Chapter 442: The Inner Residence

That night, the Feng family called up men everywhere. He had thought it was a good chance to curry favor with the Fengs — if they could wipe out a merchant convoy or the like, there'd be some profit to share. But as soon as he arrived, he heard Zhao Jin declare his name. Those pole-wielding bandits were one thing, but he had a family and home in Pizhou, nowhere to run. How could he dare offend such a powerful figure? He made a snap decision, pulled back, and left.

The next day, when he heard the Feng family had mobilized a large force to wipe them out completely, Cheng Qiangqi actually breathed a sigh of relief. He figured if they could really kill everyone and silence the witnesses, clean up the loose ends over in **** Town, then there'd be no need to worry about future trouble. His own family might even go to Xuzhou and get a share of the spoils — with a connection to a department magistrate's private secretary, they'd always have more advantages than most.

But what happened next left him terrified. Zhao Jin had escaped unscathed, and at the border, he casually rallied several hundred mounted riders to fight back.

Once Zhao Jin returned to Xuzhou, it was like a tiger entering the southern mountains — no one could do anything to him. From all the rumors Cheng Qiangqi had heard before, this young master would never let things go. Those pole-wielding bandits could flee to the ends of the earth, but if the Cheng family left the Pizhou area, they were nothing at all.

Come and beg forgiveness — the sooner the better. Cheng Qiangqi quickly made up his mind. He immediately rode at full speed toward Xuzhou. Once in the city, he hurriedly met with Secretary Wang. As soon as Secretary Wang heard the whole story, he wanted nothing to do with it. Cheng Qiangqi kowtowed and wept and begged, produced two hundred taels of ready silver, and promised plenty more favors besides. Only then did he persuade Secretary Wang.

Originally they were to set out from the city today, but Cheng Qiangqi, scared out of his wits, dared not delay. He begged and pleaded until Secretary Wang agreed to leave overnight — that was how they arrived here so early.

"Are you familiar with the Pizhou territory?" Zhao Jin asked with a smile.

"This humble one is familiar, very familiar!" Cheng Qiangqi hurriedly answered.

Zhao Jin reappeared at the He Village training grounds, and everything returned to normal. Zhao Jin did not plan to go back to Xuzhou city for the New Year. He merely sent men into the city to bring his family over. He arranged the same for the others. The He Village inn was already of no small standard; its several private courtyards were more than comfortable enough for everyone to stay in.

It was already the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth month. The Xu family's household affairs had also reached their customary pause. The stewards each took their leave and returned to Jingshan on the north bank of the Yellow River to spend the New Year. Left by Xu Zhenzhen's side were only a few maidservants and the outer perimeter guards.

Xu Zhenzhen's guards and the Xu family members did not follow the same rules. The guards' pay was higher than the Xu family stewards', but they had no chance to reunite with their own families. Only when permitted could they send word that they were safe and see their loved ones. Even during the New Year, they had to stay here.

Liu Yong had easily found out all these rules. Although he could not plant anyone inside the inner guard team, he specially assigned a squad to keep a dedicated watch. After all, having a force beside the Zhao household that did not belong to the Zhao Battalion was too great a risk.

As soon as she received Zhao Jin's message, He Cuihua was anxious to go to He Village. She had always wanted to see her son's residence and territory, to see whether Zhao Jin was living well. But Xu Zhenzhen still had some matters to wrap up, so they had to wait one more day. Zhao Zhentang also used this gap to arrange affairs in the city.

Toward this daughter-in-law of hers, He Cuihua was at a loss. If you called her filial, she was never here, busy all day with various affairs like the manager of a large trading house. If you called her unfilial, the daughter-in-law's courtesy was impeccable — she sent people to attend to everything here with the utmost care. In the end, it just felt awkward. Fortunately, He Cuihua was broad-minded. Her own son was no better, so she might as well accept it!

In Xu Zhenzhen's boudoir, only Meixiang was in attendance. Xu Zhenzhen wrote figures in one ledger, and Meixiang checked them against the numbers before switching to a different ledger.

"For Second Uncle in the capital, add another three thousand taels to the New Year's gift. Send it under the name of Third Cousin's tenth birthday." One ledger after another was closed. Xu Zhenzhen rubbed her brow and said softly.

After saying this, Xu Zhenzhen picked up her brush and wrote a note. Meixiang opened a locked iron box containing various seals and chops, searched through them, and handed one to Xu Zhenzhen, who stamped it onto the note.

Meixiang carefully blew it dry, then brought out another iron box from the side of the room, placed the note inside, and locked it. She walked out briskly and said upon returning, "The message will reach the main residence by tomorrow."

Xu Zhenzhen merely nodded while rubbing her brow. Meixiang hesitated, then said, "Miss, in the past we needed the capital to look after the main family. Now that we have the young master, why spend so much silver sending it over there?"

"Xuzhou is Xuzhou, the capital is the capital. Climbing onto a main family branch like this was not easy — we cannot let this line be severed." A trace of weariness crept into Xu Zhenzhen's tone.

Meixiang nodded, moved behind Xu Zhenzhen, and began gently tapping — her movements quite practiced. She added, "Miss, the young master often leaves you behind. Could there be someone on the outside?"

The hand rubbing Xu Zhenzhen's brow stopped at once. A hint of cold severity crossed her expression, but her tone remained calm and indifferent: "You've followed me long enough to know what kind of person I am. How is it you still court death by flaunting these petty schemes?"

