In the swaying carriage, Hua Zhi leaned against the compartment, lost in thought.
She had once believed scholars were useless and scoffed at the Hua family's rules. But after attending two Scholarly Discussions and witnessing two more, she gradually understood why civil officials were employed to govern the state.
They might have various flaws, but before becoming parasites of the nation, they truly had aspirations and profound insights. In recent years, among those beheaded or demoted were some who had stubbornly stood their ground for their convictions at the Hua family's Pure Conversation Gatherings. It was just that the officialdom was too corrupt—no one could emerge unscathed. Hadn't even the Hua family, despite their immense wealth, met with disaster?
Thinking of the Hua family, the Scholarly Discussion Hall, and the Book Collection Pavilion that once brought her happiness, then recalling today's visit to the Wei Family, Hua Zhi felt a turmoil in her heart. Only through comparison did she realize how exceptional the Hua family's Pure Conversation Gatherings were.
Her foot bumped against something, and she looked over to see Hua Ling, suddenly remembering she had forgotten about her. Rubbing her forehead, she asked, "Were you frightened?"
Hua Ling shook her head and only dared to speak when her elder sister addressed her. "I'm not afraid. Elder Sister said it's the dog owner's fault if a dog bites someone. I'm not scared even when I see Wei Chengxi."
Hua Zhi smiled. Exactly—if frightened by a dog, why just startle it in retaliation? Given the chance, one should beat it until it hurts and fears you, only then is revenge truly served.
"Don't take their words to heart. We won't be choosing a husband from among them. I don't think much of those types anyway."
Hua Ling pursed her lips and whispered, "It wouldn't be bad not to marry at all."
"Hmm?"
Hua Ling looked up. "Not marrying is fine too. No matter which family I marry into, it won't be as good as our Hua family."
"There's no need to decide hastily. Perhaps a suitable one will come along? Those men today are just a portion—the remaining ones are better than them. We'll take our time choosing."
"Elder Sister, you really look down on them," Hua Ling giggled, covering her mouth, her disdain written all over her face.
Hua Zhi snorted lightly without denying it. She truly disdained those whom the Wei Family used as pawns—where was the persistence and principles scholars ought to have?
The carriage slowly came to a stop. When Hua Zhi stepped out and saw her cousin and Yu Xiasheng, she wanted to facepalm. How could she have forgotten her cousin wouldn't let her return alone? With them so close, hadn't they overheard everything she just said?
Zhu Ziwen smiled meaningfully. "Official Chen had matters to attend to and left after escorting us to the intersection. He asked me to inform you."
"Much obliged." Hua Zhi descended the carriage with Ying Chun's support. "Thank you for your trouble, Cousin and Master Yu."
Yu Xiasheng's gaze involuntarily drifted toward Hua Ling, glancing at her repeatedly as he murmured that it was no trouble.
Seeing his cousin's displeased expression, Zhu Ziwen didn't linger. He cupped his hands and said, "Rest well. If there's any news from the Wei Family, I'll come inform you."
"Alright." Hua Zhi gave a slight bow to Yu Xiasheng before entering the gate. Hua Ling hurried after her, not once glancing at Yu Xiasheng from start to finish.
As misfortunes travel far while good deeds stay home, news of what happened at the Wei Family soon spread throughout the capital, drawing laughter from many.
Among civil officials, who wasn't envious of the Pure Conversation Gatherings? Though these gatherings seemed to yield no tangible benefits, their advantages were implicit. Just look at the Hua family—despite being confiscated and exiled, scholars still recognized Hua Yizheng. It was these very people who gradually elevated the Hua family's reputation, leaving other civil officials trailing far behind, unable to catch up even if they spurred their horses.If they could pull the Pure Conversation Gathering into their own bowl, wouldn't all these benefits become theirs? They just hadn't expected Wei Jing to act so swiftly—while they were still planning, that piece of meat had already fallen into the Wei family's bowl.
