When finally released by the Emperor long past the palace curfew, Gu Yanxi had no intention of leaving the palace and headed directly to the Seven Constellation Bureau.
Only then did Chen Qing have the opportunity to report, "The Heir, Haoyue has come to the capital."
Gu Yanxi abruptly halted and turned around, "What happened? Wasn't she being watched?"
"I brought her here myself."
Gu Yanxi, having secured his position in the Seven Constellation Bureau and earned the Emperor's high regard, was no rash man. He didn't rush to question further, leading them into the bureau before saying, "Speak."
"Yes." Chen Qing, well aware of Haoyue's threat, dared not conceal anything. "Following your orders, I went to Yuzhou intending to extract more information from her. Unexpectedly, she was uncooperative this time, bluntly stating her desire to come to the capital. She warned that if I obstructed her, I would bear all consequences. I didn't know if she was bluffing, but since she dares claim to be a prophet, she must have some backing. Fearing I might spoil things, I had no choice but to bring her here and have settled her in one of my residences."
Gu Yanxi nodded. "We can't kill her yet, so she must remain under our watch. What's her attitude?"
"Quite compliant; she hasn't made any demands."
"You shouldn't interact with her too frequently. The head of the Seven Constellation Bureau has no leisure to hover around her daily. If you're constantly running to her place, it will raise suspicions. Don't underestimate Haoyue; anyone bold enough to set their sights on me won't be an easy opponent."
"Yes, I understand."
"How is the situation in the south? Are the casualties heavy?"
Chen Qing went to the high desk, retrieved an already opened confidential letter, and handed it to his superior. Then he went to pour tea. "I've sent people to verify the details. If it's true, then this great merit undoubtedly belongs to the Eldest Young Lady."
Gu Yanxi skimmed through the letter rapidly, his expression softening. Just as they had planned, with several previously dredged river channels diverting the flood pressure and Lingzhou County as the sacrifice, a major flood that hadn't occurred in decades was deftly averted. Although the disaster victims still lacked clothing and food, and fertile fields were destroyed, only over a hundred people had actually died—fewer than last year's relatively mild flood. This was already a tremendous blessing.
In terms of credit, A Zhi deserved the most.
But now was not the right time to claim merits. With Old Master Hua's performance at Yinshan Pass earlier, and the second prince's failed attempt to assassinate the Hua family, the Emperor viewed the Hua family unfavorably. Had the Hua family been wiped out, the second prince would have faced severe consequences. But since the Hua family survived unscathed and the second prince still bore the blame, the Emperor's untimely favoritism surfaced. When Gu Yanxi realized this, he was speechless yet helpless.
He had thought the Hua family, as the victims, would evoke the Emperor's old sentiments, but instead, it only increased his displeasure. If A Zhi's achievements were presented to the Emperor now, she might receive a reward on the surface, but whether that reward was a blessing or a death sentence remained uncertain.
Gu Yanxi set down the letter and looked up to instruct, "Record this matter in the files, and be thorough. Consider how to phrase it appropriately, and show it to me once it's drafted.""Yes." Chen Qing responded with a smile. He had always known that whenever it concerned the eldest young lady, the Heir would definitely take it seriously. No matter how ambitious Haoyue might be, it would be useless. Although she, like the eldest young lady, was a rare and capable woman, their directions of effort were different. For someone like Haoyue, the Heir probably wished she could never speak again, so she would pose no threat to Daqing.
Thinking of Haoyue, Chen Qing pondered and said, "Heir, do you plan to meet with Haoyue?"
"In a couple of days, once A Zhi has recovered, I will take her along."
"Yes." Chen Qing felt even more assured. The Heir, fearing that someone from the imperial family might set their sights on Haoyue, had kept her under the control of the Seven Constellation Bureau. Although a few people in the bureau now knew of her existence, they were unaware of her background. Allowing the eldest young lady to meet her clearly demonstrated the Heir's trust in her.
Early the next morning, Hua Zhi's reliable biological clock woke her up on time.
People tend to be lazier in their own homes. Feeling somewhat lethargic, she lingered in bed without moving.
Ying Chun drew back the bed curtains and said softly, "Fourth Aunt came last night, but you were asleep, so she didn’t wake you."
"Hmm?" Hua Zhi’s reaction was slower than usual. "Was there something important?"
"This servant doesn’t know, but it seemed to me that Fourth Aunt looked displeased, as if she was upset."
Hua Zhi was not unaware of the schemes in the inner courtyard; she simply couldn’t be bothered to delve into them. If she had to deal with such matters every day, she would rather be out in public. She was well aware that the Hua family’s current obedience was not due to genuine compliance. If she hadn’t appeared at just the right moment to intimidate them, and if her grandmother hadn’t backed her up, while she also took control of the family’s finances, such a large family would inevitably have had dissenters.
Was someone now trying to stir up trouble after she had already consolidated her hold on the entire Hua family?
"I’ll go have breakfast with Mother. Send someone to inform Fourth Aunt that I’ll visit her later. Don’t accompany me today—gather and summarize the details of the seafood business. I’ll need to know everything when I return."
"Yes."
Hua Zhi was not one to indulge in laziness. After lingering a little longer, she got up, freshened up, and went to her mother’s courtyard.
Madam Zhu smiled as soon as she saw her. "I knew you’d come, so I prepared some of your favorite dishes."
Hua Zhi quietly observed her mother, this delicate flower. "You look so happy. Did Father write something sweet in his letter to cheer you up?"
Madam Zhu chided her, "What nonsense are you talking?"
"It’s written all over your face!" Her mother’s rosy complexion and affectionate gaze suggested she had probably slept hugging her husband’s letter all night. Hua Zhi found it amusing—these two were truly a perfect match. Her father, usually reserved and formal around his children, had written countless love poems to her mother. Berlin, in his mischievous days, had even sneaked one out to show her. She couldn’t judge the literary quality, but they were genuinely mushy.
Her mother, who often appeared tearful and vulnerable in front of her, was surprisingly domineering and coquettish around her father—something Hua Zhi had witnessed unintentionally a few times.
Unable to outtalk her daughter, Madam Zhu pinched her cheek lightly and went to the kitchen to instruct the maids to serve the dishes. She personally brought a bowl of soup and placed it in front of her daughter. "I may not be capable of managing the affairs outside, but in my home, you must listen to me. Drink it all."Hua Zhi summoned the same determination used for taking bitter medicine and downed the entire bowl in one go. Madam Zhu exclaimed beside her, "Child, why must you drink soup in such a manner?"
"Doesn't it all end up in my stomach anyway?" Hua Zhi replied nonchalantly, pulling her mother to sit down. "I'm perfectly fine—didn't you notice I've returned plumper from this trip? Northern cuisine may lack refinement, but it's full of wholesome ingredients. Grandfather and the others kept piling food into me."
"As they should," whispered Madam Zhu, her eyes secretly reddening. Pride and sorrow tangled in her heart—how much had her daughter sacrificed for the Hua family? Had they shown any ingratitude, she would never have allowed it.
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