The Seventh Bureau was indeed beyond the reach of Hua Zhi’s direct involvement, and she would never thrust herself into the eye of such a storm.
If she remained only the one who conceived the ideas, not only would the Emperor hold her in higher regard, but so would everyone else — and when other matters arose, the room she had to maneuver would be far greater. But if she became entangled in it directly, the first thing she would have to think about was self-preservation. The drawbacks far outweighed the benefits. She had to make the choice that was best for herself.
Yet to say she truly had no means at all, as she had claimed in the main hall earlier — that was not entirely accurate either. The Zhu Family had no need to angle desperately for a place in the Seventh Bureau. But the Cai Family, who had not managed to advance a single step in many years, did have such a need.
The web of power in the capital was deeply entangled. The network she had woven thus far was not broad enough to accomplish much on its own, but joining forces on this particular matter had not been difficult. In the end, Jiang Xinde of the Jiang Family had emerged victorious, becoming the administrator of the Seventh Bureau. In return, the Jiang Family had helped the Cai Family secure a foothold. And in the days ahead, the Cai Family and Jiang Family would in turn quietly assist the Sun Family, who had lent their strength behind the scenes. Even if civil and military officials were supposed to keep their distance from one another, how could any such line ever be drawn so cleanly?
In all of this, Hua Zhi had only served as a go-between. Once the parties had begun collaborating, she had not meddled further. She had never intended for the Cai Family to owe her any great debt — if this could simply make life more comfortable for Hua Qin within the Cai household, then the goal had been achieved. And evidently, the result was good.
After exchanging a few reassuring words with Hua Qin, Hua Zhi made her way to her mother’s courtyard. The moment she stepped inside, she sensed the atmosphere was off. Her mother, usually so gentle and pliant, was wearing an unusually stern expression. The younger maternal aunt was patting the maternal grandmother’s back to help her settle her breath. The elder maternal aunt was sitting there with an awkward look on her face. No one was speaking.
Hua Zhi did not even need to think to know what had happened. Her mother’s sore points were nothing more than her husband and her children. Her father was far away at Yinshan Pass. There had been no new developments regarding herself lately that anyone could gossip about. The only thing capable of putting her mother in this state was Bailin.
She paid her respects, then sat down beside her mother and spoke as though she had noticed nothing amiss. “Once today is over, Mother, please prepare some things and have Nanny Lin take them to the Cai household. Hua Qin’s pregnancy is now stable — it is time to send some food over.”
Zhu Shi’s attention was indeed redirected at once. “Yes, we do need to prepare. You should also say something to her — in this kind of weather, she ought to be staying home resting properly. If she falls and hurts herself, she’s the only one who’ll suffer for it.”
“Yes, I’ll say something to her when I see her.” Hua Zhi agreed readily, then looked up at her maternal grandmother, whose expression had settled somewhat. “Mother has not gone out in quite some time. Would you be all right with me sending her back to her mother’s family for a few days tomorrow?”
“Of course — if today weren’t unsuitable, I’d have taken her back with me this very moment and saved you the trouble.” The Zhu matriarch felt a warmth stir in her heart. She was not a fool; she understood perfectly that Zhi’er did not wish for this matter of Bailin’s marriage to drive a wedge between the two families. And yet she, of all people, was the one who had most reason to be upset — and she was still busy smoothing things over. Truly…
Remembering what had just transpired, the anger the Zhu matriarch had managed to suppress began rising again. Such poor judgment — living to that age and still not knowing any better.
Zhu Shi came out of her daze and realized what was being offered. She was delighted, but also hesitated a little. “Would it be all right for me to go? If the wives of the other branches all want to go home too, you won’t be in a good position to stop them.”
Hua Zhi smiled. Her mother might be simple-hearted, but she was not foolish. “If their maternal families were as close to the Hua Family as the Zhu Family, I would of course agree. But clearly, they do not have your good fortune.”
Zhu Shi’s smile was as sweet as honey. “Mother won’t give you any trouble — I’ll come back after one day.”
“Do you want outsiders to think your maternal family doesn’t welcome you back?”
