Hua Zhi smiled faintly. No one could know that at that moment her back was completely soaked with sweat. “Bailin has never enjoyed reading, but he loves working with sand-table formations. Though warfare will never fall to anyone of the Hua Family regardless, I always thought it was worth reading some texts on military strategy. Whenever he lost, he would come and ask me what formations I had used — and once I told him, he would go and find the relevant texts himself, determined to beat me next time before he would let it rest.”

For nearly a year now she had been kept relentlessly busy, and Bailin had grown considerably more sensible as well, so these sessions had long since stopped. But the good habit could not be abandoned — when she got back, she would have someone make a sand table again. No, two of them: one to set up in the front courtyard study, and one to place in his room, so he and the Sixth Imperial Prince could use it as a pastime.

Thinking of Bailin made her think of the Sixth Prince. He, even more than Bailin, needed to understand these matters more deeply.

“It is a fine habit.” Zhu Haodong nodded approvingly — though not every family could replicate it. Their own children weren’t as fortunate as Bailin, who had an elder sister capable of drawing even military texts into her orbit and putting them to use.

Looking at those formations on the board — some large, some small, some visible, some concealed — Zhu Haodong felt a creeping sensation along his scalp. If Zhi had been born a man, she would have been born for the military.

“Ziwen, go to my study and bring the two books from the very top shelf. Handle them with care.” Zhu Bowen accepted a cloth and wiped his hands, still wearing the flush of unspent excitement. He truly had not felt this satisfied in a very long time.

Zhu Ziwen gave his younger cousin a long, searching look before turning and departing quickly. It was the first time he had realized how vast the gap truly was between them.

The group settled back into their seats. Before much had been said, Zhu Ziwen returned with the books, and at his grandfather’s gesture passed them directly to his younger cousin.

Though called books, they were not quite books — just two volumes of handwritten manuscripts, the covers bearing not even a title, written on silk cloth.

The moment she took in the contents, Hua Zhi immediately understood their value. These were two works on military strategy — works not found anywhere in the Hua Family’s library. Which meant — these could very well be the only copies in existence.

She raised her eyes to look at her maternal grandfather. He truly intended to give them to her? Then she would accept them without hesitation.

Zhu Bowen was greatly pleased by the delight she showed, and smoothed his beard as he spoke. “The previous dynasty committed no small number of wicked acts — you must be aware of the matter of Siqing’s tomb being desecrated.”

Hua Zhi’s eyes widened slightly. Could it be that these came from…

“That’s right — they were taken from Master Siqing’s tomb. They very nearly went up in flames at the time. It was the scholars and young students of that era who gave their lives to protect them. Afterward they changed hands several times and disappeared for many years. Two years ago I came across them by chance — it seems they had been quietly passed among scholars all this while, and were well preserved. I had them kept at Dazhu Temple under proper care for three months before I brought them home, and I arranged a memorial rite for Master Siqing as well. Consider it honoring the bond that brought us together.”

Hua Zhi looked down at the two volumes, running her fingers gently over the aged marks on their covers. Every era produces figures of brilliance — Master Siqing had been the tide-rider of his time.

Yet so little of his work had survived. The Kingdom of Chaoli had come perilously close to destroying an entire civilization.

“Fine as they are, leaving such things to gather dust on a shelf is a waste. Since you are willing to read them and capable of understanding them, giving them to you is just right.”

Hua Zhi could not refuse. At her core she was a person of commerce, and all successful people in commerce shared one trait: they excelled at offense — scheming and maneuvering by every means, all in pursuit of closing the deal.

In those circles, no small number of people had studied military strategy. She had not loved reading such texts at the time, but circumstances had forced her hand — not wanting to be outclassed, she had driven herself to become an offensive thinker as well.

The longer she read, the more she found it absorbing — and she no longer found it abstruse or difficult.

Hua Zhi rose and bowed in formal gratitude. “Thank you, Maternal Grandfather, for such a generous gift.”

