Hearing this, Qin Zheng’s heart settled. Even if some rift between the two families was unavoidable, at least things would not grow worse.

“When I set out, my father told me not to push too hard. But I felt there were some things that still needed to be said plainly. A child should not speak of their parents’ faults — yet in this matter, my mother truly did act in a way that caused great hurt.” Qin Zheng turned the jade pendant at his waist over in his palm. “The Qin Family, by a slight stretch, might be counted among the imperial family’s in-laws. My mother comes from a minor branch of the imperial house, and she brought every one of the imperial family’s customs and rules straight into the Qin household. Because the Hua Family was respected among the scholarly nobility, she had always thought well of your grandmother. Even after the Hua Family’s downfall, she did not look down on her. What she looks down upon is merchants. In her view, merchants are of low standing.”

Hua Zhi smiled slightly. She now had a somewhat clearer picture of that maternal aunt she had rarely had dealings with. If she had spent her life in clean, upright poverty and died in the end with her integrity intact, she might have earned a word of praise from that woman. But why on earth should she go seeking praise from someone who had nothing to do with her?

Qin Zheng could read her contempt perfectly well, and let out a sigh. “My mother has her own set of principles by which she conducts herself, and she rarely makes missteps. My father trusted her and assumed she would handle relations with the Hua Family properly as well — he never imagined things would come to this. My father had actually intended to come in person today, but he felt too ashamed to face your grandmother’s spirit, and so sent me in his place with the family’s younger generation. To be honest, in all these years, today was the first time I have ever seen my father speak to my mother with such harsh severity.”

Hua Zhi had no interest in examining whether this was entirely true. Since the other party had offered such a perfectly reasonable explanation, she was content to accept the gesture. When all was said and done, what she wanted from the Qin Family was simply this — an attitude. Her grandmother had been close to her maternal family during her lifetime, and if there was any way to honor that, she did not wish to see the two families sever ties so soon after her grandmother’s passing.

“Another day, I will come to call on Grand-Uncle and ask his forgiveness. It was small-minded of me, the younger generation.”

It was over.

Qin Zheng relaxed inwardly, and a lightness came into his smile. “Knowing what kind of person you are, the fault lay with the Qin Family first — how could anyone blame you? But if you do come to call, my father will be very pleased. My mother’s illness may even improve.”

“Maternal Aunt-in-law is ill?”

“A matter of the heart.” Not wanting Hua Zhi to think he was using this to press her, Qin Zheng moved past it in a single sentence, offering nothing more.

His manner actually made Hua Zhi think rather better of him. She expressed her goodwill in her characteristically direct way — she immediately brought up the matter the Qin Family was most concerned about. “The Qin Family’s window for entering the Seventh Bureau has already closed.”

“Yes, the capital is too late. But there may still be opportunities further afield.”

Hua Zhi shook her head. “From what I know of the Daqing court’s workings, those at the lower levels will certainly be fielded by whichever factions have already staked out the Seventh Bureau. If the Qin Family tries to enter the fray now, you will only draw the combined resistance of those factions. It is not worth it.”

Qin Zheng was well aware of this. He and his father had talked it over many times before he had set out, and what they were looking for was not to go it alone and forge their own faction. “Could a partnership with the Cai Family not be arranged?”

Hua Zhi glanced at him.

Qin Zheng smiled. “You have kept yourself very clean in all of this. Even if people have their suspicions, there is nothing they can point to.”

“I did not do anything.” The corner of Hua Zhi’s mouth curved upward. “If the Qin Family were a smaller clan, it might be possible. But even with the quiet years you have had, the Qin Family still has deep roots. The current balance of power within the Seventh Bureau is already set — there is no room for the Qin Family.”

Qin Zheng’s brow furrowed tightly. Zhi’er was right — none of the factions would allow the Qin Family to upset the balance. But the Qin Family needed an opportunity, a chance to rise again. In a river, not to advance was to retreat. The Qin Family was already showing signs of decline. It had to be stopped before it went any further.

“Zhi’er, your mind is sharp — give your old uncle some ideas.”

Hua Zhi had not expected him to be so forthright about it. “The Seventh Bureau is truly not suitable.”