The second Zhu aunt immediately covered her mouth with a laugh. “Exactly — you’ve been away so long, you can’t possibly leave after just one day. I’ll go back today and have your courtyard properly tidied up, get the room warmed up nice and cozy, so you’ll be so comfortable you won’t want to leave. You should stay until after the New Year — let Mother be happy for a while.”
The first Zhu aunt, whose line had been stolen, seethed inwardly but had no choice but to hold it in. She picked up the thread: “None of your things in the courtyard have been touched. I’ve always had people keep it swept and clean — it’s ready for guests any time. Mother has been hoping you’d come back more often. You mustn’t rush away — isn’t that right, Mother?”
The Zhu matriarch had no patience for the two daughters-in-law and their thinly-veiled sparring, and turned to her granddaughter instead. “Stay for a few days. When it’s time for her to return, I’ll have Zi Wen escort her back. She can go home whenever she likes. It’s nearly the New Year now — even if she were utterly useless, she’d still need to be at home. We can’t have people’s hearts out of balance.”
“Yes, whatever you say.” It had been a spur-of-the-moment idea to begin with, so Hua Zhi had no objections. She looked at the new strands of white at her grandmother’s temples, then glanced at the two maternal aunts who were quietly competing with each other, and felt there was nothing she could do. A younger generation could not speak ill of their elders — let alone the fact that these women were not even Hua Family members.
The group that had gone to pay respects at the ancestral graves did not return until close to noon. After another ceremony was conducted at the house, the formalities were finally complete.
They ate a meal that was, as before, heavy on vegetarian dishes and light on meat, and then guests began to take their leave one by one. Hua Zhi said a word to Steward Xu, then went to find the Eminent Master Bore Ruo.
“I have troubled you again.”
The master recited a Buddhist invocation. “This old monk was most glad to offer the final journey to an old acquaintance. But Benefactress Hua does not look well. The body is the foundation of all things — please take good care of yourself.”
Hua Zhi pressed her palms together and accepted his words. Outsiders assumed she had exhausted herself through overwork, and she had no need to explain that it was the result of an injury. With Shao Yao looking after her, she had a good sense of her own condition. This winter was not easy to get through, but as long as she took proper care of herself through the season, she would be able to recover — so she was not overly anxious.
She personally saw the master off, then made her way to the study, where someone was already waiting.
After being shown there by Steward Xu, Qin Zheng had felt a quiet flutter of anticipation. Whatever face had needed to be lost had already been lost long ago. If she had specifically kept him behind, it surely was not to give him another dressing-down in private.
Footsteps drew near from a distance. He looked toward the doorway. The curtain was lifted, and Hua Zhi walked in.
“Uncle Qin.”
“Please, no need for formality.” Qin Zheng made a gesture to stop her from bowing, and while doing so took the opportunity to observe her, as the others had remarked. Sure enough — even in this warm room, Hua Zhi had not removed her outer cloak, and she was clutching a hand warmer.
“Uncle Qin mentioned earlier that you wished to speak — then let us speak.”
Qin Zheng’s spirits rose, and he immediately straightened his expression. “You may not believe me, but in truth, my father never once intended to distance himself from the Hua Family. My father and your grandmother were born of the same mother — they were close from childhood. When he learned of your grandmother’s passing, my father shut himself in his study for an entire night. Afterward, he personally led us to offer condolences, and the entire Qin household observed mourning for a full forty-nine days. Zhi’er, you cannot let what my mother did in her foolishness negate the bond between our two families.”
“It is precisely because I remember that bond that I kept you behind, Uncle Qin.” Hua Zhi stroked the hand warmer slowly, her gaze drifting to the middle distance. “As for what the Qin Family did, I have not thought too much about it. Whoever treats me well, I treat well in return. Whoever draws close to me, I draw close to in return — it is nothing more than that. When I learned of the Qin Family’s intentions, I felt sorry for Grandmother for a little while, and then carried on as before. Uncle Qin knows this — I do not have a great deal of time to dwell on these things. But Grandmother… I imagine she would not have wanted the two families to grow this distant.”