Gu Yanxi still left in the end. Shaoyao threw her head back and laughed heartily—Hua Hua was all hers now!
Such childlike innocence was truly rare. The Hua family also thought highly of this young lady—not only was she skilled in medicine, but she was also fiercely protective of Zhi Er.
Despite her joy, Shaoyao was no fool. Hugging the Medicinal Cuisine pot, she declared, "I need to go to the pharmacy to fetch a few herbs. Hua Hua, you absolutely must not get out of bed, understand?"
"Understood, you little mother hen."
"Call me a little mother hen all you want, I’m still going to keep an eye on you." With a toss of her head, Shaoyao dashed off swiftly.
Hua Zhi chuckled. She genuinely liked Shaoyao—growing old together with her would surely never be lonely.
Pulling her wandering thoughts back, Hua Zhi turned to her father and fourth uncle. "Is there something you wish to discuss with me?"
"You’ve been unconscious until now, so this matter does require proper discussion. I’ll go invite your grandfather." With that, Hua Pingyang left the room.
Suddenly alone with his daughter, with whom he had never been particularly close, Hua Pingyu grew flustered. He was a man of few words and had no idea what to say in such situations. Right—he ought to inquire about her injuries. She had been hurt far worse than he.
Just as he opened his mouth, his daughter’s voice came through, "How is Father’s injury?"
"Much better." Hua Pingyu forced a smile. "That young lady Shaoyao is highly skilled. I’ve improved significantly since she changed my dressing."
Hua Pingyu felt awkward, and Hua Zhi also struggled with how to interact with this father who merely appeared stern. She chose the safest topic and, seeing her father’s relieved expression, found it both amusing and bittersweet. In this era, fathers and daughters were seldom intimate, yet their affection remained the same.
"Shaoyao’s master is a miraculous doctor, if I recall correctly, surnamed Yu."
"Miraculous Doctor Yu?" Hua Yizheng stepped over the threshold just in time to hear this. "I know of him. He was quite renowned among the common people back in the day. The Emperor wanted to summon him to the Imperial Hospital, but Miraculous Doctor Yu spent over half the year in the mountains. No one even received the summons, so the matter was dropped. I had no idea Shaoyao was his disciple—no wonder she’s so exceptional."
Hua Pingyang helped his father sit down and went to close the door.
As Hua Zhi tried to sit up a little, her grandfather spoke, "Stay lying down. We’re just talking—it won’t hinder you."
"Yes."
Hua Yizheng could hardly connect the obedient granddaughter before him with the person from that night—whose eyes were sharp and whose very silhouette exuded a chilling aura. He was astonished, yet found it entirely acceptable. The Hua family’s eldest granddaughter, whom outsiders perceived as obedient to the point of timidity, was never what they believed.
They say handwriting reflects character. It was only after seeing an unrestrained cursive piece she had forgotten to put away that he realized her wild grass script possessed both form and charm. How could such a person be truly obedient? Just as she could also write neat, regular script to conceal her true self, she merely used obedience as a facade.
Where had she learned all this? She had grown up right under his watchful eyes.
Sighing inwardly, Hua Yizheng turned to serious matters. "Yanxi came to see me earlier and asked me to submit a memorial detailing the Hua family’s encounter with the assault. After this incident, you will certainly be noted by certain interested parties. Henceforth, you must act with caution in the capital. Avoid going out whenever possible, and if unavoidable, have Yanxi accompany you."
Hua Zhi’s eyes sparkled with a bright smile. "Grandfather, you truly are different from other families’ grandfathers.""Do you think I want to be different?" Hua Yizheng glared at her. "If Hua Ling or Hua Rong dared act like this, I'd break their legs. Your situation has now gained official approval from our side. As for his side, I won't demand anything—it depends on whether he has genuine intentions."
"I understand. None of you need to worry. I know what I'm doing."
"Good that you know." Hua Yizheng forcibly steered the conversation back. "Once this matter spreads, the harsh comments are one thing—I know you don't care—but reputation can sometimes attract unnecessary attention."
Hua Pingyu's face had already changed color. "Father!"
Ignoring him, Hua Yizheng looked at his granddaughter. "Can you guess what I mean?"
"It's nothing more than the imperial family. No need to worry excessively—things won't reach that point. First, I'm the daughter of a convicted official. The Emperor personally ordered the Hua family's property confiscated and exile. Would he then turn around and take a Hua daughter? He wouldn't. For the sake of face alone, he wouldn't do it. The princes are the same—no matter how much they might fancy me, they wouldn't dare openly do anything. If they want to resort to underhanded methods, they'd need the capability first."
Hua Zhi shifted slightly to make herself more comfortable. "Second, you overestimate me. I'm not special enough to make them view me differently. Third, you underestimate Yan Xi. I believe in his genuine feelings for me, and he definitely wouldn't stand by and let things reach that point."
Whether Yan Xi was underestimated or not, Hua Yizheng didn't know, but he was certain he wasn't overestimating Zhi Er. It was precisely because she was rare that she stood out—could anyone name a second woman like Zhi Er in the capital?
The key was that Zhi Er's weakness was too obvious. If someone used the Hua family as leverage...
"Zhi Er, let's make three agreements."
"Please speak."
"First, no matter what happens, prioritize your own safety."
Hua Zhi shook her head without hesitation. "If what happened that night occurred again, I'd still do the same. It's not that I don't protect myself—often before acting, I've already considered the possible consequences and prepared countermeasures. It's just that some things happen too suddenly, leaving me no other choice."
"Do you know that at that time, we wanted to rush forward and face it with you, to die together?"
"That would have been meaningless sacrifice. Someone had already been sent to find Yan Xi—I even gave him Jia Yang's token. There was no way he wouldn't be found. Once Yan Xi learned what was happening here, he'd come at top speed. All I needed to do was stall them. I was counting the time in my head the whole while."
Hua Yizheng didn't argue with her and continued, "Second, I want the Hua family to return through proper, honorable means. Even if it takes longer, it doesn't matter. As long as there are Hua men alive, we'll work toward this goal."
"Are you afraid I'll use underhanded methods?" Hua Zhi shook her head. "I won't. Even if I employ strategies, they'll be honorable ones—making people willingly step into traps they clearly see coming.""Three, no matter who uses the Hua family as leverage, you must not yield to threats. Zhi Er, your grandfather isn't as incompetent as you think. The men of the Hua family aren't as useless as you imagine. Not everyone is as foolish as the Second Prince. The Emperor fears the Hua family, yet he only dares to exile us—and only those above ten years old. Why? Because we bear the name Hua, the foremost civil official family of the Daqing Dynasty. With the Second Prince's precedent, no one will dare raise a blade against us lightly in the future. So, don't fall for such tricks."
Hua Zhi wanted to say she hadn't underestimated her grandfather or the family elders. She just... couldn't bear it. Couldn't bear to see their writing-wielding hands forced to grasp blades.
As she had once said, she could never become like them, but she respected them.
They would rather break than bend, they had scholarly pride, they could even be bookworms—but they didn't deserve exile.
Yet now she could only say, "Grandfather, I promise you. The Hua family will return with dignity."
PS: This chapter actually carries some echoes. I wonder if you readers remember last time when Hua Zhi gave the Hua family three assurances? This time, it's the Hua family setting three rules out of concern for her. Affection is mutual.
Do leave more comments, everyone! When my coding motivation runs dry, I scroll through book reviews to find inspiration. I'm begging for detailed critiques!
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