Gu Yan Xi glanced at Xiao Liu, then remarked in the tone of someone commenting on pleasant weather: “Rather than picking a day, why not seize the day — we might as well have the tea ceremony right now.”
Hua Zhi was still mentally sorting through the city’s noble families for potential allies. She registered the words a beat too slowly — while Xiao Liu had already snatched up the tea that Liu Xiang had freshly brewed, still steaming, knelt before Elder Sister Hua, and raised the cup high with both hands, eyes on her with a mixture of nervousness and longing.
Hua Zhi wanted to step back and refuse. A prince’s formal bow was not something she could simply receive. But Yan Xi had already caught her hand — and mindful of his wound, she didn’t dare pull away with any force.
“A’Zhi, I recall you once used a phrase — mutual gain.” Gu Yan Xi tightened his hold on her hand. “If you and Xiao Liu formalize this teacher-student bond, that is exactly what it would be. Mutual gain.”
She understood the reasoning perfectly. But she had imagined it would be no more than an informal arrangement, not something this solemn. Looking at the child whose nervousness had edged into a faint trace of fear, her heart softened. She let out a quiet breath, accepted the cup, and drank from it — under the child’s gaze of sudden, barely-contained joy. Then she looked up and said: “What I hesitated over was never unwillingness to take you as a student. In truth, over this past year we have already formed something of a teacher-student bond. I simply hadn’t thought to make it so… formal. I assumed we each knew it in our hearts, and that was enough.”
Xiao Liu broke into a beaming smile at once.
Hua Zhi smiled as well. She stood and helped him to his feet. “We’ll skip the elaborate ceremonies — and as for a gift from me, I haven’t prepared one, so you can’t fault me. You gave me no time to prepare.”
“I don’t fault you at all. I’ve already received so much.” Xiao Liu’s expression held a thread of excitement barely kept in check. “Does this mean I should call Elder Sister Hua ‘Teacher’ from now on?”
Hua Zhi was about to say whatever he liked would be fine, when Yan Xi spoke: “That is precisely how it should be. In a few days, once the current turbulence calms a little, I’ll see that word gets out. If you address A’Zhi as ‘Teacher’ a few times in public, no one will even need to verify it.”
Xiao Liu had no objection whatsoever. A brother without blood or surname was not nearly as close a tie as teacher and student — and besides, he was her only student.
Hua Zhi looked back at the man. “Does it need to be deliberately spread? Might it not provoke the Emperor further?”
“That is precisely why I am not sending word out immediately. Once he has calmed down, he will realize that having you serve as a prince’s teacher is far better than the reckless suggestion those others put forward. For Xiao Liu’s sake alone, you would not hold anything back — and what he wants is for you to earn him more silver, not necessarily for you to enter the palace. He does not absolutely require the latter.” Gu Yan Xi’s gaze turned cold and still. The disaster that Haoyue had brought — he was not going to let it pass without consequence.
Hua Zhi knew she understood the Emperor far less than Yan Xi did. Hearing him speak, she raised no further objection.
“A’Zhi, go to the Lu Family tomorrow.” Gu Yan Xi’s expression was perfectly earnest. “With rumors flying all over the city, they must be deeply worried — yet they cannot come to us directly. Please make the trip and explain my condition, then bring up the matter of the transport operation, so they can begin making arrangements as early as possible.”
The Lu Family was the cornerstone of the transport operation, and truly the only one she could feel settled having in charge. Still, she had reservations.
“Yan Xi — I always prefer to speak plainly, and this is no different. The Lu Family already has a share in the salt operation. If they are also given the lead role in transport, they will have every opportunity to siphon off funds, which would be far too convenient for them.”
“If the realm were at peace — no external threats, no internal unrest — the time to have the Lu Family step back from one of the two ventures would be at hand.” Gu Yan Xi looked toward Xiao Liu. “Duke Anguo himself raised this very concern the moment he learned the Lu Family was to head the transport operation. He also pledged that when the right moment came, he would hand the transport responsibility over. The Lu Family has always known what is dangerous to hold onto. They can be relied upon when they are needed.”
