The six prince's two guards followed closely. After they walked away, Hua Zhi turned back to look at the other two guards, "Go and protect them secretly. Don't worry about anything else when the situation arises. Make sure to protect the person first."
The two men were not from the Qishu Division, but were Gu Yanxi's men. The taller one was called Yu Tao, and the other was named Wang Cheng. They had been well instructed before coming out, so without hesitation, Wang Cheng followed.
Hua Zhi was not without worries about letting the Sixth Prince out of her sight, but she did not bring him out just to see the mountains and rivers. She hoped that he could see lower places, see the lives that were a million miles away from his, and see some things that as a prince he would never have the chance to see.
Selfishly speaking, she also hoped that this obedient child could have a different experience before he carried all those heavy burdens, without being restricted by his status and without so many complicated thoughts. This is a privilege only available when one is young, and when he grows up, he can no longer keep things simple even if he wants to.
Because everyone will always grow up to be the person they disliked the most when they were young without realizing it.
Just like her.
Hua Zhi's mood suddenly became depressed.
Shaoyao was the most sensitive to emotions. She pushed Baoxia aside and went to Huahua to comfort her. "Don't worry, Huahua. I gave Xiaoliu a lot of good things. I can find him even if he runs far away."
Thinking of the things she gave her, Hua Zhixin felt a little more at ease. With guards following her, Xiaoliu being smart, and the things Shaoyao gave her, nothing should go wrong.
Pulling the person to lie on her lap, Hua Zhi lowered her head to meet Shaoyao's clear eyes, "What I have to do is a bit boring, so don't follow me tomorrow, go and have some fun by yourself."
Shaoyao really thought it was boring, so she decided not to embarrass herself. "Then I'll go to the pharmacy here tomorrow. The master said that the people here are very good at treating rheumatism."
"Okay, I'll let Xu Ying follow you. You're not good at taking care of those trivial matters. With him around, you don't have to worry about them."
Shaoyao responded with a smile. She liked being taken care of by Huahua in this way, even though what Huahua said was not a problem for her.
Hua Zhi touched her uneven face and smiled, without giving any deeper reasons. Although women in the capital had no status, the north had always been better than the south in this regard. In the south, especially in Jingzhou, women were treated like slaves.
Even though the person she met seemed to be pretty good, if it weren't for the fact that she was followed by several tall and strong guards, Xia Ling might not even look at her. First of all, she looked like someone with a powerful background and scared people off.
Shaoyao is a female doctor. It is even more incredible for a woman to be a doctor in Jingzhou. She doesn't want Shaoyao to be bullied where she can't see.
The next day, when Xia Ling saw Hua Zhi again, she was with only two people. He did not ask too many questions. After confirming that she had not contacted anyone from other shipping companies yesterday, his enthusiasm for Hua Zhi rose to a new level. The girl's attitude showed that she was sincere in discussing business, rather than just trying to pick one from several. He liked such sincerity and was willing to make some concessions during the negotiation.
With both parties being willing, the cooperation negotiations went extremely smoothly and the terms were finalized in a short time. While waiting for the middleman, Hua Zhi asked about An Tai Fishing Company.
"An Tai? Miss, you have really good vision. This company is one of the ones I want to recommend to you." Xia Ling was in a very good mood after making this deal. This lady was really generous. She signed a contract for two years at once. In their line of work, with such a long-term deal as support, they can get through any difficulties, no matter how powerful the Zheng family is.
From a selfish point of view, if he got the deal, it would be almost certain that he would take over the Xia family, so he was willing to say more.
"The boss of Antai is surnamed Wu, Wu Zheng. His family used to run an escort agency, but later they changed their business for some reason. Because of this background, he is very open and generous, and never bargains for the price. Those small fishermen like to sell their fish to him. He is also quite famous in Zhenyang. Many families like to buy his fish. According to my housekeeper, the fish from Antai Fishing Company is fresher than those from other companies."
"The young master gave it a very high evaluation."
"Haha, I'd be happy if I could connect with him. It would save me a lot of trouble when doing things."
That's true, Hua Zhi nodded, but she didn't agree to cooperate with this company right away, as she knew that what she heard was not as good as what she saw with her own eyes.
Xia Ling took the opportunity to look at her again. Everyone loves beauty, and he was no exception. "But the situation over there is more complicated than here. If you really want to go there, you need to be more cautious."
Hua Zhi looked at him with confusion.
Being looked at like this, Xia Ling, who originally did not want to say much, could not help but say: "There is an old fishing company called Yushun over there, and they act very domineeringly. Antai has always been working together with another fishing company to barely maintain the balance. Miss, this deal is too big, I am afraid that someone will be jealous."
"How are his goods?"
Xia Ling said meaningfully: "My family has never bought it."
Not buying it is enough to explain everything. Hua Zhi nodded slightly, "Thank you, Young Master, for telling me the truth."
"I still say the same thing. I hope the person I meet is someone who is easy to talk to. Otherwise, our company will not be happy either."
"Young Master is a wise man."
The middleman came in accompanied by the steward. Hua Zhi stopped talking and prepared to sign the contract.
The deal was finalized, and Hua Zhiwan declined Xia Ling's invitation. As soon as she got on the carriage, she drank several glasses of water and felt her throat was less uncomfortable.
Bao Xiarang let Miss lie on her legs and massaged her temples with moderate strength. Hua Zhi was enjoying it when she heard Yu Tao's voice, "Miss, there is a tail behind you."
Hua Zhi opened her eyes and frowned slightly. Xia Ling was a smart man. Since the deal had already been concluded, he shouldn't have sent someone to follow. "Is it the same person as yesterday?"
"No, I found him outside the company before, so he should not be a member of the company."
Hua Zhi thought about her words and actions after arriving in Zhenyang. Apart from the fact that it was obvious at first glance that she was from another place, she should not have shown anything else.
"Follow him when we get back to the inn and see where he came from."
Yu Tao paused before agreeing. Everyone had left, and if he left there would be no one around the girl. Thinking that the inn was still suitable, he dared to agree.
When they returned to the inn, the lobby was quiet as usual because of the return of the master and servant. Many eyes, some openly and some secretly, fell on Hua Zhi. Hua Zhi went straight to the second floor without even looking away, but no one came forward.
People are usually curious about new people and things, not to mention a woman who is known to them. They are too used to women who are submissive. Hua Zhi, who doesn't even look at them straight in the eye, is a stimulant to them, and everyone wants to get involved.
PS: I didn’t want to get sick, but I kept my promise.