In thinking about Shao Yao’s completely unruly temperament whenever she got riled up, Hua Zhi felt helpless — yet she didn’t find anything wrong with it. Shao Yao wasn’t an unreasonable person who lacked a sense of right and wrong.

“How is your injury? Is it serious?”

“It was just a little blood — it healed long ago. It wasn’t even as bad as the time I got hurt at the manor.” Yan Xi’s concern was written too plainly across his face. Though Hua Zhi was touched, she also felt a little uncomfortable and changed the subject: “The hot water should be ready by now. Go wash up and change your clothes first.”

Gu Yanxi suppressed the urge to hold her again. Some things, once done for the first time, made you want to do them countless times more — but that would be too forward. He had managed with great difficulty to catch a glimpse of some feeling breaking through A’Zhi’s composed surface, and he didn’t want to ruin it. He followed her words and headed next door.

Hua Zhi steadied the emotions that Yanxi’s arrival had thrown into disarray, then rose and went to the kitchen. She had no particular intention of washing her hands to make him a grand meal — it was simply that cooking held no difficulty whatsoever for her. Thinking of how he must have worn himself out rushing all this way and his appetite was probably off, she had Bao Xia take one of the pre-prepared cold dishes from the selection they had made earlier, then boiled him a bowl of noodles — sour and spicy.

She had just finished setting out the food when Gu Yanxi came through, freshly tidied. Bao Xia covered her mouth to hide her smile. “These noodles were boiled by our young miss herself, Master Lu — you must eat every last drop, or you won’t be forgiven.”

Gu Yanxi paused. This was… A’Zhi had boiled these noodles with her own hands?

Hua Zhi shot Bao Xia an exasperated look. What was there to announce about that? And what was that expression on Yanxi’s face!

“It’s not as though you’ve never seen me cook before. I used to guide Fu Dong through it step by step.”

Bao Xia grinned mischievously. “But that’s entirely different, isn’t it, Master Lu?”

“Entirely different.” Gu Yanxi answered Bao Xia’s words, but his gaze never left Hua Zhi. “I will eat every last drop — not a sip of broth left.”

Hua Zhi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Eat slowly. I’m going to change my clothes.”

Bao Xia turned away to steal a moment of laughter — then, inexplicably, felt her nose sting with the threat of tears. When the young miss had been engaged before, they had all thought Shen Qi a reliable match, well-suited in every way. But when trouble fell on the Hua Family and the Shen Family stood aside with folded arms, they had been furious — and anxious on the young miss’s behalf. Their young miss was so capable, so wonderful; it felt as though no one could measure up to her anymore. And yet who could call that a good thing? If no one measured up, was she to spend her life alone?

Thank goodness — thank goodness Master Lu had appeared. He had come to stand at the young miss’s side when she needed it most and became her steadying force, yet he was nothing like those other men who would use affection as an excuse to confine a woman to the inner quarters. And thank goodness — thank goodness their young miss was so wise and clear-sighted; Master Lu’s devoted heart had not gone to waste, and at last the clouds had parted to reveal sunlight.

If Master Lu were to become their young miss’s husband, it seemed she would not need to restrain herself in order to live the life she wanted.

Her back to the young miss, Bao Xia’s eyes reddened. She turned and dipped into a deep bow toward Gu Yanxi. Their young miss deserved the best of everything — she could only hope that Master Lu would never let her down.

Gu Yanxi watched the mistress and maid leave, then sat at the table before the four cold dishes and that single steaming bowl of noodles. The softness in his eyes had no witness. And he did exactly as he had said — he left not a single drop of broth.

In this lifetime, all he had ever wanted was Hua Zhi, and nothing more.

Whether it was the sour-and-spicy flavor or the warmth that had settled into his heart, his whole body felt as though it were soaking in warm water. Drowsiness crept over him. He held on just long enough to make it back to his room before he fell into a deep, heavy sleep — so at peace that even the vigilance he’d carried for years had abandoned him. He didn’t wake until the following morning.

Outside, the light was still faint, and thunder rumbled low in the distance. Inside the room, the air was stifling and hot.

