The residence the Hua Family now occupied was actually quite spacious — only somewhat smaller compared to the official manor they had once lived in.

Four courtyards front to back, with a garden at the rear. Each courtyard was layered within the next — the kind of deep, nested arrangement that spoke of a household of some standing.

Hua Zhi lived in the east side-courtyard of the second compound. Compared to the west side-courtyard that connected to the garden, this wing was quiet to the point of seclusion — yet nobody complained that she had taken anything advantageous. In truth, she would have preferred to live even further back, but times had changed; she had many people to receive and many matters to attend to. Living too deep inside the compound would make it inconvenient for both herself and others.

Her grandmother had also lived in the second compound, though at some distance from her side-courtyard.

Hua Zhi walked along the covered corridor toward her grandmother’s courtyard, a white cloak over her shoulders. Every servant she passed along the way bowed low — with more reverence than they had shown before.

When the Hua Family had teetered on the brink, they had feared the sky itself was falling. It was the Young Miss who had held it up, giving them back their sense of safety. And now, with the Old Madam gone — the cornerstone removed — strangely, they did not feel the same panic they had when the Hua Family first faced disaster.

Perhaps, they thought, because they knew that as long as the Young Miss was here, no matter how great the difficulty, it would not remain a difficulty for long.

Watching the Young Miss’s lean but straight-backed figure walk away, they could no longer quite recall what she had been like before.

In the room ahead, the elder relatives from the Hua Family’s branch lines were weeping and wailing beside the bed with deep, genuine grief. Hua Zhi stood at the doorway watching, a quiet sorrow settling in her. She could see that they were truly heartbroken — they had been in each other’s company for decades, had shared quarrels and grievances, but also forty years of kinship, and they had weathered every trial together.

“Zhier is back.”

Fourth Aunt looked up, saw her, and quickly alerted the others. They had only just learned that Zhier had returned today and had seen the Old Madam through to the end.

Hua Zhi gave a formal bow to each of the three elders as custom required. All three stepped forward to help her up.

Third Aunt touched her thin arm, eyes reddening once more. “Thinner — you’ve grown thinner.”

The wives from the branch households, kneeling in rings throughout the room, all looked up at her with quiet anticipation. But Hua Zhi said nothing extra, and turned directly to Fourth Aunt by marriage. “How are the preparations coming along?”

“I had someone check just a moment ago. The mourning hall should be fully ready by nightfall.”

“I seem to recall there are prescribed times for moving the body to the mourning platform—” Something suddenly struck her. “Has a monk been sent for, to conduct the funeral rites?”

Wu Shi had already thought of this and nodded. “I had Steward Xu go to the Great Goose Temple. He hasn’t returned yet.”

The Great Goose Temple — Hua Zhi frowned. It was a small temple with fewer than twenty monks in total, and they certainly would not all come. That was too few.

Wu Shi looked pained. “I would have preferred to go to the Great Zhuolu Temple, but the way things stand, the Hua Family may not be able to command that kind of attendance.”

“We won’t know until we try.” Hua Zhi’s gaze swept the room. “Bailin.”

Hua Bailin, who had been folding paper offerings with several of his younger siblings, came quickly.

“Go write an invitation. Request that Master Bore from the Great Zhuolu Temple come to perform the rites and send Grandmother on her way.”

“I’ll go write it now.”

“One more thing.” Hua Zhi looked at him. “You are to write all the death notices yourself.”

“Elder Sister — they are already written. Starting tomorrow, my brothers and I will go out to deliver them.”

“Have you assigned everyone their households?”

“Yes.”

Hua Zhi said nothing in praise, only rested her hand briefly on his shoulder — and Hua Bailin beamed. At least Elder Sister was no longer disappointed in him.

Taking the written invitation, Hua Zhi handed it to Wu Shi. “Send someone out to meet Steward Xu along the way. Have him call off the Great Goose Temple, and go directly to the Great Zhuolu Temple.”

“But if the Great Zhuolu Temple—”

“They will not refuse. Master Bore and Grandfather were old friends.”

Wu Shi felt somewhat reassured and hurried off.

The three elder relatives exchanged a glance, each with something unspoken in their eyes.

