After drinking two cups of water, the sound of the cup being placed on the table startled the Sixth Prince. He looked at Shaoyao—this cheerful sister who would sneak food from the kitchen and forget to wipe her mouth at home was so different from the ruthless and authoritative Shaoyao of the Seven Constellation Bureau today, yet he wasn't surprised.
He already knew Sister Shaoyao's identity. How could the Gu family raise someone carefree? Only the Hua family could.
"Does the Seven Constellation Bureau have the power to appoint and dismiss officials?"
"Does it scare you? Or do you find it hard to believe?" Shaoyao propped her chin lazily, a faint, mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips.
The Sixth Prince shook his head. "The Seven Constellation Bureau has always enjoyed the Emperor's trust for good reason. I just can't figure it out."
Thinking of how Yan Ge and Hua Hua treated Little Six, Shaoyao decided to spare a few more words. "The Seven Constellation Bureau often acts as the Emperor's representative in various places. Without some authority, they couldn't handle every situation by seeking instructions from the capital. Non-urgent matters can wait, but the cases that fall into the bureau's hands are never trivial. That's why the Seven Constellation Bureau has always had the power to act first and report later. However, the final decision doesn't lie with them. Understand?"
So, although the Seven Constellation Bureau often acts first and reports later, verification ultimately rests with the relevant ministries, and the final judgment comes from the Emperor. If the bureau truly had the power to appoint and dismiss officials, it wouldn't have existed so stably until now.
The Sixth Prince nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. Earlier, he had worried that Sister Shaoyao's bold actions might backfire, implicating Sister Hua in any investigation, which would benefit no one. Fortunately, the Seven Constellation Bureau had this authority, so Sister Shaoyao's actions weren't overstepping.
"Rest up, then get ready to return to the ship. Hua Hua must be getting anxious." Shaoyao stood up, took two steps, then paused and turned to look at the child following her. "Little Six, pay attention. Think about your brothers—who among them has the luck to be escorted outside by the Seven Constellation Bureau? Who has a teacher like Hua Hua, who teaches everything without holding back? If one day you're still trampled and bullied by your brothers, I won't help you. I won't acknowledge such an incompetent brother, and don't you dare tell anyone you're Hua Hua's student. She doesn't expect you to bring her wealth and honor, but don't embarrass her either."
The Sixth Prince bit his lip. "I won't let you down."
He understood better than anyone that he had no right to slack off, and he knew his own luck better than anyone.
At dusk, Hua Zhi stood at the bow of the ship, watching as the group appeared on the dock, all present and accounted for. Only then did her anxious heart settle. She signaled the captain to bring the ship ashore.
On the dock, Shaoyao jumped up and waved at Hua Hua. While waiting for the ship to dock, she asked Little Six, "Do you understand Hua Hua's intention?"
"Sister Hua made two preparations. If our whereabouts were discovered by the enemy, she could retreat to the center of the river to avoid being used against us. If we failed and retreated to the dock, the ship would be close enough to pick us up quickly."
Shaoyao patted his shoulder approvingly. At least his brains were working.
Once aboard, Shaoyao recounted the events. Hua Zhi frowned. "You shouldn't have taken action. If the other side uses this against you, you're not in the right.""Hmph, who's afraid of him? If he had just taken my whipping without fighting back, he might have won this lawsuit. But the problem is he did fight back—even if he was in the right, he’s now in the wrong." Shaoyao might as well have said she deliberately provoked Li Shiren into retaliating. Yan Ge had previously submitted a memorial suggesting that regional garrison commanders rotate every three years, both to prevent collusion between governors and commanders and to hone the garrison commanders' abilities. The Emperor had approved it, but implementation proved extremely difficult, with Li Shiren being the most vocal and active in opposing it.
Now that such a perfect opportunity had fallen into her lap, of course she wouldn’t let it slip. With things having escalated to this point, even if Li Shiren wasn’t stripped of all his positions, he could forget about returning to command the New Intent Battalion.
Hua Zhi tapped her on the forehead and didn’t press further. Shaoyao wasn’t a child; if she had taken this course of action, she surely knew what she was doing.
"Rest for the night. We continue our journey tomorrow."
The next day, however, brought rain. Though the downpour was light and the wind gentle, the captain came to seek instructions. Hua Zhi refrained from micromanaging, leaving the decision to the captain’s experience. After consulting with the crew, the captain decided to set sail as planned. They had encountered such weather often enough; if they couldn’t sail in conditions like these, they’d be idle nearly half the year.
But the rain didn’t stop as expected—instead, it fell incessantly. By nightfall on the second day, as they approached Xiangyang, the rain had grown heavier, and the waves noticeably rougher.
Hua Zhi immediately decided, "We’ll stay at an inn tonight. Xu Ying, inform the captain that everyone on board should disembark. I’ll cover all expenses."
"Yes."
Bao Xia briskly gathered belongings to take ashore, while Hua Zhi carefully wrapped her military strategy books in oilpaper and tucked them close to her person. Seeing Little Six packing the chess set, she didn’t stop him.
The boat rocked, wind and rain seeming fiercer than before. Bao Xia, lacking strength and fearful of causing her mistress to fall, wisely handed the opened umbrella to Shaoyao. Watching Shaoyao steady the lady with one hand while holding the umbrella firmly, she felt reassured. Umbrella in hand, she intercepted the approaching captain to convey thanks, then headed toward the bow for her lady. Seeing the planks shifting underfoot, her heart quivered.
"Miss Bao Xia, the young lady sent me to assist you. My apologies."
Bao Xia lifted her umbrella. It was Yu Tao, clad in a raincoat, extending a hand. Warmth spread through her chest as she reached out.
Yu Tao grasped her wrist through her sleeve, slowing his pace to guide her off the boat. Amid the storm, through that point of contact, an unspoken warmth passed between them. Once ashore, they released hands and glanced at each other simultaneously. Bao Xia curtsied to him before turning to leave.
The walk from the dock to the nearest inn wasn’t far, but even with umbrellas, few remained dry. Only Hua Zhi, who wore an additional outer garment, fared slightly better.
After paying more than usual for rooms and hot water, everyone went to freshen up.
Hua Zhi, as always, was the quickest to finish. Behind the screen, Bao Xia used her water to clean up. Hua Zhi stood by the window; outside, darkness had fully fallen, and the relentless patter of rain on the roof stirred an inexplicable unease in her heart.
Faint rumbles of thunder rolled from afar, drawing near before fading again. In just that short while, despite having bathed, a sticky discomfort had already returned to her skin.This is the rain of the south—damp, somewhat stifling, and falling endlessly once it starts. Unlike the north, where temperatures drop as soon as rain comes.
This feeling is all too familiar, deeply ingrained in my bones. Yet the south has always been prone to severe flooding. I hope this downpour doesn’t last long, or else…
PS: What a coincidence—just as I’m writing about floods in the novel, my hometown, Kongkong, is experiencing the worst flood in recorded history. All towns are out of contact, over half the urban area is submerged, and the entire city is without water or electricity. It will take two more days for services to gradually resume. My laptop’s battery ran out yesterday, and with no other options, I packed my luggage and computer to travel far today. Much of my time has been spent on the road, so I can only manage one update today. Please bear with any typos, ladies—I’ll post it after a quick polish and do a more thorough edit tomorrow.
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