Qin Zheng waved a dismissive hand. “Not the Seventh Bureau. Tell me — in what direction should the Qin Family direct its efforts?”

Running through the various matters she had set in motion, Hua Zhi found an idea coming to her. “Uncle Qin, are you aware that in the state of Yan, crops can be grown three times a year?”

“Yan submits grain as tribute every year — I have heard as much.”

“I have been working with some others to see if a double-harvest cycle might be possible here. Previously, I managed to find a way to bring some people back from Yan. I could step in and arrange for the Qin Family to take over this undertaking.”

Qin Zheng’s spirits lifted. If this succeeded, it would be a great service to the realm, and the Qin Family would earn tremendous credit. However, grain matters had always fallen under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance — could the Zhu Family really relinquish such an enormously valuable prospect?

“This matter is still in the experimental stage and has not yet been placed under the Ministry of Finance. I will speak to Maternal Grandfather about it. If the Qin Family is sincere about this, you will need to find someone with real ability to take charge — do not think only of seizing the credit. There can only be credit if the work actually succeeds.”

“I understand. I will go home and discuss it with my father at once.” Qin Zheng’s tone was grave. “Whether this succeeds or not, the Qin Family will always remember this kindness from Zhi’er.”

Having a direction in mind, Qin Zheng could sit still no longer, and immediately rose to take his leave.

Hua Zhi made to see him out, but was stopped before she could. “If you are cold, there is no need to step outside. Getting ill in winter is miserable — please take care of yourself.”

Hua Zhi accepted the goodwill, and gave a small curtsy. “Safe travels, Uncle Qin.”

The curtain was lifted and then fell back into place. Hua Zhi let her shoulders drop and was just thinking of resting her head on the desk for a moment when the curtain was lifted once more. She instinctively straightened up — then, seeing it was Gu Yanxi, let her shoulders drop again.

Gu Yanxi smiled despite himself. He waited until the chill of the outdoors had faded from him somewhat before stepping closer. “It looks like things have thawed with the Qin Family.”

“One has to take Grandmother’s feelings into account.” With no dignity left to preserve, Hua Zhi hugged the hand warmer to her chest, and noticing that he had come in without even a cloak, asked: “Have you been here long?”

“A short while. What did you promise the Qin Family? Qin Zheng looked quite pleased when he left.”

“I was just about to discuss this with you. Jin Yang will need a great many people. I was thinking of reassigning the people currently working on the double-harvest rice project and handing that over to the Qin Family. After all, whatever the Seven Lodges does, His Majesty simply takes it as a matter of course without giving credit for it.”

In a space where it was just the two of them, Gu Yanxi dispensed with his usual composure. He stretched out his long legs and leaned back to make himself comfortable, then heard her out and nodded. “All the better — the Seven Lodges is short-handed. For anything that does not strictly require the Seven Lodges to handle it directly, I have been planning to hand those tasks off. Having the Qin Family take this one over is actually quite fitting.”

“Have you begun making preparations for Jin Yang?”

“I am thinking of using the period around the New Year, when people naturally travel in greater numbers, to move our people into Jin Yang in plain sight. That is the only time when they will not arouse suspicion.”

Hua Zhi rested her chin on top of the hand warmer, absorbing this as she nodded along. “It is true that the New Year period has people paying visits back and forth — it would be a good opportunity to enter the city. Have you decided who will serve as the visible person in charge?”

“Still weighing it up.”

Gu Yanxi glanced at her, then produced a deck of cards seemingly out of nowhere. Hua Zhi’s face lit up. “You made them?”

“Just this one deck — tell me if they are good enough, then we can make more.”

Setting the hand warmer on her lap, Hua Zhi took the deck and flipped through the cards one by one. The feel was not bad at all. The card stock was stiff and held its shape; if not deliberately damaged, they ought to last for several days at least.

But — “Make the cards a little smaller. These are a bit too large — hard to hold a full hand in one’s palm.”

“Anything else?”

Hua Zhi went through the deck from beginning to end once more. “That is the only thing I can think of.”

“All right — sketch a size on the back so they have a reference when they make the next set.”