Chapter 224: Military Texts
Hua Zhi smiled faintly, though no one knew her back was soaked with sweat. "Berlin dislikes reading but loves strategizing with the sand table. Though warfare would never involve the Hua family, I think it’s still good to read some military texts. Whenever he loses, he comes to ask me what formation I used. Once I explain, he naturally seeks out books to study, determined to beat me next time."
Over the past year, she had been constantly busy, and Berlin had grown more sensible, so such interactions had ceased. Still, this good habit shouldn’t be abandoned. Once she returned, she would have someone make a new sand table—no, two: one for the study in the front courtyard and one for their room, so he and the Sixth Prince could use it for amusement.
Compared to Berlin, the Sixth Prince needed to understand these matters even more.
"That’s a good habit," Zhu Haodong praised, though not every family could emulate it. They weren’t as fortunate as Berlin to have an elder sister who could not only read military texts but also apply them.
Observing the intricate setups on the chessboard, large and small, bright and obscure, Zhu Haodong felt a chill. If Zhi Er were a boy, she would have been a promising talent for the military.
"Ziwen, go to my study and fetch the two books on the top shelf. Be careful," Zhu Bowen said, wiping his hands with a cloth, his expression still tinged with unbridled excitement. It had been a long time since he had felt so exhilarated.
Zhu Ziwen cast a deep glance at his cousin before hurrying off. It was the first time he realized the vast gap between them.
After everyone sat down again, Zhu Ziwen returned with the books in just a few words and, at his grandfather’s gesture, handed them directly to his cousin.
They weren’t exactly books but two handwritten manuscripts, devoid of titles on their covers and written on silk fabric.
As soon as Hua Zhi saw the contents, she understood their value. These were two military texts, absent from the Hua family’s Book Collection Pavilion—meaning they were likely rare books!
She looked up at her grandfather. Was he truly giving them to her? If so, she would gladly accept!
Zhu Bowen was pleased with her evident appreciation and stroked his beard. "The previous dynasty committed many immoral acts. You must know about the desecration of Master Siqing’s tomb."
Hua Zhi’s eyes widened slightly. Could these be…?
"Indeed, they were retrieved from Master Siqing’s tomb. They were nearly burned at the time, but scholars and students risked their lives to protect them. After passing through many hands and disappearing for years, I acquired them by chance two years ago. They’ve likely been circulating among scholars and are well-preserved. I enshrined them at the Great Clumsy Temple for three months before retrieving them and held a Buddhist ceremony for Master Siqing to honor this connection."
Hua Zhi lowered her gaze to the two volumes, gently tracing the aged marks on their covers. Every era produces brilliant figures, and Master Siqing was a trailblazer of his time.
Yet, very little of his work survives. The Chaoli Kingdom nearly destroyed an entire civilization.
"Even the finest things are wasted if left untouched on high shelves. Since you’re willing to read and understand them, they’re fitting for you."
Hua Zhi couldn’t refuse. At her core, she was a businessperson, and successful businesspeople share one trait: they excel at offense, scheming and maneuvering to close a deal.Many in their circle had studied military strategy. Back then, she hadn't been fond of reading military texts, but circumstances forced her to learn. To avoid being at a disadvantage, she had to push herself to become that kind of aggressive merchant.
Over time, she began to find it interesting and no longer found the texts difficult or obscure.
Hua Zhi stood up and bowed. "Thank you for your generous gift, Grandfather."
Zhu Ziwen interjected to remind him, "Grandfather, let's eat first. It's already dark outside."
Zhu Bowen glanced outside and chuckled. "How did it get so late? Come, let's go eat."
To entertain her, the Zhu Family's kitchen had prepared vegetarian dishes with exquisite flair. Hua Zhi politely ate an extra half-bowl of rice, and seeing that she had indeed eaten well, Old Madam smiled throughout the meal.
By the time they left the Zhu residence, it was quite late. Zhu Ziwen was tasked with escorting her out. As soon as they entered the back alley, he halted and stepped in front of his cousin.
"Who's there?"
Gu Yanxi looked past him, his gaze meeting Hua Zhi's over his shoulder. Hua Zhi smiled faintly and said softly, "Cousin, he is the martial arts instructor hired by my family. Berlin must have been worried about me and sent him to fetch me."
Zhu Ziwen was skeptical of this explanation. His own family had martial arts instructors, and he had seen others as well, but none carried such an imposing presence.
"If I really let you go back like this, my father would throw me out of the house. Do you believe me, Cousin?"
Seeing his concern, Hua Zhi didn't refuse his kindness. "Then I'll trouble you, Cousin."
The carriage rocked gently along the quiet streets. Hua Zhi leaned against the soft cushions, closing her eyes to rest. After a long day, she was tired.
But she hadn't expected to fall asleep. When Su Momo woke her, she was still dazed. Only after being helped out of the carriage and feeling the night breeze did she gradually become alert. Yet, in that short time, it was enough for anyone to see the exhaustion she hadn't had time to hide.
Zhu Ziwen thought to himself how presumptuous they had all been. How could anyone not be exhausted, abruptly taking on the burden of a family? She had done so well—so well that they had forgotten how much hardship she endured behind the scenes and how much pressure she shouldered.
She never complained, so they either genuinely or willfully remained ignorant, praising her with pretty words without considering that she might have spent sleepless nights.
With these thoughts, Zhu Ziwen's tone was unusually gentle. "Go on inside now and rest well."
"Thank you for your trouble, Cousin."
"We're family. No need for such formalities."
Hua Zhi gave a slight bow and nodded to Gu Yanxi before allowing Su Momo to support her into the house.
Gu Yanxi longed to follow her inside or simply scale the wall—after all, no one could stop him, and A Zhi certainly wouldn't blame him. But he restrained himself. He had nothing urgent to discuss, while A Zhi needed proper rest.
Zhu Ziwen glanced at him but ultimately said nothing more. Although his cousin was close to the Zhu family, he still needed to maintain appropriate boundaries. Since his cousin trusted this man, he would outwardly trust him too, despite his inner doubts.
Upon returning home, Zhu Ziwen went straight to find his grandfather."Your caution is justified. No matter how close we are, we are still two separate families. We must never use the pretext of acting in her best interest to interfere with their affairs." The old master praised him, then added, "This man's background is unusual. I've looked into his origins but found nothing. All I know is that he accompanied Zhi Er when she went to the northern regions, which shows he has been vetted by Hua Yizheng. I suspect he might be someone Hua Pingyang befriended abroad, or someone the Hua family had previously shown kindness to. That would explain why he appeared so promptly to protect the Hua family after their misfortune."
"So you mean he's trustworthy?"
"For now, it seems so. From a martial artist's perspective, the Hua family possesses nothing worth scheming for."
Although his grandfather said this, Zhu Ziwen still felt inexplicably uneasy. That man's aura was truly formidable and left a deep impression.
PS: I don't know why, but everything I write during the day turns out poorly. I can only produce decent work at night... Dear readers, please remember that Kongkong doesn't write about irrelevant details. If something appears, it will definitely be used later.
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