Shaoyao came running back on the evening of the fourth day. If not for the familiar medicinal scent on her, Hua Zhi would have drawn her dagger upon seeing someone with their head entirely wrapped in white cloth.
"Master said my injuries have been there too long. He prepared a new prescription for me to apply these past few days. Starting tomorrow, I can just apply the ointment directly. But Master said I still need to wrap my face with soft cloth daily for better results."
Shaoyao took out the jar from her medicine chest, her movements noticeably gentler than her usual rough handling. Even if she didn't particularly care whether her face could truly heal, she valued the effort her master had put into gathering all the medicinal ingredients for her.
Hua Zhi touched it carefully and stored it away personally with great care.
The coldest days had passed, and the weather was gradually warming up. The servants had already exchanged their thick cotton clothes for lighter cotton jackets, leaving Hua Zhi as the only one in the entire mansion still wearing a heavy cloak when going out.
Today, Hua Zhi's room was unusually quiet. Several senior maids held their breath, twisting their handkerchiefs while watching the two figures—one standing, one sitting—before the dressing table.
Hua Zhi pressed on Shaoyao's shoulders. "I'm going to remove it now."
Shaoyao took a deep breath and nodded firmly. But when Hua Hua actually began to unwrap the bandages, she tightly closed her eyes again. Deep down, she still held some hope.
Hua Zhi, who applied the medicine to her face daily, knew the condition of her skin best. Yet even she felt her heartbeat quicken now. When the soft cloth was completely removed, she couldn't suppress her smile. Pressing firmly on Shaoyao's shoulders, she coaxed hoarsely, "Cao Cao, open your eyes."
Shaoyao swallowed, her eyelids fluttering, but her eyes remained shut.
She reached up to grasp the hand on her shoulder, stammering, "Hu-Hua Hua, I'm a bit nervous. T-tell me first if there's any improvement."
Hua Zhi laughed, but her laughter soon turned bittersweet, her nose tingling with emotion. How important appearance was to a woman, and Cao Cao had lost hers for so many years—how could she not be nervous?
"Cao Cao, you must trust Yu Lao."
Shaoyao pressed her lips together. Right, right—of course she trusted her master.
As if mustering great courage, Shaoyao slowly opened her eyes.
In the bronze mirror was a nearly unfamiliar face—so unfamiliar she thought there might be a stranger in the room.
She shifted slightly to the left, and the person in the mirror moved left as well. She swayed backward, and the mirror image swayed too. This was really her!
Shaoyao wanted to smile, but the corners of her mouth twitched without forming a proper curve. She raised her hand to touch her face—here, there used to be wound after wound, which later became scar after scar. Now, only faint traces remained.
Her face would finally no longer frighten children! That Veiled Hat she had worn for years could finally, finally be discarded!
Another pair of hands covered hers. Shaoyao looked up at the other face in the mirror.
"Our Shaoyao has reached the age to be betrothed." Even with the scars not completely faded, her delicate features were unmistakable—unsurprisingly, she was a beauty.
Shaoyao burst out laughing, rolling her eyes skyward. Instantly, all delicacy vanished, replaced by the same gluttonous, unrestrained Shaoyao. "Those softies in the capital aren't even worth my punches."
Hua Zhi suddenly thought of Wu Yong and remarked casually, "Among the military officers, there must be some who could exchange a few moves with you.""You overestimate them." Shaoyao leaned closer to the mirror to examine her face, satisfied with the faint pink scars. In a few days, the marks would likely fade further. With the ointment she could prepare using her own formulas, she might even be able to completely eliminate these scars.
Hua Zhi was somewhat concerned by those words. "Are there no capable fighters among the military officers?"
"Who knows if the old generals can still lift their blades. As for their descendants, with few battles in recent years, they've hardly set foot on battlefields. In this prosperous capital, how can we expect them to train diligently every day?"
Shaoyao turned around, allowing the maidservants to finally see her face clearly. They all showed delighted expressions, happy for Miss Shaoyao.
Shaoyao grinned back at them and continued, "From what I know, some haven't even practiced horse stance. Soaked in alcohol and lying on women's bellies, they can barely walk steadily. Forget about sparring with me—they probably couldn't even defeat the guards the Hua family has trained recently."
Hua Zhi felt a chill down her spine. "But they still hold military positions. If war breaks out and frontline commanders fall, how will we fill those positions?"
"General Sun once submitted a memorial about this matter. Yan Ge also tried to push for it through the Seven Constellation Bureau. But the Emperor believes the world is at peace, and few military families are willing to make their sons endure hardship. In the end, the matter was dropped. It's only a matter of time before there's no one to carry on the legacy."
Shaoyao laughed coldly. The older she grew, the less she wanted to enter the palace. She secretly looked down upon an Emperor who only saw the present without considering the future. She had even considered drugging her master and Yan Ge to take them deep into the mountains, not caring who would rule the world.
But now she knew it was impossible. She couldn't abandon Hua Hua, and Hua Hua couldn't abandon too many people. She didn't have the ability to take everyone away.
"Don't worry too much, Hua Hua. From what I know, Yan Ge spoke with Duke Anguo several years ago. Though Duke Anguo doesn't hold military power now, many of his former subordinates remain in the army. Although the Lu family's descendants hold nominal positions, they haven't neglected their martial skills. Yan Ge sometimes spars with them—when he defeats them, they train even harder." Shaoyao snuggled up to Hua Zhi, acting coquettishly. "Shouldn't we be celebrating my recovered face now? Why are we talking about such depressing matters?"
Hua Zhi glanced sideways at her. "How do you want to celebrate?"
"With a big feast!"
"When have we ever deprived you of food? You're always thinking about eating. Fu Dong prepared everything for you early this morning." Hua Zhi poked her forehead and glanced at Ying Chun, who understood immediately and went to make arrangements.
Shaoyao chuckled. "I like Fu Dong second best, just a little less than you, Hua Hua."
"I'm not honored. Alright, go wash your face gently. We still need to apply medicine later."
"Yes, ma'am!"
After the meal, Hua Zhi sent Shaoyao back to the palace to see Yu Lao, then immediately instructed: "Prepare to visit the eastern suburb estate."
Thinking it best to go early and return early, Hua Zhi didn't delay at home. After minimal preparations, she set out.
The mushroom production had increased significantly, now exceeding the capital's demand. She needed to assess the actual scale. If everything was satisfactory, they would need to temporarily slow expansion in the capital and begin developing surrounding areas.Jin Yang's area was the first point of outward expansion, and she had completely forgotten to ask about the situation. In this winter season when fresh vegetables were scarce, sales should have been quite good.
The carriage suddenly jolted to a halt. Hua Zhi thought they had arrived and was about to stand up when Wang Rong's voice came from outside, "Be careful, Miss. We're surrounded."
Surrounded? Right under the nose of the imperial capital? How foolish must the attackers be! Only a handful of people held grudges against her, and even fewer would dare to take action in such a location. Did they even possess a shred of intelligence?
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