Fourth Aunt by marriage suddenly said, “Zhier, the snow is getting heavier by the hour. The night will be even colder. Perhaps Hua Jing should be asked to come inside and keep vigil with the rest?”

“She has set her heart on observing mourning for Grandmother so devotedly — I naturally intend to honor that.”

“We all know what is really going on here. If the weather were fine I wouldn’t say anything, but in weather like this — if she actually falls ill, it is you who will bear the blame.”

“Whatever the cost — that gate is barred to her. She will not set foot through it, not until the day she dies.”

“If she forces her way in—”

“She won’t dare.” A contemptuous light crossed Hua Zhi’s eyes. “In fact, I would welcome it if she tried.”

She was quite willing to spend her own reputation as a stake, to let the world know exactly what kind of deeds Hua Jing had done — though in the end, people would come to know regardless.

Fourth Aunt by marriage opened her mouth to say more. Third Aunt by marriage caught her sleeve and gave a small, quiet shake of her head. Hua Zhi had made up her mind to make Hua Jing suffer, and there was no reason for them to quarrel with Hua Zhi over someone like Hua Jing. Hua Jing simply was not worth it.

Hua Zhi called for a drawing board to be brought. She had no intention of summoning a portrait painter — she would paint her grandmother’s likeness herself.

Elsewhere, Gu Yanxi had learned from Chen Qing about the Hua Family’s search for monks, and he immediately began writing a letter. “Send someone to the Great Zhuolu Temple. Move quickly.”

“Yes.”

Chen Qing withdrew, then returned shortly after.

Gu Yanxi was still in his formal court robes — he had only just returned from the palace. His imperial uncle was growing more temperamental by the day. Upon learning that the Yan Kingdom had been taking advantage of him, he had nearly given the order to surround the Yan Kingdom with troops on the spot. It had taken Gu Yanxi some time to ease his temper.

“What is the situation at the Hua Family right now? Has anyone given them trouble?”

Chen Qing glanced at his master, not quite knowing how to say that it was rather hard to tell who was giving trouble to whom — he had followed Hua Zhi for half the day and watched her thoroughly torment Hua Jing. Though thinking about what Hua Jing had done, he found it deeply satisfying.

He kept his eyes lowered and gave a careful, thorough account of everything at the Hua household — large and small. At the end, Chen Qing said, “Before this servant came back, Hua Zhi had already sent someone to the Great Zhuolu Temple. It seems Master Bore and the Hua Family’s Old Master have a prior acquaintance.”

Gu Yanxi stood at the window with his hands clasped behind him. Cold wind rushed in steadily, making the things on the desk around the study rattle and chime.

Prior acquaintance — that sort of thing holds only as long as the person does. Once the person was gone, not everyone would honor it. The monk Bore might remember his friendship with Hua Yizheng and take the matter on himself, but the other monks of the Great Zhuolu Temple were another question — not every monk was truly detached from worldly concerns.

But if only one person performed the funeral rites, the Hua Family would still lose face — even if that one person was Bore himself.

“Send another letter to Elder Yu. Have him make haste for Yinshan Pass. Tell Shao Yao that the Hua Family’s Old Madam has passed. Have her return as soon as possible — and this must not be let out to the Hua Family.”

“Yes.”

Thinking of the situation Hua Zhi was now facing, Gu Yanxi could not help but frown. She had come all that way without rest, and now this entire weight had landed on her. Seven days of lying in state — she would have to keep vigil through all seven days, and manage everything in her mind the entire time. No one could hold up under that indefinitely.

If he had known, he would have had Shao Yao come back with her. Never mind whether Wu Yong could have lasted until Elder Yu arrived.

Chen Qing drew a few steps closer to the Shizi, and ventured carefully, “Should this servant go speak with a few households — ask them to pay a visit to offer condolences?”

“No need.” Let too many unrelated people come, and Hua Zhi would lose the chance to see clearly who still held genuine goodwill toward the Hua Family. That was precisely what she most needed to understand from all of this — it would determine how the Hua Family conducted itself with the capital’s great families going forward. She also needed to see plainly what the Hua Family’s true standing was now.