The soft question was barely audible unless one listened closely, but to Meixiang it was like a thunderclap beside her ear. Her face instantly went pale. She immediately retreated two steps, knelt on the ground trembling all over, and said in a broken voice, "This servant was wrong. This servant was momentarily foolish."

Meixiang dared not explain. She knew what kind of person her miss was. Explanations were utterly useless, and her miss had spoken the truth.

"I told you I would give you an arrangement and would not treat you poorly. What I said stands. Do not entertain those petty schemes. I will not say this again — you keep it in your heart and remember it!" Xu Zhenzhen did not turn around.

Meixiang, kneeling on the ground, was covered in cold sweat. Only upon hearing this did she breathe a sigh of relief and hurriedly kowtow in acknowledgment. Only then did Xu Zhenzhen rise from her chair and walk toward the bamboo daybed on the other side. The heated walls kept the room very warm. On the bamboo daybed, Xu Zhenzhen idly flipped through an account book, glanced at Meixiang still kneeling, and sighed softly: "You are still loyal to me and the Xu family. But some of the things you do not only bring no benefit — they actually cause trouble."

"This servant was wrong. Please, Miss, point out my faults. This servant will never repeat them." Meixiang knew Xu Zhenzhen's way of doing things and immediately admitted it outright.

Xu Zhenzhen's eyes half-closed as she said slowly, "You think our Xu family is a noble and great house, so all day you find fault with the Meng siblings. You think you're establishing rules and vying for precedence. But if my in-laws see this, what will they think? If the household servants outside see this, what will they think? Do you believe that by marrying here, I am marrying down into the Zhao family?"

Hearing this, a look of grievance appeared on Meixiang's face. She said in a low voice, "With someone of Miss's caliber, it is clearly the Zhao family who married up."

Xu Zhenzhen smiled faintly and merely shook her head where she sat. Seeing her miss's expression soften, Meixiang added, "Everyone here knows what the young master used to be like. This servant was only worried on your behalf, Miss. What if..."

Seeing Xu Zhenzhen open her eyes above her, Meixiang's face went pale and she immediately dared not continue. Xu Zhenzhen's expression remained blank as she said indifferently, "On some matters, you are far too deluded. Whether that young lady of the Mu family comes back is hard to say, but even without her, the next position would never fall to you."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Meixiang's face, but she immediately forced a smile and said, "This servant would never dare harbor such extravagant hopes. I only wonder — having Miss, would the young master still seek others?"

Xu Zhenzhen closed her eyes again, looking utterly exhausted. Her voice dropped low as she said, "He will seek them. So long as it aids his cause, he will marry them."

As the year drew to a close, the poor were beset by countless worries, while the rich were brimming with joy. A flourishing place like Linqing Prefecture was everywhere hung with lanterns and colored banners, a scene of festive cheer.

Inside the city went without saying; outside the city, the estates of various powerful clans and wealthy magnates all shared this atmosphere. Though there were still a few days until New Year's Eve, firecrackers were already sounding frequently, and those families who could afford it had all donned new clothes.

The city of Linqing Prefecture lay on the east bank of the canal, so naturally the western side of the city was the most prestigious. Outside a large residence near the canal in the west of the city, carriages and horses were lined up in rows. If one identified them one by one, the wealthy and noble families of Linqing Prefecture and even Dongchang Prefecture had all come. The carriages and horses were laden with gifts of every kind.

The servants and carters of these wealthy and noble families, normally arrogant and overbearing when outside, were here utterly deferential, not even daring to speak loudly.

Who did not know this was the residence of the "Holy Maiden"? Who did not know this "Holy Maiden" possessed great divine power and, rarer still, a heart of compassion? Over these days, who knew how many people throughout Dongchang Prefecture had received the Holy Maiden's mercy, how many households enshrined her spirit tablet at home and burned incense daily.

Everyone could guess at the Holy Maiden's background — otherwise, those lords of the canal transport wouldn't show her such face. But what of it? Plenty of those eunuch gentlemen in the capital believed in such things too.

She was revered from all sides, and through this, connections had even been established within the officialdom. Some matters that could not be resolved despite enormous effort — a word from the Holy Maiden, and everything went smoothly.

There was nothing particularly mysterious about it. The Revenue Branch Bureau, the prefect's yamen, the department magistrate's yamen, the garrison command, the regional military commission — civil and military officials found it inconvenient to deal with the Holy Maiden directly, but the women of their inner residences were utterly devout. Especially since the Holy Maiden could help inquire about certain matters and had cured certain ailments, this made the matrons and matchmakers prostrate themselves in admiration. Once this connection was established, a puff of pillow-talk proved most effective.

Not to mention elsewhere, the merchants and traders of Linqing Prefecture had begun voluntarily donating to the Holy Maiden. The prefectural seat of Liaocheng, Gaotang Department, several county seats, and even the estates of local strongmen outside the city had all begun making donations.

Earning this silver naturally meant seizing someone else's bowl of rice. The various powers that had previously tolerated one another all tore off all pretense, but they were quickly routed. When it came to men willing to risk their lives with blades, the Holy Maiden had no shortage of followers, each one skilled in martial arts. When it came to official connections, Chief Constable Li of Linqing Prefecture's face was recognized even in the provincial capital of Jinan. Who could stand against that?

By the time the New Year arrived, everyone on both sides of the law knew whose word carried weight in Dongchang Prefecture. Some still wanted to fight to the death, but they received vague word that the general headquarters of the Smelling Incense Sect in Yanzhou Prefecture was quite supportive of this Holy Maiden in Dongchang Prefecture.