Taking Up the Post

The old lady's expression was quite complicated.

She looked at Zhao Ruxi, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her once again. There was admiration, awe, and immense relief.

The Zhao Family must have been blessed with extraordinary good fortune to have such a clever granddaughter.

At that moment, any lingering reluctance she might have felt completely vanished.

This once again proves the granddaughter's uncanny foresight. It's clear that the capital is truly in chaos. In that case, temporarily leaving the capital to avoid the storm is the best course of action.

Zhao Yuanxun assumed his mother would definitely oppose his leaving the capital. After all, that was the situation at home, and he was well aware of his mother's thoughts.

So when his excitement wore off, he looked at his mother and felt only unease.

Unexpectedly, the old lady nodded with a smile and said, "Finally, it's as you wished. I'm Gao Xing for you." She showed no Gao Xing whatsoever.

Zhao Yuanxun was very surprised and turned to look at his wife.

Lady Zhu gestured for him to sit down, poured him a cup of tea herself, and then smiled, saying, "Your mother is the most open-minded. She only thinks of you and is wholeheartedly for your own good."

The Prime Minister is in high spirits. So where did this official position come from, and why doesn't the Old Madam object...? Perhaps she shouldn't discourage him.

"Did they say when they're leaving?" she changed the subject, "What are we going to do?"

Zhao Yuanxun was instantly swayed by his wife.

He shook his head. "The imperial edict hasn't been issued yet. It will probably be issued after the morning court session tomorrow."

He looked up at the old lady. "Mother, are you coming with me to take up your post, or...?"

Although his mother did not object to him leaving Beijing to take up his post, he did not believe that his mother would go with him.

He had no idea how attached his mother was to the capital and this house.

Ever since Zhao Ruxi mentioned the two alternatives, the old lady has been thinking about this issue.

At this moment, she decisively said, "Lady Zhu will go with you first. I'll stay in the capital..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuanxun became anxious and was about to interrupt his mother when the old lady continued, "... After Miss Xi finishes the imperial examination and goes to serve as an official in another place, I will visit you."

"As for Young Master Tai, you can decide what to do and ask for his opinion. If he thinks the clan school is good and wants to stay in the capital, then we can leave together when we leave the capital; if he wants to go with you to your post, then we can go together. Miss Xi and I will stay here."

Zhao Yuanxun: "..."

He now deeply admired his mother. So decisive, so rational. In just a short while, she not only made a decision but also arranged everything perfectly.

Most importantly, it's amazing that my mother was willing to leave the capital.

Just as he was about to speak, his wife said, "That's a good idea. Let's go first, get the house settled, and make sure everything is in order before you go. That way, we won't cause any chaos and make things inconvenient for you."

Anyway, my daughter said that my husband is going to take up a post in Jiangnan. Jiangnan is not far from here. For example, Gusu Prefecture is only a seven or eight-day journey from the capital by carriage; it's even faster by horse, taking only three or four days, and only two days if we travel day and night. If the old lady is feeling unwell, she can come back to take care of her.

The old lady nodded.

Zhao Yuanxun stared blankly, looking at this and then that, his eyes glazed over. He felt that his mother and wife were too calm and accepted the news too quickly, as if they had known this would happen all along and had arranged it in advance.

He opened his mouth, about to ask a question, when his daughter spoke up again, "I wonder where Father will be assigned. I've bought houses and shops in both Hangzhou Prefecture and Gusu Prefecture. The houses are both three-courtyard houses, enough for our whole family; the shops are silk shops, and the profits are quite good."

Zhao Yuanxun: "..."

The old lady. "..."

Lady Zhu, who had been managing the household affairs and businesses of the Marquis's mansion, had some understanding of Zhao Ruxi's income. She knew her daughter Qian Bushao, but she really didn't expect her to have acquired so many properties in Jiangnan.

She couldn't help but ask, "When did you buy this house?" Had her daughter already planned for them to move to Jiangnan?

"Last summer and autumn," Zhao Ruxi said.

One of the houses and shops was given to her by Xiao Lingyan, and the rest were purchased by him through her Xiao Lingyan. Even the silk products sold in the shop were sourced from Xiao Lingyan's silk workshop. All of this was arranged in early spring last year.

It would be easier to explain if we specified a more recent timeframe.

Lady Zhu: "!!!"

The old lady. "!!!"

Did Miss Xi sense changes in the political situation in the capital last summer and autumn, and prepare accordingly?

The two of them immediately and confidently dropped the "ma". That's how amazing her daughter (granddaughter) is!

Zhao Ruxi didn't want to talk about this, and said to Lady Zhu, "It's almost time for school to end. Why don't you call Young Master Tai back to discuss this? The imperial decree will be issued tomorrow, and Father might have to go to his post soon. Everyone's usual things need to be packed up, so time is quite tight."

Although there is a time limit for taking up a post, especially in ancient times when transportation was inconvenient, Zhao Yuanxun was being taken care of by the Emperor and Wu Huaisi. Taking up the post immediately would demonstrate his positive attitude and satisfy the powerful figures. In addition, he had a family to take with him, and settling them in would take time.

Lady Zhu glanced at the clock in the room, got up and went out to instruct the maids to go to the clan school and call Zhao Jingtai back.

Zhao Jingtai would play with his classmates for a while after school and wouldn't normally come back right away. But when he heard the servant calling him, he quickly ran back.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he tossed his book bag to the maid, lifted the curtain, and came in, asking, "What's wrong? What happened?"

There was nothing wrong at home, so they wouldn't call him back. He was on tenterhooks the whole way.

Lady Zhu told him about Zhao Yuanxun's appointment to an outside post and asked him, "What are your plans?"

Zhao Jingtai was completely stunned. He looked at Zhao Yuanxun, then at his grandmother and mother, and couldn't say a word for a long time.

It was so sudden; he wasn't prepared at all.

Seeing his son like this, Zhao Yuanxun finally felt a little better—this was a normal human reaction, after all. It was his mother, wife, and daughter who reacted strangely.

Zhao Jingtai blinked, thought for a moment, and then said, "I'll go with Father to take up my post."

Although he was reluctant to leave his classmates at the clan school with whom he had become close, as a twelve-year-old boy, he longed to go out and see the world, especially the bustling Jiangnan.

Lady Zhu stood up. "You all go and see what you need to bring. I'll also go back and make a list of what we need to bring. Also, since we're going out, our relatives will probably hold a farewell party for us. There will be a lot to do, so everyone get moving!"