Xiao Liu nodded in agreement.
“Xiao Liu’s disadvantage is his age — he has not yet had time to cultivate a force truly his own. You must move quickly to produce results, and bring the court officials to your side. Before that happens, work swiftly to bring the Sun Family’s people and resources under your own command.”
“I understand. If I can return with the salt this time, entering the Seventh Division in an official capacity afterward — people will naturally come to align with me.”
“Quality over quantity. Don’t take in anyone who is rotten or worthless.”
Xiao Liu smiled in agreement. Teacher — his teacher — had always held the people she associated with to certain standards of character, as was plain from the partners she had chosen for her business dealings.
After a short while of conversation, Hua Zhi left to attend to other matters. With no elders in the household, there were still nephews and younger relatives from the various branches coming to pay New Year’s calls. Her younger sisters had kept her words firmly in mind — the moment she was away, they would come to report the intentions behind each visitor’s arrival, for her to read the attitude of each family through these comings and goings.
Back in the room, Xiao Liu broke the quiet. “Sending Elder Sister Hua to the Lu Family — Yan Xi, are you using this as a way to let everyone know the nature of your relationship?”
Gu Yan Xi smiled — clearly in high spirits. “What objection could there be?”
“Father may be displeased when he finds out. After all, he only recently said he intended to bring Teacher into the palace.”
“That was nothing more than the Emperor testing A’Zhi. It was I who overreacted — I misread his intentions and failed to appreciate his deeper concern.”
“…” The corner of Xiao Liu’s mouth twitched. That was a truly brazen rewriting of events.
Gu Yan Xi touched the wound lightly, his expression calm. It did not matter whether anyone else believed it — as long as the story held together, that was sufficient. The Emperor, too, would have no desire for this to become public scandal. Handling it this way preserved his dignity, while recasting their confrontation in terms more palatable to others — and entirely free of impropriety.
Besides, he had long wanted to declare to the entire world that A’Zhi was his. What a perfect opportunity this was.
Hua Zhi’s movements over these past few days had been watched by many. That she had gone to the Zhu Family and the Qin Family surprised no one — those two families were after all exceedingly close to the Hua Family.
But no one had anticipated that her next call would be at Duke Anguo’s residence — where she stayed through the midday meal before taking her leave.
For a time, all manner of speculation circulated. Gu Yan Xi’s people moved quietly to guide the narrative, and by mid-afternoon the story spreading across the capital was this: on New Year’s Eve, the Emperor had discovered that the Shizi harbored feelings for the eldest daughter of the Hua Family and was displeased. The events of that night had been arranged by the Emperor as a test — had the young lady wavered even the slightest, the Emperor would never have sanctioned their union. The Shizi had not been informed of this in advance, which was what led to the misunderstanding.
Now, with the Hua Family’s eldest daughter calling openly at the Lu Family home without the slightest concealment, it was plain the misunderstanding had been resolved — and the happy occasion between the two was drawing near.
In the imperial study, the Emperor’s expression was unreadable. Laifu stood with his head bowed, not daring to move.
“The Shizi has still not emerged?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. From what this servant has learned, Peony has been attending him closely throughout. The fever that came on earlier has since broken.”
Injured as he was, and still capable of manipulating the rumors across the capital — turning the situation around to this degree — the Gu family’s collective wit seemed to have concentrated itself entirely in that young man.
And understandably so. Without at least that much ability, how could someone barely past coming of age have commanded the Seven Stars Agency?
“Go to the storeroom and select some quality medicinal materials to send to him. Tell him — this Emperor has no interest in Hua Zhi, so there is no need to be in such a frantic rush to stake his claim. And tell him further: the Seven Stars Agency cannot be dissolved at present. Have him recover and return to managing its affairs without delay.”
Laifu bowed his assent, the last of his anxiety finally releasing from his chest and settling back where it belonged.