Hearing this, Qin Gongyang felt somewhat reassured. Even if the two families still inevitably had estrangement, at least things wouldn't get worse.
"Before coming, my father said not to force matters, but I feel some things need to be spoken plainly. While children shouldn't speak of their parents' faults, in this matter my mother's actions were truly too hurtful." Qin Gongyang played with the jade pendant at his waist. "The Qin family barely counts as imperial relatives by marriage. My mother comes from a collateral branch of the royal family and brought all the imperial rules and etiquette into the Qin household. Because the Hua family was prestigious and upright, she usually held Aunt in high regard. Even after the Hua family's decline, she didn't look down on them. What she despises are merchants - in her eyes, merchants belong to the base class."
Hua Zhi smiled, gaining some understanding of this aunt-by-marriage she rarely interacted with. If she had lived in impoverished nobility and died with lofty principles, she might have earned a word of praise from her. But why should she seek approval from someone unrelated to her?
Qin Gongyang could clearly see her disdain. He sighed, "My mother has her own set of rules for handling matters and rarely makes mistakes. My father trusts her and thought she would handle relations with the Hua family properly, never expecting things to come to this. Today, my father originally intended to come personally, but felt too ashamed to face Aunt, so he sent me with the younger generation. Honestly, this is the first time in so many years I've seen Father speak so harshly to Mother."
Hua Zhi had no intention of probing the truth of this. Since the other party had provided a reasonable explanation, she took the offered way out. Ultimately, what she wanted was this attitude from the Qin family. While Grandmother was alive, she maintained close ties with her maternal family. Unless absolutely necessary, Hua Zhi didn't want to sever these connections so soon after her passing.
"I'll visit another day to apologize to Uncle. I was being petty as a junior."
It was over!
Qin Gongyang felt relieved, his smile becoming more relaxed. "Knowing your character, how could we blame you when the Qin family was at fault first? But if you visit, Father would certainly be happy, and even Mother's illness might improve."
"Aunt is ill?"
"Just a matter of the heart." Not wanting Hua Zhi to think he was using this as leverage, Qin Gongyang brushed past the topic without elaboration.
His attitude actually increased Hua Zhi's favorable impression. Her way of expressing goodwill was direct - she immediately addressed what concerned the Qin family most. "It's too late for the Qin family to get a share from The Seventh Division now."
"It's indeed too late in the capital, but there are still opportunities in the provinces."
Hua Zhi shook her head. "From my understanding of Daqing's official circles, provincial positions must be controlled by the various factions competing for The Seventh Division in the capital. If the Qin family enters the fray now, it will only provoke united opposition from those factions. It's not necessary."
Qin Gongyang was well aware of this. He and his father had discussed it many times at home. Their plan wasn't to go it alone or form their own faction. "Could we cooperate with the Cai Family?"
Hua Zhi glanced at him.
Qin Gongyang smiled. "You've kept yourself completely detached. Even if someone suspects something, they can't prove anything."
"I haven't done anything at all." Hua Zhi's lips curved slightly. "If the Qin family were a small clan, it might work. But even after years of quiet, the Qin family's foundation remains. Currently, the various factions in The Seventh Division have reached balance - there's no room for another Qin family."Qin Gongyang frowned deeply. Zhi Er's words made sense—no party would allow the Qin family to disrupt the balance. Yet the Qin family needed an opportunity, a chance to turn their fortunes around! Like sailing against the current, they must advance or risk decline. The Qin family was already showing signs of decay and had to reverse this trend promptly.
"Zhi Er, you have a sharp mind. Give your uncle some advice."
Hua Zhi hadn't expected him to be so straightforward. "The Seventh Division is indeed unsuitable."
Qin Gongyang waved his hand. "Not the Seventh Division. Tell me, in which direction should the Qin family focus its efforts?"
Running through the ongoing matters in her mind, Hua Zhi came up with an idea. "Uncle, are you aware that the Flame Country can harvest three crops of grain a year?"
"The Flame Country pays tribute with grain every year—I’ve heard of it."
"I’ve been discussing with others about attempting double-cropping. I’ve already arranged to bring some people from the Flame Country. I can mediate and let the Qin family take over this matter."
Qin Gongyang’s heart leaped with joy. If this succeeded, it would be a great service to the state, and the Qin family would surely be credited. However, grain matters had always been under the Ministry of Revenue’s jurisdiction. Would the Zhu family really relinquish such a tremendous advantage?
"This is still in the experimental stage and hasn’t been handed over to the Ministry of Revenue. I’ll speak to my grandfather about it. If the Qin family is serious, they must assign someone capable to take charge. Don’t just focus on claiming credit—there must be actual results to merit rewards."
"I understand. I’ll discuss it with my father as soon as I return." Qin Gongyang’s tone was solemn. "Regardless of the outcome, the Qin family will remember your kindness, Zhi Er."
With a clear direction, Qin Gongyang could no longer sit still and immediately rose to take his leave.
Hua Zhi made no attempt to keep him. As she prepared to see him out, he stopped her. "If you’re afraid of the cold, don’t step outside. It’s hard to endure illness in winter—take good care of yourself."
Hua Zhi accepted his kindness and bowed slightly. "Farewell, Uncle."
The curtain lifted and fell. Hua Zhi slumped her shoulders, intending to rest her head on the table, when she heard the curtain rustle again. Instinctively, she straightened her back, only to relax once more when she saw it was Yan Xi.
Gu Yanxi chuckled softly, waiting for the chill to leave his body before approaching. "It seems you’ve broken the ice with the Qin family."
"I have to consider Grandmother’s feelings." Hua Zhi hugged the hand warmer to her chest without concern for appearances. Noticing he wasn’t wearing a cloak, she asked, "Have you been here long?"
"Just a short while. What did you promise the Qin family? Qin Gongyang looked very pleased."
"I was just about to discuss this with you. Jin Yang requires a lot of manpower. I thought it would be better to recall the personnel working on the double-cropping project and hand it over to the Qin family. After all, no matter what the Seven Constellation Bureau does, the Emperor takes it for granted and never grants recognition."
In this private space, Gu Yanxi let his guard down. Stretching his long legs and leaning back comfortably, he nodded. "That’s perfect. The Seven Constellation Bureau has limited manpower. For matters that don’t necessarily require our involvement, I plan to delegate them. The Qin family taking over this task is quite suitable."
"Are you starting preparations for the Jin Yang matter?"
"I want to take advantage of the increased mobility around the New Year to openly send them into Jin Yang. Only during this period will they be less guarded."
Hua Zhi rested her chin on the hand warmer, absorbing its warmth as she thought and nodded. "With many people visiting relatives before and after the New Year, it’s indeed a good opportunity to enter the city. Have you decided who will be the public face of this operation?"
"Still considering it." Gu Yanxi glanced at her and, like magic, produced a deck of playing cards. Hua Zhi’s face lit up with delight. "They’re finished?""Only this one set. We'll make more only if you think it's good enough."
Placing the hand warmer on her lap, Hua Zhi took the playing cards and examined them one by one. They felt quite satisfactory - the cards were stiff enough and should last several days without deliberate damage.
However, "Make the cards a bit smaller. These are somewhat too large - I can't hold them all in one hand."
"Any other issues?"
Hua Zhi went through the entire deck again. "That's all I can think of for now."
"Alright, mark the size you want on the back so they'll have a reference."
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