However, this journey north ultimately did not come to fruition. On the very day before departure, Hua Zhi received a letter from her grandfather.
Yinshan Pass was a crucial border fortress, making it difficult to send letters out. Although the Hua family had later established themselves there and could easily send correspondence, Hua Yizheng had always adhered to the rules and never made an exception.
But now, Hua Zhi had received a letter.
Gu Yanxi explained, "Old Master Hua sent it through the official delivering Wu Yong’s memorial to the capital. It didn’t go through the Seven Constellation Bureau’s channels, so even if someone found out, no one could say anything."
His frankness left her with nothing to retort. Hua Zhi understood her grandfather’s intention and, with a heavy heart, opened the letter. To her, any abnormality was never a good sign.
The envelope was thick, containing two separate letters folded together. Hua Zhi recognized the handwriting—one was from her grandfather, the other from her father.
The tone of both letters was ordinary, yet after reading them, Hua Zhi frowned.
"What is it?"
"Grandfather and Father told me not to go north. My maternal grandfather wrote to Grandfather, and they now know I’m serving the Emperor. Grandfather wants me to use the time I would have spent traveling to rest at home."
Gu Yanxi felt a wave of relief. He hadn’t wanted A Zhi to make the trip either—given her current health, a long journey would take a heavy toll. But he knew he couldn’t dissuade her and had only tried to prepare as thoroughly as possible. Though he didn’t know why Hua Yizheng had suddenly sent such a letter, he felt grateful. It showed A Zhi’s efforts to protect them were not in vain.
"The Old Master is worried your health can’t handle it."
Hua Zhi touched her icy fingertips. She was more aware than anyone that her health was declining.
She had never intended to sacrifice herself to the point of death. Giving her life to protect the Hua family would be the greatest irony for its men. So she took every possible measure to preserve her health—for half the year, she consumed Medicinal Cuisine, never missing a single broth or tonic. She strictly avoided anything Shaoyao forbade her to do, and even though she disliked shadowboxing, she extended her practice time as Shaoyao insisted.
She wanted to be healthy, for her own sake and for everyone else’s.
Her plan to go north wasn’t about showing off. She wanted to see for herself how the Hua family was faring at Yinshan Pass—nothing would reassure her more than seeing and hearing it firsthand. She also wanted to present herself before her grandfather, to show him that all was well at home. Her mere presence there would speak louder than any words.
But now, her grandfather forbade her from going.
Rereading the letter from start to finish, Hua Zhi found nothing amiss, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling there might be another reason.
"I have to go."
Hua Zhi looked up at Yan Xi, who was clearly in good spirits. Of course—he hadn’t wanted her to make this trip either.
Gu Yanxi, as usual, cupped her hands in his, warming them with his own body heat. "Since I’ve already requested the Emperor’s permission, I can’t go back on my word now."
"I’m sorry..." Hua Zhi felt deeply guilty. If not for her, Yan Xi wouldn’t have to embark on this long journey in the dead of winter.
"Don’t apologize to me. I need to see the situation at Yinshan Pass for myself to fully understand it. Besides, there are matters I need to discuss with Wu Yong." Gu Yanxi’s smile turned faintly cold. "The entire court is fixated on The Seventh Division, yet probably no one remembers the threat of the Chao Li Tribe."Hua Zhi fell silent. The Seventh Division was her proposal—a venture clearly beneficial to both the nation and its people. Yet after all this time, it remained stagnant. To those officials at court, perhaps benefiting the nation and people mattered little; what truly concerned them was how much personal gain they could extract. The thought that some of these very individuals had once attended the Hua family's Scholarly Discussions, had once stubbornly held to their convictions, made Hua Zhi unspeakably uneasy.
The official world changes people too much. How many still remember their original aspirations?
"When are you leaving?"
"The schedule remains unchanged. Give me what you need me to bring."
Hua Zhi stood and retrieved a bundle from the cabinet. "Just deliver the letter. I've also included some silver notes and gold bars inside. Ah, I need to write one too—wait a moment."
With no attendants in the room, Hua Zhi smoothed paper on the desk, weighing it down with a paperweight. As she poured water into the inkstone, another pair of hands reached faster for the inkstick, grinding it gently.
A sudden thought made Hua Zhi's eyes crinkle with laughter. "Could this be considered an alternative form of 'red sleeves adding fragrance'?"
Gu Yanxi lifted his gaze slightly. "I'd gladly be A Zhi's beauty, but I wonder if A Zhi would mind this beauty not being beautiful enough?"
"In my eyes, Yanxi is exceedingly beautiful." Hua Zhi blinked, feeling she'd expressed her full sincerity. Others might find Yanxi's face fearsome, but to her, it radiated rugged masculinity—perfectly suited to her appreciation of such aesthetics.
Gu Yanxi's eyes deepened with amusement. He reached to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers trailing down her cheek with tenderness so profound it could drown a person.
Hua Zhi smiled, revealing shallow dimples, and tilted her head to nuzzle his fingers. Picking up the brush, she dipped it in ink and dotted his forehead. "Sealed. You're mine."
"Very well, yours." Gu Yanxi remained motionless, indulgent expression allowing her free rein.
The forehead dot made the man appear even more formidable. Hua Zhi thought selfishly, Good—this way, fewer women would find him appealing. She made an even more unreasonable demand: "Don't wash it off."
"Agreed."
Satisfied, Hua Zhi lowered her head to dip the brush again and began writing her letter.
Early the next morning, Gu Yanxi came to bid farewell. Hua Zhi handed him provisions prepared the previous night. "I've been feeling uneasy. When you arrive, see if Grandfather is hiding something from me."
"I reviewed Wu Yong's memorial. Nothing's amiss—don't overthink it."
"Hopefully not." Hua Zhi looked up and laughed upon seeing the dot still on his forehead. "You really didn't wash it off."
"Won't wash it." Not only had he not washed it, he'd even mixed cinnabar with ink to retouch the dot, ensuring it would last longer.
Glancing around and confirming the servants had withdrawn, Hua Zhi cleared her throat softly. "Lower your head."
Thinking she wanted to examine the black dot on his forehead, Gu Yanxi obediently bowed his head, unconcerned about exposing his vulnerability to her. Unexpectedly, a sudden warmth touched his forehead—a soft sensation...
He jerked his head up to see Hua Zhi grinning mischievously. Though her face was flushed, it didn't diminish her triumphant delight—startling Yanxi was no small feat.
Staring at her lips, Gu Yanxi restrained himself from kissing her back, his voice hoarse. "I might genuinely go half a month without washing my face now."
"Don't you dare wash it."
"Mmm, I won't.""I really don't want to leave," Gu Yanxi sighed and said, "Now many of those in the court know that The Seventh Division is related to you. Try to go out as little as possible while I'm away. If you must go out, bring Wang Rong with you. I've made arrangements outside, so you don't need to give face to anyone. Just ignore whoever you don't want to deal with—no one can do anything to you."
"Alright."
"Don't push yourself too hard if something happens. Chen Qing is in the capital—you can go to him for anything."
"Alright."
"If the Emperor puts pressure on you, don't confront him. Wait until I return."
"Alright."
No matter what he said, Hua Zhi obediently agreed. Her docile appearance made Gu Yanxi unable to resist kissing her forehead before leaving. Hua Zhi touched her forehead and thought, this kind of mutual courtesy was something she truly enjoyed.
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