Chapter 89

When Wang Xiaojun and his companions returned to the Han residence, they still went to the flower hall to rest. They had only just sat down and taken a couple of sips of water when Han Qingwen came out from the inner quarters and expressed her hope to stay overnight and leave the next day. Wang Xiaojun had no objections and readily agreed. With Wang Xiaojun's approval, Han Qingwen returned to the inner quarters in high spirits to speak with her mother, while Wang Xiaojun and his companions were escorted to the guest rooms by the Han family's steward to rest.

That evening, Han Deyi, who had returned from the yamen, once again hosted a grand banquet, toasting and drinking with Wang Xiaojun and his companions, enjoying themselves immensely. The next morning, Wang Xiaojun and Han Qingwen bid farewell to Han Deyi and his wife, and returned to Liangxiang City with their brothers, thus peacefully resolving the crisis over the status of his wife.

When Wang Xiaojun and his companions returned to Liangxiang City, it was already close to noon. While others could return to their rooms to wash their faces and rest, waiting for the meal, Wang Xiaojun could not be so relaxed. He hurriedly washed his face and rushed to the small meeting room to hold a meeting with the other committee members who were already waiting there, giving a brief report on the trip to Youzhou.

After listening to Wang Xiaojun's report, the other three committee members all praised their good fortune. On one hand, they were relieved that Han Deyi had so easily accepted Zhang Xiaofei's return. On the other hand, they were also pleased that Wang Xiaojun and his companions had fortuitously met Feng Cheng and established a connection with him. Although Feng Cheng's verbal assurances were not very reliable, as long as they could maintain direct contact with him, it would be greatly beneficial for the team's future development in Youzhou. It could be said that the trip to Youzhou was a complete success, making a significant contribution to the team's stability in this era.

After leaving the meeting room, Wang Xiaojun returned to his courtyard with high spirits, intending to tell Zhang Xiaofei the details of the trip to strengthen her resolve to stay. However, when he entered the main hall, he was stopped by Han Qingwen's personal maid, Meixiang. Meixiang asked Wang Xiaojun to sit down and said, "Fifth Master, please wait here for a moment. The two ladies are talking in the inner room. You can go in and see them after they finish."

Wang Xiaojun immediately knew that Han Qingwen had beaten him to it, so he did not ask any more questions. He sat down and leisurely drank tea, waiting for Zhang Xiaofei and Han Qingwen to finish their conversation.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the door to the inner room opened, and Zhang Xiaofei and Han Qingwen, hand in hand, came out, chatting and laughing. When they looked up and saw Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Xiaofei turned to go back to the inner room but was forcibly dragged to sit next to Wang Xiaojun by Han Qingwen. Han Qingwen said to Wang Xiaojun, "My lord, I have already told Sister about the situation in Youzhou. She is very satisfied with the outcome and has already agreed not to mention leaving 'Qingyuan' again."

Wang Xiaojun was naturally very pleased and said, "Thank you, Lady." Then, with a smile, he turned to Zhang Xiaofei, intending to get closer to her and express his gratitude for her decision to stay. However, before he could speak, Zhang Xiaofei said irritably, "Don't smile so ugly, looking like you've succeeded in your plot. I'm staying here for Qingwen's sake, not because I think you can take me for granted. Also, I warn you, this time is an exception because you didn't know I was still 'alive.' I won't hold it against you, but it doesn't mean you can go around flirting with other women. If you ever bring another girl home without our permission again, don't blame us for being unfriendly."

After saying this, Zhang Xiaofei symbolically shook her small fist, and Han Qingwen nodded in support. Faced with the united front of the two ladies, Wang Xiaojun immediately "uncomplainingly" promised to firmly follow the ladies' instructions and not break his word. Then, he asked Meixiang to arrange for the kitchen to prepare lunch, and the three of them enjoyed a harmonious meal in their room.

That night, after staying in the guest room for several days, Wang Xiaojun was finally allowed to return to the inner room to rest. At first, he wanted to share a bed and enjoy the benefits of a harmonious marriage, but this naturally ended in failure. Neither Zhang Xiaofei nor Han Qingwen could accept this arrangement. Especially Han Qingwen, who blushed deeply at just the mention of it and fled to another bedroom, refusing to come out.

Zhang Xiaofei had also wanted to run, but because her seat was farther from the door and Wang Xiaojun had already raised his guard, she was caught and could not escape.

As the saying goes, "A short separation is like a new marriage." Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Xiaofei had been apart for a year, so that night was naturally a night of intense passion, and they did not get up until the sun was high the next morning. After getting up, they quickly washed up and had lunch with Han Qingwen, combining breakfast and lunch. Afterward, Wang Xiaojun first paid his respects to his Great Master and then went to a meeting with the other committee members.

