The pier was a scene of arrivals and farewells. Standing at the bow of the ship, Hua Zhi watched the faces filled with laughter, tears, and anticipation, recalling the reluctance in Yan Xi's eyes the night before his departure when he came to bid her goodbye.
It was strange—despite his high status, he had always been the more emotionally expressive one between them.
It wasn't that she felt no reluctance, but she was too accustomed to partings. So accustomed that even knowing they wouldn't meet for at least a month felt like a fleeting moment. Some habits, once formed, persist even through another lifetime.
She regretted not being able to fully understand that feeling.
Wondering where Yan Xi had reached by now, Hua Zhi was about to return to the cabin when someone called from behind, "Miss Hua?"
She turned around. Without any disguise or a Veiled Hat, she stood openly at the bow. Her striking features stood out even more against the backdrop of water and sky. Though many eyes had been on her, none were as intense as this man's.
After a brief glance, Hua Zhi gave a slight curtsy and moved past him, maintaining propriety while making her refusal clear.
She had no intention of stirring up any romantic complications while Yan Xi was away.
The man was taken aback at first, took two steps forward, then stopped and smiled meaningfully. Wherever Miss Hua was headed, the nearest port was still two days away. There would be plenty of opportunities to strike up a conversation.
Visiting a friend and unexpectedly encountering Miss Hua, whom he could rarely catch near the Hua family residence—what a pleasant surprise.
Hua Zhi paid him no mind. Returning to her room, she found Shaoyao sprawled asleep. Having tinkered in the medicine room all night, Shaoyao had boarded with a large bundle, though no one knew what was inside.
The Sixth Prince, lost in thought, looked up at the sound and quickly stood. He still couldn't believe that Sister Hua had brought him on this journey. For the first time, he was so far from the palace, and he would travel even farther. The mere thought made his heart race.
"The ship is about to depart. They say the weighing anchor is quite a spectacle. Don't you want to see it outside?"
The Sixth Prince shook his head. He wasn't interested in such things; he was more curious about why Sister Hua had brought him along.
"Lu Xiansheng suggested it. He said you've never left the imperial city and asked me to show you what the world is really like." Hua Zhi could easily guess his thoughts and kindly clarified. "If you're unwilling, you can still disembark now."
"I'm willing, I truly am." The Sixth Prince bit his lip. "But will I cause trouble for you, Sister Hua?"
"Not at all. How about a game of chess?"
"Alright."
With a journey of about ten days, Hua Zhi had brought books to pass the time and a chess set. She couldn't let these days go to waste.
The Sixth Prince's chess style was gradually taking shape, though still somewhat narrow for his age, it was quite impressive. Hua Zhi played absentmindedly, thinking she'd challenge Yan Xi to a game when they had time. From their sand table deductions, she knew he was an aggressive player, and she relished the thrill of a well-matched contest.
Outside, the crew's chants echoed as the ship weighed anchor.
The port was calm, and the initial movement was barely noticeable. But once they entered the great river, the ship began to rise and fall. Shaoyao, ever vigilant, sat up at the first sway, her eyes alert, as if she had only been feigning sleep."They just left?" Yawning, Shaoyao lay back down, though she wasn't in a hurry to sleep now. With renewed energy, she teased Little Six, who was frowning over how to break the stalemate. "Just admit defeat already. It's hopeless."
Hua Zhi shot her a glance. "By that logic, Little Six shouldn't have played against me from the start, since he can't win anyway."
Shaoyao chuckled and actually nodded in agreement.
"Then you don't need to study the sand table either, since you're no match for me."
Shaoyao made a pained face. "Hua Hua, you're being biased."
"I am."
"Hua Hua Hua Hua Hua Hua Hua Hua..."
Faced with such a shameless person, Hua Zhi could only roll her eyes and let it go.
The Sixth Prince pursed his lips in amusement, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration for a solution. He hurriedly placed his black piece.
Hua Zhi gave an approving nod. "Sometimes winning or losing isn't what matters—what matters is whether you gave it your all. Like in this game: if you had surrendered earlier, you might have lost by twenty pieces. But now you've at least reclaimed two pieces for yourself. On the battlefield, that could be the margin that saves your life. Who knows? That extra time might be just enough for reinforcements to arrive."
The Sixth Prince listened attentively and took the lesson to heart.
Seeing that he understood, Hua Zhi said no more. Too much lecturing becomes preaching, and that only breeds resentment.
The usually boisterous Shaoyao had long quieted down, burying her face in her arms and pretending to sleep. She felt a twinge of envy toward Little Six, and a pang of longing for the beautiful woman who had once laughed and said, "Our family will have a female general."
After finishing the game and leaving Little Six to review it, Hua Zhi took out a booklet to read.
Master Siqing's manuscripts were too precious to carry around, so she had made a copy—perfect for passing the long journey.
She had already been astonished while transcribing it. Master Siqing was a genius who had created ten new battle formations based on previous ones. Just the first formation, the Wedge Formation, left her temporarily stumped for a counter.
This formation had a wide kill zone and was invincible as long as its structure remained intact.
The previous dynasty's atrocities had been too great—not only destroying countless civilizations but also severing a full century of legacy. Even after nearly two centuries of recovery, the Daqing Dynasty had yet to fully restore itself. Talents as brilliant as Master Siqing had not emerged in Daqing—the foundation had been too severely damaged, its vitality drained.
At a stretch, one might count Hua Zhi's ancestor Hua Jingyan as such a talent, but he still fell short of Master Siqing, much like the difference between genius and supreme genius.
Hua Zhi rubbed her fingers restlessly. If only she were home, she could simulate it on the sand table.
The first day of travel went smoothly, with calm winds and quiet waters. At dusk, they emerged from the cabin and leaned against the railing, watching the fiery red sunset on the horizon.
This river, the Wei River, was the mother river of the entire Daqing Dynasty. Its surface was vast—not as boundless as the sea, but gazing in all directions still evoked a sense of one's own insignificance.
The Sixth Prince thought that if the ship sank now, even as a son of the imperial family, there would be no escape.
Seeking a sense of security, he edged closer to Hua Zhi.
Noticing his movement from the corner of her eye, Hua Zhi found it somewhat amusing but didn't comment. Instead, she asked, "How does this sunset compare to the one in the capital?"
"The sun looks bigger here, closer to me."
"The sun hasn't changed—your perspective has. When your heart is open, the world expands." Hua Zhi offered her habitual advice, then remembered belatedly that this wasn't her younger brother but a prince of the realm.Suddenly recalling that she had called him Little Six today following Shaoyao's lead, Hua Zhi mulled it over before asking openly, "For convenience during our travels, shall we all call you Little Six?"
"Of course, of course." Nothing could be better—only Brother Yan Xi and Sister Shaoyao called him that, and now he could add Sister Hua to the list. "I like both Little Six and A Jian."
Amid the lighthearted chatter, a somewhat familiar voice sounded, "Miss Hua, we meet again."
Hua Zhi composed herself and turned around. Since there was no avoiding it, she wouldn't bother trying.
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