Hua Zhi looked up at the man whose lowered gaze made him appear exceptionally gentle, her heart overflowing with tenderness. She leaned her head against his shoulder, clearing her mind of business dealings, family affairs, and all calculations, resting against him to savor this fleeting moment of warmth.
This brief moment, she wanted to keep for herself.
Gu Yanxi turned his head to kiss her crown, switching to his other hand to apply pressure while keeping the side where A Zhi rested as still as possible.
As the water gradually cooled, Gu Yanxi dried both their hands with a cloth towel, scooped a large dollop of hand cream into his palm, rubbed it to warm it, then massaged it into A Zhi’s hands. Feeling the greasy, slick texture, Hua Zhi looked up and her eyes immediately filled with laughter—this man had always been the one served, never the one serving others. The amount he’d scooped out had probably emptied half the jar.
She caught Yanxi’s hands in return, scraping off the excess cream and spreading it over his hands, from the back to the fingers, smoothing it in bit by bit.
His hands were large and sturdy, with an old scar on the back of his right hand. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger and his palms were calloused, thickly so. Hua Zhi felt she could retract her earlier lament about her own hands—compared to Yanxi’s, the slight changes in hers were nothing.
They took turns rubbing cream into each other’s hands until it was fully absorbed, stopping only when the greasiness was gone. What others might see as shameless behavior brought them simple joy.
Liu Xiang entered with flushed cheeks and bowed head, clearing away the items before brewing tea for them and retreating again. Touching her burning face, she exhaled deeply and became even more vigilant, determined not to let anyone else catch a glimpse.
Hua Zhi gently blew the tea foam aside and broached serious matters. "How many more days until Little Six returns?"
"At least five more days, at the earliest." And that was with traveling day and night. Gu Yanxi was certain they would hurry back as quickly as possible—Little Six, born into the imperial family, understood the stakes better than anyone.
"I also forgot to mention earlier—Berlin and Sui’an can’t return."
"I didn’t ask them to." Meeting A Zhi’s surprised gaze, Gu Yanxi smiled. "I know."
I know you don’t want them to return. Even if the Hua family were to face ruin someday, you’d hope at least those two could be spared. I know you don’t want Berlin to be controlled by the Emperor like you were. If possible, you’d prefer the Hua family to stay far from this whirlpool. I know you want Berlin and Little Six to be close, yet not too close. I understand it all—how could I not fulfill your wishes?
Hua Zhi tilted her head and smiled. "You know me so well."
"Mm."
"Then tell me what I’m thinking right now."
Gu Yanxi said nothing, only smiled.
Hua Zhi, whose mind had wandered to indecent thoughts, felt her cheeks heat under his gaze. With a proud hum, she returned to the topic. "I’d like to borrow a few of your men to escort Berlin to Qingzhou."
Qingzhou? Gu Yanxi turned the place over in his mind but couldn’t discern her intention.
Hua Zhi took out the topographic map and unfolded it, circling an area along the coast of Qingzhou with her finger. "This is the most suitable place to build a saltworks."
Most salt consumed now came from wells. Gu Yanxi had once visited a salt-boiling site and assumed salt production should occur in such places. The moment he saw where A Zhi pointed, he immediately recalled the new salt-making method she had mentioned. "Your salt-making method requires the seaside?""Yes." Hua Zhi took an unsealed envelope from a hidden compartment and handed it over. "I've written down the steps clearly. Send someone to deliver this to Berlin."
Since A Zhi had given it to him, Gu Yanxi naturally felt free to read it. He opened it without hesitation—it was indeed A Zhi's style, concise and straightforward. Even he could grasp the general idea after reading it. But if it fell into the wrong hands...
"I'll take it back and use the Seven Constellation Bureau's methods to create a secret message."
"Do as you see fit. The most important thing is to assign a few trustworthy people to Berlin. A ten-year-old child alone won't be able to keep things under control."
"Don't worry."
This matter couldn't be rushed, but Hua Zhi was already thinking far ahead. "Once the salt is produced, the first batch must be delivered to the Emperor by Little Six. This credit must go to Little Six—no one else can take it."
"I'll set up a separate channel to oversee this matter and entrust it to Little Six."
"Even better." Hua Zhi had an idea in mind but decided against voicing it. Even if it were to be done, it should be Little Six who takes the lead. She didn't need any credit for herself, as long as the one who gained the merit was Little Six.
Taking a sip of tea, Gu Yanxi brought up another matter. "I've already sent people to the Flame Country."
"Will anyone really be willing to leave their homeland?"
"Yes, and quite a few." Gu Yanxi looked at a specific area on the topographic map—the land of the Flame Country. "It's the same in every country: some are rich enough to feast on delicacies daily, while others suffer so much they can barely survive. The Flame Country isn't short on grain, but only if there's land to farm. From what I know, most of their land is in the hands of the nobility, a small portion belongs to the wealthy, and many commoners have no land at all."
It really is the same everywhere. Hua Zhi immediately felt no guilt. Although coming to Daqing meant leaving their homeland, she could guarantee they would have enough to eat!
"If they can grow two crops of rice, how about rewarding them with a few acres of land?"
A smile flickered in Gu Yanxi's eyes. "As you wish."
Every time Hua Zhi heard Yanxi say "as you wish," her heart fluttered. Whenever she was with Yanxi, she found herself anticipating those two words—the power of sweet talk was too strong.
Speaking of power... Hua Zhi's smile faded. How could the power of food and clothing compare to that of real artillery? Though she never asked and Yanxi never spoke of it, the research on Black Powder must never have stopped. Even without her guidance, they were already on that path. One day, they would unleash the full potential of Black Powder.
"Has the Emperor specified when to start work?"
"He has already issued an order to the Ministry of Works, bypassing court deliberation." Gu Yanxi's expression turned grave. "Tomorrow is the grand court assembly—it's likely to be quite a spectacle."
Thinking of the Emperor who always used Yanxi as a shield, Hua Zhi grew more cautious. An idea occurred to her, and she said, "Do you have any plans to go out in the next few days?"
"No, why?"
"Think of one. Leave the city immediately after you depart from here, and don't return tonight. Avoid tomorrow's court assembly."
Gu Yanxi frowned slightly. "I have the privilege of not having to attend court."
"But you also have the privilege of attending when you wish." Hua Zhi leaned forward slightly. "Why did the Emperor issue the order without court deliberation? Because he knew it wouldn't pass in the assembly, so he acted first. Since we know tomorrow's court will be lively, do you think he'll try to avoid it? A simple claim of illness would suffice. But this matter can't bypass the court entirely. Given his usual tactics, what do you think he'll do?"He would make him appear in court!
Gu Yanxi closed his eyes. Since the beginning of this year, he had already presided over court for half of the time. Calculating carefully, aside from his time away from the capital, whenever he was in the capital, it was almost always him presiding over court. If tomorrow he were asked to preside again, he wouldn’t even have a reason to refuse.
The thought that his imperial uncle was highly likely to do just that left Gu Yanxi with a deeply unsettled feeling. Some matters, indeed, were better not seen too clearly.
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