Since the team's operations had been running smoothly recently with no major issues to resolve, the meeting was brief and ended after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick. After the meeting, Wang Xiaojun returned to his courtyard and, upon entering the living room, saw Han Qingwen chatting with Zhong Ziqi. Both of them stood up to greet him when he returned.

Wang Xiaojun returned their greetings and, noticing that Zhang Xiaofei was not in the room, asked Han Qingwen, "Qingwen, where is your Sister Xiaofei? Where did she go?"

"Sister went to find her senior sister Jingyue," Han Qingwen replied.

Wang Xiaojun nodded and said, "Ah, right, Jingyue has been staying here for quite a while. Now that Xiaofei has decided to stay, her senior sister doesn't need to wait for her anymore and should return to Yuching Temple."

As they were talking, Zhang Xiaofei pushed the door open and came in. Seeing that Wang Xiaojun had already returned, she said, "You came back pretty quickly, saving me the trouble of looking for you. I just talked to Senior Sister Jingyue and feel that it's time to return to Yuching Temple since I've been away for a while. So, Sister and I have decided to leave tomorrow."

Hearing that Zhang Xiaofei was leaving, Wang Xiaojun almost jumped out of his chair. He urgently asked, "Dear, you already decided to stay with me, why are you leaving now?"

Seeing his anxious expression, Zhang Xiaofei felt a bit smug but did not show it. Instead, she said irritably, "Why are you so anxious? I haven't finished speaking yet. Since I've already agreed to stay with you, I will be by your side for the rest of my life, and you won't be able to get rid of me even if you try. The reason I want to return to Yuching Temple with my senior sister is to bid farewell to my master. My master helped me when I was in my greatest difficulty, so I must go back to explain the situation and say goodbye to her. Isn't that the right thing to do?"

After hearing Zhang Xiaofei's explanation, Wang Xiaojun finally felt relieved. He nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, that's right. By the way, don't you have two companions who traveled with you... ah, who went through hardships with you? You can bring them back this time. It would be good for everyone to have each other's support."

"Um, I was just about to talk to you about that. Zheng Zhwei and Liu Jie have been through life and death with me. Now that I have a place to rely on here, I don't want to leave them behind. Although they are not worried about food and shelter in the temple, the conditions are much worse compared to here. I've been thinking about this for a few days and hope you can talk to the committee to agree to their joining your team. Now that you've suggested it, it aligns with my wishes, and I appreciate it. So, let's settle it this way. I'll leave with my senior sister tomorrow and try to return as soon as possible." Zhang Xiaofei was pleased that Wang Xiaojun had suggested bringing Zheng and Liu, and she praised him verbally before turning to notify her senior sister.

Although Wang Xiaojun was pleased with the praise, he did not let it go to his head. He pulled Zhang Xiaofei and sat her down, saying, "First, suggesting the acceptance of Zheng and Liu was just a proposal. The final decision will be made by the expanded committee meeting. Second, don't think that a verbal praise can fool me. Since you've acknowledged being my wife, you must follow the rules."

"What rules?" Zhang Xiaofei asked, puzzled.

"The rules are actually quite simple," Wang Xiaojun explained. "According to the team's regulations, except for special approval by the committee, all team members must be accompanied by a member of the security group when leaving the permanent residence, which is currently Liangxiang City, to prevent any accidents. Since you are my wife and a part of the team, you must also follow this rule. Therefore, if you want to leave 'Qingyuan' and return to Yuching Temple, you cannot go alone with just your senior sister. A member of the security group must accompany you."

At first, Zhang Xiaofei strongly resisted this requirement. She thought Wang Xiaojun was making excuses, distrusted her, and was infringing on her personal privacy and freedom. She firmly argued with Wang Xiaojun. However, this resistance proved futile. No matter how she argued, Wang Xiaojun did not budge and repeatedly explained the reasons and benefits of this rule, as well as how, as his wife, she should set an example by following the team's rules. Han Qingwen and Zhong Ziqi also joined in, persuading Zhang Xiaofei that this was indeed a team rule, and they also had attendants and guards when they went out, not just targeting Zhang Xiaofei.

After Wang Xiaojun's explanation and the testimony of Han Qingwen and Zhong Ziqi, Zhang Xiaofei finally believed that this rule was not a fabrication by Wang Xiaojun but a strict regulation of the team. After much thought, although she had many objections to the rule, she had to accept it.

After convincing Zhang Xiaofei, Wang Xiaojun immediately convened the other committee members in the small meeting room. He first informed them of Zhang Xiaofei's upcoming trip to Yuching Temple and then discussed the specific security arrangements. It was decided that the security team for the trip to Yuching Temple would consist of Tang Chao, Wang Feng, and Cheng Fei, along with two servants, with Tang Chao as the leader. They would use two horses and two carriages for transportation and bring a radio for communication.

On the 23rd day of the fourth lunar month, under Wang Xiaojun's lingering gaze, Zhang Xiaofei got into the carriage and headed for Damao Mountain and Yuching Temple. 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