At that hour the sky was still pale, the city gates having only just opened. After the earliest wave of travelers passed through, the gate fell quiet.
Wu Yong spotted their group from a distance and came forward to meet them. Shaoyao had built up quite a rapport with him over their sessions with the sand table. The moment she saw him, she left the others behind and galloped toward him on her horse.
“What are you doing here?”
“Seeing you off.” Wu Yong made no attempt to conceal it. He meant it, and he wasn’t afraid of Shizi knowing.
“Now that’s what I call a true friend.” Shaoyao pushed back her veil hat and flashed him a wide grin. “If you ever make it to the capital, I’ll treat you properly.”
“It’s a deal.” Wu Yong looked at this face that had frightened him the first time they’d met and genuinely couldn’t say what had gone wrong with his sense of taste — because now he found it unexpectedly endearing. He knew clearly he couldn’t keep her here. With danger lurking on all sides, he didn’t want her here either. He only hoped he could make it through the coming upheaval alive — and when he did, he would pursue her shamelessly until she was his.
For now, he could only raise his hand in farewell. “Take care.”
“You too. Take care.” Shaoyao was generous to those she counted as her own. Thinking of how he was a border garrison commander who might be called to the battlefield at any moment, she patted herself down and handed over every medicinal remedy she could spare, patiently explaining each one’s use.
Hua Zhi murmured against the man’s shoulder, “Did you see that? Someone’s gotten remarkably bold.”
“I noticed.”
There was something distinctly gritted about those words. Hua Zhi smiled. Yes — bold indeed, to dare set his sights on her Caocao.
Gu Yanxi lightly pressed his heels to the horse’s flank and rode forward, cutting directly into their exchange. “Has Gu Chengde left?”
Being a rank lower in station to begin with — and now having set his sights on this man’s junior — Wu Yong rubbed his nose. “Yes. He left with this official’s pass token half an hour ago. Clearly in quite a hurry to get back.”
That reaction, at least, put Gu Yanxi’s mind at ease somewhat. He gave a nod. “Then — farewell.”
Shaoyao waved broadly at Wu Yong, then kicked her horse forward after the two ahead, not once looking back. Wu Yong remained standing in place for a long while before turning to leave. Before any of his wishes could be fulfilled, first — he had to stay alive.
This journey back proved more exhausting than any Hua Zhi had made before. Already drained of blood and vitality, her stamina greatly reduced, and having spent this past stretch of time being carefully tended to, a single day of travel left her body feeling as though it might come apart at the seams. Even with Gu Yanxi doing everything he could to protect her, even with Shaoyao’s tireless attentiveness, she arrived in the capital visibly thinner.
Hua Zhi said nothing. But everyone could see the journey had not been easy on her.
Times were different now. Wary of drawing attention, Gu Yanxi dared not escort her directly home. He helped her dismount in a secluded place outside the city walls.
“There may be some turbulence in the capital over the next few days. If anything comes up and it’s inconvenient for me to come in person, I’ll have Wang Rong get word to you.”
“Understood.” Hua Zhi climbed onto the other horse, then pulled her reins closer to Linying. “Bingzhou has gone more than three months without rain. Remember to ask the Imperial Observatory about the situation — or Haoyue, if that’s easier. The north cannot afford unrest right now.”
He understood she was worried about the drought threatening the Yinshan Pass. He nodded. “I’ll remember. Don’t worry — Haoyue said the south would flood but said nothing about the north running dry. It should hold.”
“Let’s hope so.” Hua Zhi glanced at the sky. “It’s getting late. You go first.”
Gu Yanxi looked to Shaoyao, who understood immediately. “I’ll take Zeng Han to Shizi’s residence first.”
Shaoyao was a known name in certain watchful circles — under ordinary circumstances, it wouldn’t matter if people knew she had dealings with Hua Zhi. Even the Emperor had shown her special regard. But right now, it wouldn’t do. And Zeng Han first needed to see his father’s case through.
For safety, Gu Yanxi left two unfamiliar faces to escort Hua Zhi home.
She made it through the city gates just before they closed and went straight for home. The household servants who saw her were all bright-faced with relief. The Hua household, which had grown so unnervingly quiet, seemed to breathe back to life in an instant. Several of the senior maids burst into tears the moment they laid eyes on her.
Hua Zhi hadn’t yet heard that Fourth Uncle had already let things slip. Seeing them weeping like this, she smiled until her eyes curved. “It’s not as though I was gone forever — why the tears? Is everything at home all right?”
“All’s well.” They had all agreed beforehand and wouldn’t let anything slip. Knowing their young miss would want to pay respects to Madam first, Yingchun stepped forward to support her arm and lead her in. “As luck would have it, today is also Fourth Aunt’s birthday — Fourth Madam went over there and hasn’t returned yet, but she should be back soon.”
“What a coincidence.” Hua Zhi felt thoroughly drained, and hung half her weight on Yingchun. “Send someone to draw up a bath for me. After I’ve paid my respects to Mother, I’m going to rest — we rushed the whole way here, I need to recover.”
“Yes, miss.”
Madam was overjoyed to tears the moment she saw her daughter. With both children away, her heart had been utterly untethered with worry these past weeks. But looking now at her daughter’s undeniable exhaustion, there was no room left for her own feelings — everything else could wait. She immediately had Yingchun help the girl back to her room to rest.
The maids in Hua Zhi’s courtyard were quick and efficient. By the time word reached them, everything had been prepared and ready. Hua Zhi was first made to drink a full stomach of nourishing broth, then helped behind the screen.
When Yingchun moved to help her undress, she suddenly remembered the fresh wounds across her body. She quickly pressed down Yingchun’s hand. “I’d like to soak a while longer. Go fetch more hot water — and tell the others they needn’t come in to attend me.”
“…Yes, miss.”
The moment she stepped outside, Yingchun found herself surrounded by the other senior maids. Bao Xia pressed her voice low. “Could you see? Has the young miss been injured anywhere?”
Yingchun’s expression was grave as she shook her head. “She sent me out.”
Not even letting her look — whatever the injury, it had to be serious. The maids exchanged glances, worried and heartbroken all at once.
“All right — scatter, everyone. The young miss doesn’t usually guard herself against us. It’ll come out eventually.”
Though she said it, Yingchun hadn’t expected the moment to arrive quite so soon. After waiting outside for a long while without being called in, she tapped on the door softly a few times. Still no sound from within. She panicked at once and, without a second thought, rushed past the screen — only to exhale in relief when she found the young miss had simply fallen asleep.
Hua Zhi stirred at the noise, bleary-eyed, and seeing it was Yingchun, she covered a yawn and half-closed her eyes as she stood, out of habit waiting to be attended to — entirely unaware that she had exposed every one of her wounds in full.
Yingchun pressed a hand over her mouth. With swift composure, she lowered her gaze and took up a dry cloth, moving quietly to the young miss’s back to pat her dry.
The wounds were still itching. When the dry cloth passed over one of them, Hua Zhi instinctively shifted against it — and in that moment, something clicked in her mind. She snapped her eyes open, grabbed the person standing behind her, pulled her around to face her, and one look at that tear-streaked face said everything.
“What are you crying for — it’s nearly all healed.” Hua Zhi took the cloth from Yingchun’s hand and pressed it against the maid’s own face. “Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. Especially not my mother.”
“…Yes, miss.”