Zhang Xuan's arrival was enough to cause a stir in the Zhen family.
Some detested her, some hated her, and naturally, some were delighted.
But none of that mattered to her!
Ever since she made that decision,
or rather,
ever since certain people proposed that idea to her, she had stopped caring what the Zhen family thought of her.
To her,
the only thing that mattered now was her youngest daughter, the famous Zhen Mi, whose legend would echo through the ages!
Of course,
Zhang Xuan had no way of knowing about this string of titles now.
All she knew was that her youngest daughter was not only intelligent and quick-witted but also thoughtful of her, her mother.
That was enough.
However,
as Zhang Xuan was preparing to leave with her daughter, she saw the little girl hesitate and say,
"Mother, if it's possible, could you take my sisters with us?"
"What?"
Hearing Xiao Zhen Ji's request, Zhang Xuan was momentarily stunned.
Take them along?
Wouldn't that be inappropriate?
Taking just you was already a great favor from my husband. If I take them all, what would that count as?
Although they all called her mother, they weren't actually her own children!
"Mother~!"
Seeming to sense Zhang Xuan's hesitation, Xiao Zhen Ji tugged at her hand pitifully and said,
"I heard Second Uncle is going to send them away to someone else. If you don't take them, my sisters will truly suffer!"
"Send them away to someone else?!"
Zhang Xuan, who hadn't paid much attention until now, immediately frowned.
Sending them away now?
What were they planning?
Although Zhang Xuan didn't pay much attention to these nominal daughters, she had to admit they were all very beautiful.
If they were sent away now under the Zhen family's name...
would they be treated as candidates for marriage alliances?
Thinking of this,
Zhang Xuan became restless. After instructing Xiao Zhen Ji a few times, she hurried to find Heshen and the others.
"What?"
"The Zhen family's second master intends to give away several Zhen daughters for marriage alliances?!"
Upon hearing Zhang Xuan's account, Heshen and the others' expressions changed, and they couldn't help but feel angry.
Good heavens!
I knew why the Zhen family's second master had been so well-behaved these past few days.
So this was what he was up to!
If he truly managed to send his daughters away under the guise of marriage alliances, then what would their Cishi Fu (Prefectural Governor's Office) represent?
Their maternal family?
They would end up with a bunch of relatives before they even got any benefits!
"Old Niu, it seems we've been too lenient with him."
Heshen's eyes glinted with killing intent as he thought of something.
"Although Master said not to interfere in their daily management, isn't this considered a provocation?"
"Exactly!"
Niu Gao, who was equally furious, sneered a few times and gritted his teeth, saying,
"Perhaps our blades haven't drawn blood recently, making others doubt their power."
"Then kill them!"
Ignoring Zhang Xuan's slight change in expression, Heshen directly gave the order,
"Kill everyone involved, including that Zhen family second master!"
"Yes~!"
Niu Gao acknowledged, cupped his hands towards Zhang Xuan, and left to make preparations.
Seeing this,
although she knew it was not appropriate to speak up now, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but say,
"Lord He, if too many are killed, it will be difficult to retain the loyalty of those below."
"Heh heh..."
Hearing this, Heshen regained his usual relaxed smile, chuckled twice, and cupped his hands towards Zhang Xuan, saying,
"Don't worry, Madam!"
"Except for those with family ties to the Zhen family, the rest can still be retained!"
"Or rather..."
"Eliminating those who have kinship with the Zhen family will motivate the subordinates even more!"
"This..."
Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment. She wanted to say something but eventually held back.
Her visit was merely a family visit, and she had no say in the strategy of Jizhou.
She had already overstepped.
If she persisted, she might displease her husband.
Thinking of this,
Zhang Xuan nodded and said nothing more, turning to leave.
But before she could mention her departure, she heard Heshen say with some difficulty,
"Madam, would you be able to take those few daughters back to Youzhou with you?"
"Ah?"
Zhang Xuan was taken aback. She instinctively wanted to refuse.
Seeing this, Heshen cupped his hands again and said earnestly,
"Madam, please hear me out first!"
"Go ahead~!"
Seeing that Heshen seemed to have something to say, Zhang Xuan swallowed the words that were about to come out but still gave a preemptive warning,
"You should know that if I take them back rashly, Master will be displeased."
"That's not necessarily true~!" Heshen muttered quietly.
"What?" Zhang Xuan didn't quite hear him clearly.
"Nothing, nothing..."
Seeing Zhang Xuan's confused expression, Heshen quickly shook his head and explained with a wry smile,
"Madam, it's not that I want to make things difficult for you, but it's just that if they stay here, something might happen."
"You also know..."
"Theoretically, they are now the only direct descendants of the Zhen family!"
"If they are exploited by someone, even with you here, we will be in a lot of trouble."
"The only solution is for you, their mother, to take them to Youzhou with you. That way, no one can fault anything."
"You're right!"
Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement with Heshen's suggestion, but then her tone shifted.
"But you know my situation, don't you?"
"If I am blamed by my husband because of this, how will our mother and child fare?"
"Don't worry, Madam!"
Hearing Zhang Xuan's concerns, Heshen's lips curved upwards, his face full of confidence,
"Master might not be particularly pleased, but he will never blame you."
"I've seen those daughters of the Zhen family. While they can't be called national beauties, they are still of the highest caliber."
"As a man, why would Master mind having a few more goddaughters?"
"Goddaughters?"
Hearing this, Zhang Xuan's brow furrowed, and she had a vague sense of unpleasant thoughts.
"Exactly~!"
Heshen nodded, seemingly oblivious to Zhang Xuan's displeasure, and put on an expression of concern for their master.
"With these few goddaughters, whether it's forming marriage alliances with noble families or winning over subordinates, it will be a very good choice!"
"So that's what you meant..."
Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest, looking relieved,
"What you said is true, it is indeed so!"
"Since that's the case, then I'll take the liberty of taking them back with me!"
"That's wonderful~!"
Seeing Zhang Xuan agree, a mysterious smile flickered across Heshen's face.
But when Zhang Xuan looked over, he quickly suppressed it and flattered her,
"Madam, you have truly saved us from a dire emergency!"
"Otherwise... we probably wouldn't be able to sleep soundly at night!"
"Is it really that exaggerated?"
Although Zhang Xuan knew Heshen was flattering her, she still smiled.
She had done a good deed, hadn't she?