourth aunt's family would definitely be in trouble. If they came begging for help, what do you think my fourth uncle would do?"

This kind of thing is inherently difficult to handle.

Fortunately, nothing bad happened to the Lin family, and Madam Lin can still live a peaceful life in the mansion. Otherwise, the Duke's mansion would have become quite lively.

Xie Zheng also learned about the flower viewing banquet. He was quite pleased to learn that she was only hosting a banquet for female relatives.

Personally, he didn't want Zhaozhao to have too much contact with men outside the family.

Such a wonderful Zhao Zhao should belong to him alone.

However, he also knew Xu Zhaozhao's abilities and could not truly confine her to the inner courtyard.

Fortunately, Xu Zhaozhao was very sensible. She basically left the external affairs to a few managers, and she only had contact with a few people on a regular basis, which made him feel much more at ease.

Many people made contributions in the case of Prince Qing's rebellion.

However, His Majesty was clearly in a bad mood. After executing so many officials and gentry, he still did not mention the matter of rewards, which shows that he was still very resistant to this matter.

Of course, the fact that Prince Qing was only imprisoned did not appease many ministers, who felt that such a serious crime should be punished by death in order to deter those who harbored rebellious intentions.

However, the imperial decree was delayed, and the court was in complete chaos.

Things always need to be resolved; even an emperor cannot keep running away from them forever.

Ultimately, after repeated persuasion from Lu Jin, Qu Shiji, and others, Emperor Yong'an issued an edict demoting Prince Qing to a commoner and exiling him and his family to guard the imperial mausoleum.

As for the previous events, all those who made contributions were rewarded with silver or promoted.

With this, the case can be considered truly closed.

After Prince Qing left the capital, the city returned to its former bustling and peaceful state, and the flower-viewing banquet at the Duke of Huguo's mansion finally began.

Because the banquet was only for Xie family relatives, the invitation was not sent out to other families.

However, Princess Leyang heard the news from somewhere and wanted to join in the fun, but Xu Zhaozhao stopped her by sending her a pot of peonies.

"Zhaozhao, I'll take you to meet some of the elders in the clan. Don't be nervous, they're all very easy to talk to."

"Yes, thank you, Second Aunt."

Today's banquet is being held at Jinxiu Garden, so Madam Xie has also been invited. She is currently listening to music with several other elderly ladies of the same generation.

After Xu Zhaozhao greeted everyone in turn, Xie Yun took her away to meet her sisters-in-law, older sisters, younger sisters-in-law, and younger sisters of the same generation.

Xu Zhaozhao truly felt that marrying Xie Zheng was not a wise choice.

Because Xie Zheng will be the next Duke of Protectorate, this means that Xie Zheng will be the highest-ranking member of the Xie family in the future.

Those with status and power naturally bear more responsibilities.

Therefore, Xu Zhaozhao is likely to face many troubles in the future.

If any family is in trouble, or if someone's daughter is bullied and comes to the manor seeking help, can Xu Zhaozhao say she won't take responsibility?

It's alright for now, with Madam Yu and Madam Lin holding the fort, Xu Zhaozhao can still shirk her responsibilities a bit. But sooner or later, Xu Zhaozhao will have to take charge of the Duke's mansion.

Therefore, looking at all the faces in the room, Xu Zhaozhao felt an immense headache.

"Wow, what kind of flower is this? It's so beautiful!"

"Is it a camellia? But I've never seen this variety before. It looks very novel. I wonder how Sanlang's wife cultivated it."

Xu Zhaozhao looked over upon hearing the sound and saw a young woman.

Xie Yun explained, "That woman is the granddaughter-in-law of the clan chief. If nothing unexpected happens, her father-in-law will become the clan chief of the Xie family in the future."

Xu Zhaozhao nodded. No wonder this person spoke with a somewhat arrogant tone. Since she was the granddaughter-in-law of the clan chief, she must have some confidence.

Xie Yun added, "This sister-in-law is not easy to get along with. She has a competitive and strong personality. I heard that she often argues with her sisters-in-law at home. She has a sharp tongue. However, her family is more powerful than the other sisters-in-law, so she has always had a lot of say in her husband's family."