Chapter 200: Weaving the Net
Although the second floor was designed with private rooms, the overall space appeared remarkably bright and spacious. Surrounded by lush greenery, even the beams and rafters were entwined with budding vines. In an era where using plants for environmental decoration was still uncommon, this innovative touch imbued the rustic building with a vibrant sense of spring.
Old Madam Zhu nodded repeatedly as she observed. Though she trusted her granddaughter, seeing it with her own eyes finally put her mind at ease.
The beads on the doorway curtain chimed as Old Madam Sun emerged, supported by the Sixth Prince. The two elderly women exchanged glances and bowed slightly in greeting. Old Madam Zhu remarked, "I hadn't expected to see you here, Shangzhen."
Shangzhen was Old Madam Sun's maiden name, and few people still addressed her as such. Hearing it now gave her pause before she broke into a smile. "It has indeed been too long."
They clasped hands, their shared understanding rendering further words unnecessary.
The others promptly paid their respects to the Sixth Prince, who responded with dignified courtesy, lightly supporting each person as they rose. Unaware observers simply assumed he was accompanying Old Madam Sun and thought nothing of it. The Sixth Prince deliberately maintained some distance from Hua Zhi, careful not to cause any trouble for his Hua-jie.
As the hostess, Hua Zhi curtsied and proposed, "Let us all be at ease today. The elders shall have one room, the brothers another, and the sisters their own. What does everyone think?"
What young person would want to remain under the watchful eyes of their elders? The young nobles were clearly delighted, and even the six young ladies' eyes sparkled with excitement, eager to participate.
Naturally, Old Madam Zhu supported her granddaughter and seconded the suggestion. "This is well arranged. I've been wanting to have a proper chat with you, Shangzhen."
Old Madam Sun smiled warmly and gestured. "Shall we go inside then?"
The two elderly women entered the room arm in arm. Meanwhile, Zhu Haocheng and the others exchanged knowing smiles and invited each other to another room.
Freed from their elders' presence, the younger generation immediately grew more animated. Zhu Ziwen suggested, "This arrangement is much more relaxed. Shall we proceed as well?"
The Qin and Zhu families had long maintained close ties, so both sides readily agreed. Lu Shuangrui, who had received instructions beforehand, also concurred cheerfully. Zhu Ziwen then invited the Sixth Prince. Hua Zhi gave him a subtle nod of approval—one of her purposes in organizing this gathering was precisely to facilitate contact between the Sixth Prince and these young nobles.
If Yan Xi had such intentions, relying solely on a largely immobilized maternal family was clearly insufficient.
Catching Zhu Ziwen's eye, she winked back at him, a smile touching her lips. After whispering a few instructions to Ying Chun, she turned and headed toward her eldest uncle's room.
As Hua Zhi's eldest maternal uncle, Zhu Haocheng occupied the seat of honor, maintaining an excellent atmosphere for his niece. The moment Hua Zhi entered, three pairs of eyes fixed on her.
She curtsied gracefully and stood composed under their scrutiny, showing no trace of unease.
"I now believe those rumors circulating in the capital," Qin Gongyang remarked with unmistakable admiration. "They're absolutely true."
And how could it be just rumors? Gambling dens in the capital had already started taking bets on who could get close to the beauty and win over this thorny rose. It was said many young nobles had participated. As her elder, Zhu Haocheng had slammed the table in anger when he learned of it, yet there was little he could do. Though his father held a high position and considerable power, there were plenty of noble scions from families of equal or higher status. Making too big a deal of it would only invite ridicule.Yet who could be pleased to see their own girl treated as mere amusement? If the girl herself had the desire to compete and show off, that would be one thing. But this girl of theirs was clearly shouldering the responsibilities of an entire family, living more earnestly than anyone, and to be treated as casual dinner conversation was truly belittling her.
Thinking of what his second brother was currently busy with, Zhu Haocheng sighed inwardly. No matter what, the Zhu family had to help share more of the burden.
The Heir of Anguo Duke, Lu Boxi, was also observing Hua Zhi. The Lu family's situation was indeed not great, but if it weren't for the fact that Gu Yanxi had brokered this matter, he wouldn't be sitting here today.
Over the years, there had been no shortage of those wanting to pledge allegiance to the Lu family in exchange for benefits. The reason the Lu family didn't accept was simply because they looked down on them - the Lu family hadn't fallen so low as to need to trade the influence of the Duke's residence for wealth.
Although Hua Zhi's shop was somewhat unique, it wasn't special enough to make him view it differently. What he valued was Gu Yanxi acting as the intermediary.
This at least indicated one thing: that reclusive nephew of his was connected to the Hua family, or more precisely, to Hua Zhi.
Compared to this business venture, he was more interested in learning the inside story.
Lu Boxi looked at Hua Zhi. Neither he nor his father believed that the child covered in blood, filled with hatred to the point of nearly patricide back then, would so easily let go of that hatred. They had always suspected that the so-called reclusive life was just a facade.
Worshipping Buddha? He had a mother who had worshipped Buddha for many years, but from their limited meetings, he hadn't detected even a hint of Buddhist nature in his nephew.
If their suspicions were correct, he wanted to let that nephew who had already become his own person know that no matter when, the Lu family would always stand behind him. And from his brokering this matter, it was clear he had always known about the Lu family's situation and was now trying to help them resolve it. Wasn't this his way of showing concern for the Lu family?
So it was just about providing some protection for the Hua family? The Lu family would give it!
"Is there anything the Lu family needs to do?" Lu Boxi asked directly.
Zhu Haocheng and Qin Gongyang were both surprised by Lu Boxi's words. They exchanged a glance before lowering their eyes to drink tea.
Hua Zhi calmly took a seat below, as if facing a triple interrogation, yet her presence didn't lose out in the slightest. "Business seeks profit. The Lu family only needs to let people know that this vegetarian restaurant is backed by the Anguo Duke's residence, and that not just anyone can take a bite."
"Is that all?"
"That's all."
Seeing that she didn't seem to be putting on a brave front, Lu Boxi nodded. "If there's anything, you can send someone to inform the Lu family at any time."
"Yes."
Zhu Haocheng and Qin Gongyang now understood - the Lu family was the backing Hua Zhi had found. Thinking carefully, it was indeed appropriate. Although Anguo Duke had retired many years ago and seemed to have no real power, Anguo Duke's residence was after all an established ducal house, one of only two ducal houses with a history as long as the Daqing Dynasty. Their network of connections was something few noble families could match.
Moreover, Anguo Duke had a natural advantage - the imperial family owed the Duke a daughter. Over the years, the Emperor's attitude toward the Lu family could be described as extremely accommodating. The Duke's grandson was particularly favored by the Emperor. Even though he had been living in seclusion these years, rewards continuously flowed to the Heir Apparent Residence. Most notably, because the Heir disliked Ling Wang, Ling Wang hadn't participated in imperial ancestral worship for several consecutive years.
If not for the monk's face, then for the Buddha's - as long as the Emperor remained, no one could shake the position of Anguo Duke's residence.However, the gates of the Duke Anguo's residence had always been difficult to enter, and no one knew how Hua Zhi had managed to establish a connection. Not only was Qin Gongyang curious, but even Zhu Haocheng cast a few extra glances at his niece.
PS: After every script meeting, I feel like what I've written is rubbish. Please forgive my nitpicking, dear readers. If you don't want to wait, you can revisit previous chapters. Remember the changes I mentioned about the male lead's setting? They've all been synchronized now. You might want to check them out, especially Chapter 155, where Gu Yanxi's identity as The Heir is revealed. The next chapter will be late, so don't wait up, everyone.
OpenNovel