Zhu Ziwen interjected a gentle reminder: “Grandfather, perhaps we should eat first — it’s already dark out.”

Zhu Bowen glanced at the sky and broke into a laugh. “How did it get to be this hour already? Come then — let’s eat.”

To receive her, the Zhu Family kitchen had crafted the vegetarian dishes into something almost ornamental. Hua Zhi obliged them handsomely by eating an extra half bowl of rice — and seeing that she truly ate quite well, Old Madam Zhu smiled throughout the entire meal.

By the time she left the Zhu household, the hour was already late. Zhu Ziwen was sent to escort her, and had barely stepped into the rear lane before he came to an abrupt stop, moving to shield his younger cousin.

“Who is there?”

Gu Yanxi looked past him and found Hua Zhi’s gaze. Their eyes met, and Hua Zhi smiled gently. “Cousin, he is the martial arts instructor our family has engaged. Bailin was probably worried about me, so he sent him to escort me home.”

Zhu Ziwen regarded this explanation with considerable skepticism. His family employed martial arts instructors, and he had encountered those retained by other families as well — yet none had ever carried this kind of presence.

“If I truly just let you go home like this, do you think my father would throw me out, Cousin?”

Seeing he was truly uneasy, Hua Zhi did not refuse his goodwill. “Then I’ll trouble Cousin.”

The carriage rocked and swayed along the quiet streets. Hua Zhi leaned sideways against the padded cushion and closed her eyes to rest. After a full day, she was quite tired.

She had not expected to fall asleep entirely. When Nanny Su woke her, she was still in a daze, and it was only when she was helped down from the carriage and the night breeze touched her face that she gradually came to herself. But in that span of time, there had been more than enough opportunity for one to clearly see the exhaustion written all over her — exhaustion too deep to hide.

Zhu Ziwen thought: they had all taken it far too much for granted. Taking on a family’s entire burden in haste — how could that not wear a person out? She had done it so brilliantly that they had all forgotten how much she was enduring behind it all, how much pressure she had borne throughout. She said nothing — and so they, truly or pretendedly, acted as though they did not know, praising her with fine words without stopping to wonder whether she, too, might have spent nights unable to sleep.

Thinking this, Zhu Ziwen’s voice softened to an unprecedented gentleness. “Go in and rest well.”

“Thank you for the trouble, Cousin.”

“We’re family — no need for such words.”

Hua Zhi dropped into a slight bow, then nodded toward Gu Yanxi, and allowed Nanny Su to guide her inside.

Gu Yanxi very nearly followed her in — or simply vaulted over the wall, for that matter. No one would have stopped him, and A’Zhi would certainly not have blamed him. But in the end he held himself back. He had nothing that absolutely had to be said right this moment, and A’Zhi needed proper rest.

Zhu Ziwen glanced at him and ultimately said nothing further. Though Zhi was close to the Zhu Family, he still needed to know where to draw the line. Since Zhi trusted this person, no matter how much doubt he harbored privately, outwardly he had to do the same.

When he returned home, Zhu Ziwen went directly to his grandfather.

“Your caution is right. However close, these are still two different families — never act under the banner of ‘doing what’s best for her’ and overstep.” The old patriarch gave a word of praise, then continued: “This person’s origins are unusual. I looked into his background and found nothing — only that he accompanied Zhi on her journey to the northern frontier. Which means he has passed Hua Yizheng’s scrutiny. I suspect he may be someone Hua Pingyang came to know during his time away, or someone who received a kindness from the Hua Family long ago — which is why he appeared to look after the Hua Family the moment trouble struck.”

“Which is to say, he can be trusted?”

“For now, it appears so. For a man of martial ability, the Hua Family holds nothing worth scheming for.”

Though his grandfather had said as much, Zhu Ziwen still felt an inexplicable unease he could not quite shake. That person’s presence — it was simply too powerful, too deeply memorable.