Xu Jie knew that his sister was a strong-willed person, and given Shen Jun's personality, the two would probably get along well. However, Xu Jie never expected that Sister Ning would never come back! The only people missing from the convoy's return trip were Ning Yan and the other two.
Xu Jie asked his trusted subordinate who came back to report.
Holding Pingji in his hands, he raised his voice in disbelief: "What? You said Senior Sister Ning and the others stayed in Longwu?"
The subordinate nodded heavily.
He handed over a letter written by Ning Yan with both hands.
Xu Jie's fingers were shaking as he took the letter - he had not forgotten the premise of Ning Yan's stay in Longwu County. Could it be that Shen Jun was really a girl? It took him some effort to tear off the wax, take out the letter inside, and unfold it to read ten lines at a glance.
After reading it, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He murmured, "I was wondering why Shen Jun was a girl... I was really misled by that bastard Wen Shi. It was all a false alarm."
In this letter, Ning Yan stated clearly the real reason why she stayed in Longwu County. Her late husband Yan Xingning died in Yonggu Pass, and she lost Yan An, and could not even bury his body. So she thought of staying in Longwu County for a few years, so that she could raise her daughter Nannan with peace of mind, and let Nannan grow up in the place closest to her father, so that time can heal the pain of losing her husband and father.
Under the rule of Mr. Shen, Longwu County was in a state of disrepair, but the public security in the government was relatively good, so the mother and daughter could stay there temporarily without worrying about war.
As for Shen Jun's identity as a woman...
Ning Yan didn't say a word.
Xu Jie can "justify himself".
He carefully put away the letter, smoothed out the creases and put it in a wooden box on the side of the desk, and said to his subordinate: "In a few days, go to Longwu County again and send some money. Senior sister has a strong personality and doesn't like to receive favors and sympathy from others, but after all, she is alone with two children, and her life is always inconvenient. If she has more money in her hands, she won't be too embarrassed."
Why after a few days
Because the letter also asked Xu Jie to help find a few female teachers with solid knowledge, preferably with good character, kind personality, and no family background. Xu Jie didn't know much about female teachers, and the female teachers in the mansion were also selected by his wife.
Searching takes time.
Xu Jie told his wife about this that day. His wife asked in confusion, "I heard that Madam Yan had a famous teacher when she was young. Isn't her foundation and cultivation better than the female teacher who teaches in the boudoir? If she only teaches the girls at home, one female teacher is enough."
"Senior Sister didn't explain why..."
The lady couldn't help but have a small nibble.
"She didn't explain, and you helped her without asking why?"
Xu Jie said: "I can guess the reason without asking. She and Xingning once wanted to establish a school to inherit Master Yan's family tradition. But the current situation did not allow it... She is willing to find something to distract herself and temporarily forget the pain of losing her spouse, which is also a good thing."
Seeing Xu's clear explanation, the lady could not help but ask, "Establishing a college? Then why did you hire a female teacher?"
Xu Jie guessed: "Because the students in the academy are girls?"
It's not impossible.
Ning Yan has always had her own ideas.
Even Yan Xingning couldn't beat her.
"She can disguise herself as a man to study under a master, so it's not outrageous that she can set up an academy that only accepts girls."
Xu Jie's tone was somewhat helpless.
The lady couldn't help but sneer: "Rich girls learn to read and write just to be housekeepers in the future. Longwu County is cold and remote, and there is not even a decent house... How many students can be recruited by establishing a school there? There are many girls from common families, but what use can they get from learning these? It is not as useful as learning how to farm and weave..."
"Madam Yan, isn't she misleading the students by doing this? A commoner's daughter has learned something and her ambition has become high. How can she endure working hard in the fields? Isn't that harming people? Besides, she doesn't accept charity, but how can she open an academy without spending money?"
“Where does this money come from?”
Xu Jie didn't say anything, but just looked at her indifferently. The latter was keenly aware of her husband's emotions, pursed her lips and restrained her expression.
He asked, "Who else is gossiping with you?"
These few simple words made the lady's heart burn with anger: "What do you mean by gossip? Can't I just think so?"
"If you said this in other situations or to other people, I wouldn't say anything to you." Xu Jie understood what the other party was worried about, but at the same time he didn't understand why she was worried. "But Senior Sister Ning is a fellow senior sister and a benefactor. I respect and admire her. To speculate on our relationship with ordinary men and women is to look down on Senior Sister Ning, and also completely insult Xu Wenzhu as a person."
Xu Jie did not fly into a rage, and even his tone was very calm, but his wife could see some dissatisfaction from his expression.
She turned her head away in embarrassment and shame, and said sadly: "Guess? Ordinary men and women? Yes, she has great ambitions, and she is superior to me in every aspect. You and Ning Tunan had a long and heartfelt talk, you have similar interests and appreciate each other, I am just a woman in the inner court, I only know about household chores, I can't compare with you all have great ambitions! How can I not want to share the same ideals with you, my master?"
After saying this, he covered his face and left.
Xu Jie was left alone, standing there in a daze.
After a long while, he called his confidant to ask questions.
"Who has Madam been close to recently?"
Because of the spring ploughing, Xu Jie had not been home for more than half a month, and he had no idea who his wife was close to. Moreover, the inner courtyard had always been the mistress's territory. If he, as a husband, asked too many questions, it would be seen by everyone in the mansion as a doubt on his wife's ability.
The manager told them one by one.
Xu Jie's face became darker and darker.
"It's those Tianhai guys again... They still won't give up!"
Xu Jie is also a rebellious person at heart.
The more he was forced to do something, the more he refused to do it. Several families in Tianhai wanted to get involved in Heyin County, because they were attracted by the fertile land with two consecutive years of bumper harvests and rich mineral veins. In today's world, grain is more expensive than gold, and no one wants too much grain.
But they were all blocked by Xu Jie.
He didn't expect them to start directly from his backyard.
I want to make his family restless, but I am too busy to do anything else.
The means are disgusting enough.
Having just had an unpleasant experience with his wife, Xu Jie couldn't ask her to help him find a female teacher. After much thought, he could only do it himself and went to Tianhai. Of course, Xu Jie didn't bother those families, but had a meal with his master Wu Xian.
Convey your position indirectly.
Disharmony among the subordinates is a taboo. He didn't want to fall out with his colleagues, because it would be embarrassing for everyone and would also make things difficult for Wu Xian, the lord. It would be better to give them a warning before the conflict is exposed!
Wu Xian just laughed it off and didn't give a definite answer.
The meal made Xu relieve his anger.
After saying goodbye in a hurry, he ran into Zhao Feng, who also looked unhappy. Xu Jieyou had heard about Zhao Feng's situation. He had returned to Wu Xian's camp a month ago, but he had been absent for two years and was estranged from his former colleagues. The latter had been intentionally or unintentionally excluding those who were not from the Tianhai faction, and this was even more obvious now.
They also suggested that Zhao Feng lead his troops to cultivate land elsewhere.
It is called: practice makes perfect.
No one is more familiar with this job than Zhao Feng.
He was able to work like a slave under Shen Tang, so it was unreasonable for him to act like a general when he returned to his master's place. Zhao Feng smiled a little in the first few days, but had a stern face the rest of the time.
I have been idle at home, picking my feet for more than a month.
When Xu Jie saw him, he immediately felt a sense of sympathy.