Chapter 298: Treat Me Like a God?
Summer days dawned early. By the time the city gates opened, the sky was already bright. Two groups bid farewell outside the city gates.
The three younger ones had chosen to depart on the same day as Hua Zhi.
Dressed in practical martial attire with her hair tied high in a ponytail, Hua Zhi exuded efficiency. She scanned the three of them one by one, offering no lengthy advice but simply stating, "Observe more, listen more, reflect more. Safety comes first."
Yang Suian readily agreed, "Elder Sister, rest assured, I will take good care of them."
Hua Zhi couldn't recall when Suian had started addressing her as "Elder Sister" instead of "Cousin." Though it felt more intimate, as if she had gained another younger brother.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. When three journey together, one can learn from the others. You must discuss and deliberate on your actions. There's one more thing I need you to promise me." Hua Zhi looked at the three of them. "No matter how serious the disagreements you encounter on the road, you must not part ways in anger. However many of you set out, that's how many must return together. If I find out any of you fail to do this, don't even think about traveling again!"
The three exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
"I believe you are all men of your word. Elder Sister wishes you all a fruitful journey." Hua Zhi smiled, swallowing all her worries, and mounted her horse. "Let's part ways here."
"Take care, Elder Sister."
"Stay safe, Sister Hua."
Watching until their elder sister was completely out of sight, Hua Bolin said hoarsely, "This is the first time I've seen Elder Sister ride a horse. She's even better than I am."
"One trip north, one trip south—who knows how many miles she's covered in total? She had to get good." Little Six mounted his horse. "Let's go too."
Hua Bolin glanced once more in the direction his elder sister had left, his eyes resolute. He wouldn't remain useless forever. Whatever progress Little Six could make, he could achieve too!
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Hua Zhi's group traveled light, and with the fine weather, even spending nights outdoors was tolerable. Moreover, Hua Zhi's riding skills had improved significantly. When tired, she would let Yan Xi take the lead for a stretch, making their pace much faster than the last time.
Before a half-collapsed house, a fire crackled loudly. Hua Zhi stirred the boiling soup in the pot, its savory aroma filling the air.
"It's ready to eat." Hua Zhi motioned for everyone to bring their bowls. To ensure they ate well, she had made thorough preparations before departure. Not only did everyone bring their own bowl, but she had also sun-dried some vegetables in advance and brought along mushroom powder and salt. Whenever they stopped, she would cook a pot of soup, making the dry rations easier to swallow.
Additionally, Hua Zhi had prepared some Meat Jerky for Yan Xi and his four subordinates. She and the guards, still in mourning, did not have this luxury.
The others, having served themselves soup, instinctively moved farther away. Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi also stood up and sat at a distance—staying near the fire in this weather was unbearable.
Sipping the soup personally prepared by A Zhi, Gu Yanxi found it more delicious than any meal he'd had in the palace. "Back in the capital, I'd heard about the severe drought in Bingzhou, but seeing it with my own eyes made me realize just how dire the situation is."
Since entering Bingzhou, most of the farmland they had seen was cracked and parched. The crops lay withered and fallen in the fields. Even the slightly better ones were thin and frail—under normal circumstances, they would have been uprooted to prevent them from sapping nutrients from the healthier plants. Yet now, they were carefully tended to, representing the last hope for this season's harvest.Hua Zhi's mood also soured. Earlier today, she had witnessed commoners weeping while sitting on the ridges of their fields.
Having come from a world that, despite its countless flaws, never threatened survival, she had never truly experienced the pangs of hunger. Though she couldn't fully comprehend their despair, she understood that this year would likely force many families to sell their children just to survive.
"A Zhi, is there any solution to such a situation..."
Hua Zhi cut him off with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Yan Xi, do you take me for a god?"
Gu Yanxi stubbornly believed his A Zhi had an answer. "You even devised a solution for the potential breach of the Xiangyang levees. Surely you might have some ideas for this situation too?"
"It's not the same. For the Xiangyang levees, we could find ways to prevent the breach. But if the heavens won't send rain, I can't make it rain. What has the Imperial Astronomical Bureau said?"
"When I left, they predicted no rain within ten days. Now it seems unlikely we'll see any within a month." Gu Yanxi appeasingly poured half the soup from his bowl into A Zhi's. "I didn't mean to trouble you intentionally. It's just that whenever I encounter problems, I instinctively want to consult you. Perhaps you might have some unique insights. My apologies."
"Why apologize to me? Actually, we could reason backwards."
"Backwards?"
Hua Zhi blinked. "Haoyue only said Xiangyang would flood in August. She never mentioned what immeasurable consequences the drought in Bingzhou might bring. If Bingzhou truly suffers such severe drought that corpses litter the land, wouldn't revealing that have given her more leverage?"
"......" Gu Yanxi looked at Hua Zhi and smiled. So, he hadn't been wrong - consulting A Zhi about any problem would yield unexpected gains.
His smile made Hua Zhi's hair stand on end. She wiped the corner of her mouth, though no food stains were there. "What are you smiling about?"
"Smiling at my good fortune."
Hua Zhi, ever perceptive, immediately understood his unspoken meaning. She shot him a sidelong glance and lowered her head to drink her soup.
Gu Yanxi's smile deepened. "You really trust Haoyue's prophecies."
"In my view, so-called prophecies are merely knowing about upcoming events due to certain reasons. Whatever those reasons may be, Haoyue clearly wants to achieve some purpose through this. Rather than saying I trust Haoyue's prophecies, it's more accurate to say I believe people don't act without motivation. Haoyue is human too."
Gu Yanxi nodded slightly. "Before we departed, I received news from Chen Qing confirming that Haoyue's target is the leadership of the Seven Constellation Bureau."
Hua Zhi frowned slightly, an involuntary feeling surfacing that someone was coveting what belonged to her. Suppressing this sensation, she began reorganizing her thoughts.
The leadership of the Seven Constellation Bureau was hereditary. If Haoyue's goal was what this position represented, she might want to accomplish something through this opportunity. But if her target was the person behind the Seven Constellation Bureau leader's mask...
Hua Zhi found this approach somewhat familiar.
"Did she mention Little Six?"
"No." Gu Yanxi shared his observation. "She seems quite favorable toward me - more so than toward any of the princes. Chen Qing said he tentatively asked about the princes, and Haoyue was quite dismissive, bluntly stating they wouldn't accomplish anything."
Both being intelligent, they immediately arrived at the same realization. If she looked down on the princes but actively sought contact with the Seven Constellation Bureau leader, that meant the Bureau leader's future achievements would surpass those of the princes. And what could surpass princes...
There's only one position in this world that surpasses princes!Hua Zhi felt a sudden tightness in her chest, a suffocating sensation that pierced her heart like needles.
She didn't truly believe Haoyue could account for every possibility. First, she herself was a variable, and her presence had brought forth Little Six as another variable. Second, Haoyue was also a variable—to present Yan Xi with a meeting gift, she had exposed the well-hidden Yuan Shifang, setting off a chain of events... She wondered if Haoyue could handle the consequences.
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