Zhu Ziwen, upon hearing that his cousin had arrived, held himself in check for a moment, then set his book aside and wandered over. His sister had behaved improperly, and their mother had done nothing but shield her — he ought to go and apologize to his cousin in person.
The Old Madam had always held in high regard this grandson who had chosen the path of the imperial examinations despite coming from a family of his standing, and actually made something of it. When he asked, she did not conceal a thing, gesturing toward the adjoining room. “She is in there. She said she wanted to speak with your mother and your Second Aunt.”
Zhu Ziwen thought for a moment, then proceeded to eavesdrop with complete openhandedness.
Inside the room, Hua Zhi had gathered her thoughts and composed her words.
“Has the First Madam considered what would become of your daughter if word were to spread that she drove her grandmother to illness? The Great Qing dynasty governs by the principle of filial piety. If that came to light, never mind making a marriage match — she might well be sent to a family temple. You have spent all this time scheming and calculating — is this truly the outcome you were working toward?”
The First Madam’s expression shifted sharply. She forced a smile. “Zhi’er, you need not frighten me. I admit the matter of the engagement was handled poorly on my part…”
“I have no grievance about the engagement itself. I never thought that match was a good one.” Hua Zhi spoke plainly, cutting off her self-justifications. “My reason for not refusing it was that it was difficult to refuse. My grandfather and grandmother wished to see the two families joined more closely through this bond — to make the relationship between our families more legitimate and to give them clearer grounds to look after my siblings and me. I could not spurn that goodwill. Had you and my First Uncle both been sincerely willing, I would have had nothing to say — and I would have protected my cousin as though she were my own blood. But you were not willing. You had no choice but to agree because everyone else had already consented. As for why you suddenly gathered the courage to oppose it later — it was because my First Uncle came to stand on your side, was it not?”
These words were, in effect, stripping the First Madam of her last mask — leaving her at once mortified and incensed. But she did not yet know that this was only the beginning.
Hua Zhi knew precisely where these women’s most vulnerable points lay. If she spoke in roundabout terms, they would take it to mean she knew nothing. Better, then, to lay everything bare — to say it plainly, exactly as it was.
“Zhu Shan is no more than a girl of thirteen or fourteen. Everything she knows and everything she has become came from you. She would have grown into whatever you shaped her to be — and she would always remain her own person, with her own thoughts. Had you blocked this engagement from the very beginning and never let Zhu Shan learn of it, she would still be the well-bred young Zhu Family miss preparing for an eventual match. She would not be in the position of having had a betrothal in her heart all along — of having quietly attached herself to someone — only to then have it torn away. The betrothal itself was a matter of parental arrangement; you could not govern what took root in her heart. And you should never have hinted to her that it was the Hua Family who wished to withdraw — trampling on the dignity of a young girl and grinding it underfoot.”
The First Madam turned her face aside in embarrassment. She had not expected Hua Zhi to have seen through even this. It was precisely because she had seen her daughter’s feelings already turning toward Bailin that she had told her it was the Hua Family who did not wish to continue the match — thinking to make her give up the idea entirely. She had not anticipated that instead it would push the girl in the opposite extreme, kindling a genuine hatred for the Hua Family, and driving her to march before her aunt and say what she had said. Had she known Shan’er was so susceptible to provocation, she never would have spoken those words.
Hua Zhi extended her hands toward the brazier, letting them warm. In the glow of the fire burning red and bright, her complexion looked radiant.
“The conflict between the two branches of the Zhu Family is one found in aristocratic households everywhere. Father and son holding office at the same time is already the outer limit, which is why in such families the eldest son typically enters officialdom while the second son manages the family’s business affairs — all in the hope that brothers will remain harmonious and support one another, and that the family will continue to flourish. Yet the branch in official service has always held itself a step above, consciously or not pressing down upon the other. Over time, resentment runs deep, and true harmony becomes impossible. Second Madam, you may not desire to topple the first branch entirely — but in such an environment, you naturally seek to protect your own branch’s interests and make provisions for your own children. So you are always looking for the first branch’s missteps, always pushing back on every front. Seen from your individual vantage points, neither of you is wrong. But from the perspective of what benefits the family as a whole, neither of you can be said to be entirely right. The proof of it is before you now — you have both come out the worse for it.”