Now that they knew the bowl had shattered and injured hands in the process, they were naturally delighted. With the Hua family gone, someone had to host the Pure Conversation Gathering, right? If the Wei family couldn't do it, there were still others!
Along with this, Hua Zhi's name began to spread widely, though this time it wasn't due to her beauty, her temperament, or her business ventures, but because of her scholarly talent.
After returning home, Hua Zhi secluded herself indoors. Rather than paying attention to the idle gossip, she was more curious about what had delayed Yan Xi. He hadn't even come for the evening meal—had he been sent somewhere again?
Hua Zhi shook her head, dismissing the thought. No, that couldn't be it. Even if he had been sent away, Yan Xi would surely have left her a message.
Gu Yanxi hadn't been sent away. He was kept by the Emperor's side, and as dusk fell, a small group of them appeared in Hua Lin Alley.
With only two households in the alley, the absence of one inevitably left a trace of desolation.
The Emperor looked up. The characters "Hua Residence" above the gate were covered in dust, barely visible as outlines in the faint light. He suddenly remembered that these characters had been inscribed by the founding emperor himself. The plaque had hung here for as long as the Hua family had taken root in this place.
"Lai Fu."
Understanding the Emperor's meaning, Lai Fu stepped forward, tore off the seal, and pushed the door open with force. The gate, unopened for a year, emitted a heavy groan, sinking the hearts of those who heard it.
The Emperor entered with his hands clasped behind his back, ignoring the disorderly courtyard, and strolled leisurely along the covered corridor.
Lai Fu lit a lantern and followed closely, while Gu Yanxi trailed behind them, silently observing the Hua family's old residence. Although he had secretly visited before, his visits had been limited to A Zhi's courtyard—he had never ventured elsewhere.
"To the Book Collection Pavilion."
The Hua family's Book Collection Pavilion had been converted from a side courtyard, covering a large area with two floors. During its construction, concerns about water accumulation led to the building being raised on a higher foundation.
Now, the doors of the Book Collection Pavilion were wide open, and two windows on the upper floor were ajar.
The Emperor glanced upward, ascended the steps, and stood at the entrance, taking in the disarray inside.
Several bookshelves were tilted, books scattered everywhere, making the neatly arranged shelves against the wall stand out even more.
Lai Fu, recalling Old Master Hua's book-loving nature, felt a pang of discomfort and softly advised, "Your Majesty, there's hardly room to step here. Perhaps we should go elsewhere?"
The Emperor looked down for a moment, then bent to pick up a book blocking the path and set it aside. Lai Fu and Gu Yanxi followed suit, clearing the way to the staircase leading to the second floor.
But upon ascending, they found nearly half of the second floor empty.
Lai Fu explained in a low voice, "This old servant recalls that when the Hua family moved out, they carefully calculated what to bring—clothes and bedding were limited, but the majority of their luggage consisted of books."
The Emperor walked in, picked up a book, and flipped through it. Noting annotations, he checked several more, all similarly marked. He understood the distinction between the floors: the books upstairs were likely those the Hua family had used themselves, which was why they had taken as many as possible. With these books and the accumulated efforts of generations, the younger members of the Hua family might still have a chance to rise again.
Closing the windows on the second floor, the Emperor exited the Book Collection Pavilion and personally shut the door.
"To the Scholarly Discussion Hall."The Hua family had only two double-story buildings: one was the Book Collection Pavilion, and the other was the Scholarly Discussion Hall. The two structures faced each other from a distance, and one could reach the other after a short walk. The door here was also left open, clearly having been searched at the time.
Lai Fu entered first to light the lamps. As the light brightened, the Emperor narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a long while, gazing at this place that could be fully comprehended at a single glance.
At the moment, there was no coarse tea, no scholars, and no Hua Yizheng as Hua Zhi had described. All he could see were scattered meditation cushions in the corner, and aside from that, nothing else.
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