He glanced at the water clock — it was already the mao hour. Gu Yanxi rose, dressed, and stepped out through the door. Before he had even looked up at the sky, he saw that someone was already standing beneath the corridor eave.

Their eyes met. Gu Yanxi walked closer. “Have you been up long?”

“The heat is unbearable.” Hua Zhi gestured for him to look up. “It’s going to rain.”

At the mao hour in summer, the sky should have been fully bright by now — yet it hung low and dark, pressed down by clouds of unknowable depth. Once the rain started, it would not be light, and it would not stop quickly.

At almost the same moment, Shao Yao and the Sixth Prince both opened their doors and stepped out. Shao Yao had a veiled hat in her hand and was moving with the brisk air of someone about to head out; the Sixth Prince was also neatly dressed. Seeing the two already outside, both of them stopped in their tracks.

The Sixth Prince offered a greeting and called out, “Yanxi Brother.”

Shao Yao also called out, “Yan Brother — the sky doesn’t look right. I’m heading to the yamen.”

Gu Yanxi had fallen asleep before anyone returned the night before, and there were things he hadn’t had a chance to ask about yet. Seeing her about to leave, he called her back. “Rushing off right now won’t do any good. Tell me first — what is the situation like with the river channels?”

“I had them work on the channels one by one with everyone’s combined effort. In the past few days we barely managed to clear two — and that was only with me cracking the whip at them. They act as if they’re doing me a personal favor. Who exactly is all this for?!” Shao Yao’s teeth were grinding just talking about it, but there was nothing to be done. She could discipline officials who overstepped, but against common people with nothing in their hands, she had no choice but to hold her temper no matter what.

“Years of annual corvée labor have numbed them to it — they’re just enduring their quota for the year,” Hua Zhi said with equal helplessness. Under the Da Qing dynasty, mandatory labor was levied as follows: a household of seven provided three laborers; six households among five together provided two; a household of five provided two. Xiangyang was a large county. With the Seven-Lodge Bureau bearing down and refusing to allow payment in lieu of service, the number of corvée laborers should have been around eight thousand. With so many people, only two not-particularly-long channels had been cleared in five days — the inefficiency was staggering.

“Yanxi, that matter I mentioned in my letter…”

“The men of the Seven-Lodge Bureau have to learn a whole range of things to be prepared for all kinds of situations. Among those I brought along are some who specialize in construction works. Their horses aren’t as fast as Linying, but they should have arrived last evening.”

Yu Tao replied, “Yes, they arrived. After a brief rest, Wu Xing collected some materials and went outside the city. He has not yet returned.”

“Let’s hope there’s still time. Cao Cao — have all the so-called spirit masters in the city been cleared out?”

“Cleared out and sent far away long since.”

“Still no water reports from upstream these past few days?”

“None.”

And yet the water level was receding so slowly — after several days of clear skies, it had dropped only two marks. And the river water was murky. These were unmistakably signs of rain upstream! Hua Zhi felt a surge of helplessness. How accustomed must this region be to flooding, that their response could be so sluggish?!

Shao Yao put on her veiled hat. “I’m heading to the yamen.”

The thunder grew louder, rolling and booming; lightning flickered dimly behind the thick layers of cloud. Hua Zhi looked toward the Sixth Prince, who had also been making to leave and follow along. “Stop by the kitchen and bring a few steamed buns before you go. Grab several.”

The Sixth Prince acknowledged her with a word, then — casting aside all thought of propriety — bolted toward the kitchen at a dead run.

Gu Yanxi watched him go. “Having him stay by your side was the right call. He’s grown.”

“Encountering more things naturally makes a person grow. He got hurt earlier in all of this, and I didn’t hear a single complaint from him.”

Gu Yanxi couldn’t help but smile at the pride in her voice. Someone who didn’t know better might think the Sixth Prince was her own child.

Author’s Note: This stretch of plot really isn’t as drawn out as it might feel — reading one update a day probably gives that impression. A small spoiler: this arc corresponds to the earlier storyline about the August flooding at Xiangyang and the Wei River breach. I’ll be volunteering for two more days — please bear with me a little longer.