Hua Zhi raised her head. “I have never understood — why would you rather everyone suffer than simply live in peace with one another? My First Uncle brings the family political standing and influence; my Second Uncle brings the family wealth and profit. The two of them could be each other’s greatest support. My First Uncle would have no need to step into wrongdoing out of greed for money — and my Second Uncle could leverage the Zhu Family’s prestige to earn even greater returns. This is clearly the best arrangement imaginable. How on earth did it come to the point where neither can tolerate the other?”
Both women looked faintly stunned. All they had ever thought about was how to secure more for themselves — how to hinder the other side without damaging their own position — how to whisper unflattering things about the other in the Old Madam’s ear. That was all they had ever been taught to do. It was all they knew.
The Second Madam felt this most keenly. Before she had even married into the Zhu Family, her own mother had warned her to guard against the first branch draining Zhu Family resources, to guard against their children receiving more of the in-laws’ affection. From the moment she stepped through the door, her mind had been wholly consumed with the question of how to guard — and no other thought had ever found space within it.
“When I passed the Yunlai Tavern on my way here today, I noticed it was barely drawing customers — perhaps three or four people scattered about. Yet that same tavern was once so sought-after that securing a seat was near impossible, back when it was in the Second Master of the Bai Family’s hands. It has fallen to where it is today for one reason alone: the brothers split the household, and the First Master of the Bai Family believed that driving his brother out would allow him to claim the whole of the Bai Family’s holdings for himself. And the result? Within a matter of months, the family’s enterprises are already showing signs of decline. Can one say the Bai Family has no capable people besides the Second Master? No — only that their capabilities lie elsewhere, not in commerce.”
Hua Zhi looked up at the two of them. “Do either of you wish to become a second Bai Family? Or do you, First Madam, believe that you could do better than my Second Uncle?”
The First Madam bit her lip. The words were too direct — so direct she did not know how to respond. And yet she could not help but think: if the Zhu Family were to split as well, would the first branch truly fare better? A split would mean surrendering a portion to the second branch — and given her brother-in-law’s abilities, he would likely flourish on his own. Moreover, a single brushstroke cannot write two characters for “Zhu” — even after their father-in-law was gone, if the second branch wished to borrow the Zhu Family’s prestige, could the first branch really refuse?
When all was said and done, the First Madam found that for all the years she had been sparring with the second branch, she had gained nothing — and had only earned the displeasure of the household elders.
The Second Madam, on the other hand, felt her back straighten considerably. Once Hua Zhi had opened this door for her, she saw things clearly enough: the first branch would always be the one standing in the open, protecting the Zhu Family’s official standing. So long as that branch did not reach too far into what was not theirs, she was content to make her home under the shelter of that great tree and live her days in ease.
Hua Zhi picked up the freshly poured cup of tea Ying Chun had placed before her and drank several sips. Between the underfloor heating, the brazier, and the hot tea, warmth had finally begun to seep back into her bones. She rose and removed her cape.
Reading the expressions on both women’s faces, Hua Zhi knew the conversation today had not been in vain. She continued: “In the eyes of most people, the Zhu and Hua families are as one — two households sharing a pair of trousers. The Hua Family has aligned with the Sixth Prince, and no matter whom the Zhu Family were to support after that, no one would believe it. By now, those who need to know are already aware that I am both employed by the Emperor and disliked by him — yet that very tension is what keeps me safe. The Emperor needs me to do his work; therefore he will not take my life. And even if that day were ever to come, so long as I have not committed treason or sold out my country, none of it will reach the Zhu Family. You need not carry this worry.”
This was the second purpose she had carried with her today. Her First Uncle’s change in attitude toward her had begun after her visit to the palace — she had always known what it was he was wary of. She wanted him to understand this clearly, so that he would not take unnecessary steps that might leave future trouble in their wake.