Hua Zhi reached out from her position to pat Ying Chun's head. Though she herself was bearing heavy burdens, these maids by her side were also forcing themselves to mature, pushing themselves to take charge and share her load. The bond they'd cultivated since childhood was fully embodied in this moment.
"It will soon pass."
Ying Chun looked up, wanting to ask but refraining, instead nodding firmly.
Footsteps approached from outside. Mistress and maid exchanged glances, and Ying Chun quickly fetched a cloth to wipe her young lady's feet.
Liu Xiang entered to report, "Young Lady, Wang Rong requests an audience."
After putting on her shoes and socks, Ying Chun carried the water basin out while signaling to let the visitor in.
"Eldest Miss, the former chief is injured and currently at the Heir Apparent Residence."
Hua Zhi sprang to her feet. "How serious are his injuries?"
"Quite severe."
Hua Zhi paced back and forth several times before grabbing her cloak and heading out. "Keep the household secure."
Remembering something, she returned to her room and retrieved a small bundle - medicine left for her by Shaoyao. Uncertain whether the Heir Apparent Residence had such supplies, she brought it along in case it might prove useful.
No one advised against her going out in the middle of the night. Having experienced many such situations, the Hua family servants had grown more composed. Reputation sometimes mattered less - at least for their eldest miss.
Their carriage encountered several patrols along the way. Wang Rong presented the Heir Apparent Residence's token, ensuring unimpeded passage throughout their journey.
This was Hua Zhi's first visit to the Heir Apparent Residence, though she had no attention to spare for sightseeing. Following her guide, she hurried into the illuminated courtyard.
The scent of blood still lingered in the room. Miraculous Doctor Yu was bent over a desk writing something when he noticed her and nodded in acknowledgment. Hua Zhi returned a courtesy - she'd forgotten the doctor resided at the Heir Apparent Residence, making her brought medicine unnecessary.
Chen Qing showed no surprise at the eldest miss's arrival. After exchanging greetings, he quietly introduced the man who had previously been unconscious but now had his eyes open. "Eldest Miss, this is the former chief of the Seven Constellation Bureau. Old Sir, this is the Hua family's eldest miss, the Heir's..."
"I know who she is. That youngster mentioned her." Gu Yelin struggled to sit up slightly, with Chen Qing quickly moving to support him.
Hua Zhi performed a curtsy. "This humble girl Hua Zhi pays her respects to the Old Sir."
Gu Yelin gestured toward a chair for her to sit. "I heard you were the one who detected something amiss in this matter."
"This girl simply suffers from excessive suspicion." Hua Zhi took the seat Ying Chun brought for her.
Rarely had Gu Yelin encountered someone so candid about their shortcomings. His weary expression gained a spark of vitality. "I failed to see the Emperor."
Hua Zhi's expression tightened. "Who wounded you? What is the current situation with the Seven Constellation Bureau in the palace?"
"The ones who injured me were members of the Seven Constellation Bureau."
"How could that be..."
Gu Yelin smiled wryly. "A Seven Constellation Bureau chief without his mask is just an ordinary man nobody recognizes."
Hua Zhi felt deeply distressed. To devote one's entire life to service, yet remain unrecognized by anyone - how tragic. Worse still, to ultimately be wounded by former subordinates.
Her sorrow showed too plainly on her face. Gu Yelin paused momentarily, then began to understand why both siblings held her in such high regard. Some people were naturally like beams of light, illuminating their surroundings and warming those who drew near. More remarkably, she could shoulder responsibilities - truly deserving the title of capable helpmate.
"I know the palace well, but this time it was more heavily guarded than ever before. Imperial guards and the Seven Constellation Bureau were interwoven in defense, with additional support from others. Normally I could have avoided them, yet ultimately they exposed my tracks."Gu Yelin still found it unbelievable even now. Those brats had either been trained by his own hands or had once been under his command, yet he had fallen into their trap. He didn't know where he had slipped up, but the wounds on his body were a stark reminder that this was indeed the reality.
"However, it wasn't a complete loss. Someone gave me this." Gu Yelin took out a small crumpled paper ball and unfolded it as he spoke, "This is a unique folding method used by the Seven Constellation Bureau. Only insiders know how to open it properly. Forcing it open would destroy the contents."
As he spoke, the paper ball flattened into a small note. After glancing at it, Gu Yelin handed it over.
Hua Zhi took it and saw eight characters scattered across the paper: "The Emperor is acting strangely, be careful, Chief." She vaguely understood the hidden mechanism—if it fell into the wrong hands and was forcibly opened, the characters would likely be destroyed.
So the Emperor was acting strangely? Hua Zhi fell into deep thought. She didn't believe Haoyue was uninvolved in this, but even now, the Seven Constellation Bureau only mentioned the Emperor's unusual behavior without implicating Haoyue. This meant her schemes were being carried out through the Emperor—a clever move that allowed her to advance or retreat as needed.
Seeing her silence, Chen Qing worried it might leave a bad impression on the former chief and was about to remind her when Gu Yelin stopped him with a look. Chen Qing closed his eyes to rest—he was old now and happy to stay out of these matters. If Yan Xi weren't away from the capital and the situation difficult to control, he would have wished for the Emperor to simply meet his end.
Hua Zhi looked down at the heavily creased note. The fact that someone had sent this message meant the Seven Constellation Bureau had noticed something amiss, but for some reason, they were powerless to act. The only one who could render the Seven Constellation Bureau so helpless was the Emperor.
In other words, the Emperor was conscious—at the very least, the orders were genuinely coming from him. Otherwise, the Seven Constellation Bureau wouldn't comply so obediently.
Hua Zhi couldn't help but consider another possibility: Could it be... the Emperor was truly testing someone? But who was his target—Little Six or Yan Xi? Or perhaps this trap was specifically set for Yan Xi?
The timing coincided with her return to the capital. Anyone unaware would assume Yan Xi had returned with her. Given Yan Xi's concern for the Emperor, what would he do if he couldn't contact him or enter the palace?
She was certain that no matter what he did, he would never stand idly by!
So, was the Emperor exploiting Yan Xi's loyalty to set a trap?
Anger surged within her. Hua Zhi pressed her thumb against her palm to calm herself. If this were true, she could only be grateful that Yan Xi was still thousands of miles away. He wouldn't know a net had been cast specifically for him, and he wouldn't suffer because of it.
Yes, she had to break this trap before he returned.
"Chen Qing, go—" Hua Zhi caught herself mid-sentence, stood up, and bowed in apology. She had forgotten she was in the Heir Apparent Residence and that elders were present. "I have been presumptuous."
"Pay me no mind. Make your own decisions."
Hua Zhi glanced at Chen Qing. Could she take these words at face value?
Chen Qing nodded at her. "Since our master took over as chief, the old master has stepped back from affairs."
With that assurance, Hua Zhi didn't hold back. She instructed directly, "Use the Chao Li Tribe as a pretext. Submit a request to the palace, saying we've learned from the Chao Li people that remnants of their tribe are hiding in the palace. Figure out how to implicate Haoyue with this, and if possible, use it as grounds to search the Like Moon Hall."Chen Qing's eyes lit up, then he frowned again, "If I still don't get summoned to the palace..."
"Then steer it toward the court. If even the court can't force the emperor's hand, then let the whole city know." Hua Zhi's brows and eyes sharpened with intensity. "By then, we won't need to do anything—the officials won't be able to hold back any longer."
She wanted to see just how long he could endure!
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