Ying Chun had barely finished her anxious worrying when the Second Uncle from the Zhu Family arrived at the door. The moment he stepped inside, he brought up the matter of the shop. “It’s not like they’re the only ones doing it, but who else has been this brazen about it? If it weren’t for the fact that there simply aren’t any other lanes in the capital as perfectly suited as Green Moss Lane and Oriole Cloud Lane, someone might well have tried to copy the whole setup and create two lanes just like those.”

“Does Second Uncle know who’s behind it?”

“The Xie Family — the one that once produced a Noble Consort. They’d been lying low for some years, but things started looking up recently when Xie Jin rose to the rank of a fifth-rank Deputy Minister of Finance before he’d even reached his mid-thirties. I’ve met the man. He’s ambitious, capable, young, and accomplished. But his most remarkable quality is how cleanly he managed to walk away unscathed after the downfall of Fang Hongzhi, even though he’d clearly been one of Fang Hongzhi’s lackeys. Father doesn’t think much of him.”

“What a coincidence.” Hua Zhi smiled, though the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Just a few days ago, I had to make a scene at home — the Concubine had been scheming behind my back with her own family, plotting to arrange a marriage between my half-sister and this very same Deputy Minister Xie.”

Zhu Haocheng frowned. “What is he playing at? In this capital, even men with health troubles make sure to secure a match early. He’s already past thirty — how has he not married yet? Wait, didn’t he marry? Don’t tell me he’s like that Feng Family, wanting a daughter of the Hua Family to be his concubine? Has he lost his mind entirely?”

Even as he spoke, Zhu Haocheng was already on his feet. Hua Zhi wouldn’t have been at all surprised if he’d stormed straight off to the Xie household then and there. This was what family truly meant.

She poured Second Uncle a fresh cup of tea herself, then said, “He has been married before. His wife passed away early. He wants my half-sister to take her place as his second wife.”

“That Concubine of yours…” Zhu Haocheng stopped himself short of saying that his younger brother-in-law’s concubine had lost her mind. After a pause, he said, “I take it you refused.”

“Naturally. The Hua Family has not yet fallen so low that we need to see our daughters made into concubines. Besides, Hua Rong herself has no wish for it either.” Hua Zhi leaned back, her expression thoughtful. “I was careless. I assumed it was simply someone trying to kick the Hua Family while they were down, and once I’d put a stop to it I didn’t think any further on the matter. But Hua Rong is Concubine Qin’s own daughter. Even someone with a wolfish heart wouldn’t push her own flesh and blood into a fire — so the other party must have promised something, or perhaps… this marriage proposal was their idea from the start?”

“That’s right. The Xie Family has been in decline for years; their coffers must be nearly empty by now. Xie Jin must be looking to the Hua Family for some kind of support in business dealings.”

“Outsiders don’t know the true state of the Hua Family’s affairs. But if he had been drawing information out of Concubine Qin, he would know that the sisters have been assisting Fourth Aunt in managing the household for the better part of this past year. He may have assumed that Hua Rong knows some of our food recipes. If my guess is right, had I not stepped in when I did, the Xie Family would likely have found one pretext or another to finalize the engagement before the year’s end — then married right after Grandmother’s mourning period was over. In that case, their shop would probably have waited until then to open as well.”

Zhu Haocheng let out a cold laugh. “Quite the pretty scheme.”

“That’s only the first part of it. I suspect he also has his sights set on the Zhu Family. Everyone in the capital knows that the Zhu Family and the Hua Family have an exceptionally close relationship — even in the Hua Family’s most difficult days, the Zhu Family never distanced themselves from us. If Xie Jin were to marry into the Hua Family, and he happens to serve under Grandfather, then even if Grandfather dislikes him, he would still have to give him some measure of face. You yourself said he was capable, Second Uncle. If he were to use such a position to maneuver things, at best he would simply benefit from the connection — but if he harbored ill intentions and used schemes to drag Grandfather into murky waters, that too cannot be ruled out.”

“Killing two birds with one stone.” Zhu Haocheng’s contempt for Xie Jin had by now reached its limit. He made a mental note to warn his father as soon as he returned home. A man like this was far too dangerous to guard against — it would be best to find some way to have him demoted out of the Ministry of Finance altogether.

“I may also be overthinking things.” Hua Zhi thought to herself that she ought to ask Yanxi to help look into the matter when she next saw him. For now, she turned the conversation. “Did Second Uncle come for something specific?”

“The soap.” Zhu Haocheng unwrapped the bundle he had brought, revealing several intricately latticed boxes inside. “You said that once the product passed inspection, the workshop would operate at full capacity. These are the newly made boxes — what do you think?”

“They’re quite lovely.” Hua Zhi picked one up and brought it to her nose. It smelled wonderful — like magnolia blossoms.

“Bring a basin of water.”

A moment later, Liu Xiang carried a basin steadily over and placed it before her mistress. Hua Zhi wet her hands, then rubbed the soap between her palms. The lather built up a little slowly, but the bubbles were fine and silky — by the standards of this era, that was already quite remarkable.

She rinsed her hands and brought them to her nose. A gentle, pleasant fragrance met her senses. “At this level of quality, it’s ready to sell.”

Zhu Haocheng answered with bright-eyed confidence, “Don’t worry — it’ll only get better from here.”

Seeing Second Uncle so energized made Hua Zhi happy too. She teased him with a familiarity that paid no mind to seniority: “That’s wonderful — I’ll just sit back and wait for the money to come in.”

“You say that as if you’re getting the better end of the deal,” Zhu Haocheng said with a sudden laugh. “In the end, won’t it all go to Bailin anyway? Once the two families are joined in marriage, it’ll be the Zhu Family who’s truly gotten the great bargain.”

Those words hit like a bucket of cold water. The moment Hua Zhi thought of Bailin’s marriage prospects, her head began to ache. Refusing felt improper, accepting felt wrong, yet dragging things out indefinitely was not a solution either — Zhu Shan was already twelve years old.

“Second Uncle, has Elder Uncle mentioned Cousin’s marriage arrangements recently?”

Zhu Haocheng had been about to tease her further, but something in Hua Zhi’s expression gave him pause. His mind turned the matter over a few more times. “Is it still Elder Sister-in-law’s attitude that concerns you? There’s no need for that — she’s not the one who gets to make decisions in our household.”

“It has nothing to do with Elder Aunt. Second Uncle — I’ll be honest with you. From the very beginning, I have not been in favor of this match.”

It was a union that offered the Hua Family nothing but benefit, and Zhu Haocheng could not fathom why his niece would object. If it were a matter of pride, then Hua Zhi was far too capable a person to be so narrow-minded.

Yet he also knew, clearly enough, that if Hua Zhi said she was not in favor, then she truly was not. She had simply refrained from refusing outright out of consideration for the fact that it was the Zhu Family making the proposal.

“Zhi’er, you’ll need to give your grandmother and Elder Uncle a reason compelling enough to persuade them.”

“I…”

“You don’t need to tell me. I’m on your side.” Zhu Haocheng waved his hand, cutting her off, stopping just short of coming right out and saying he supported the idea of the two families not forming this union. He’d found his elder brother’s attitude strange before, but only recently had he worked out what scheme his brother was actually after.

His elder brother had noticed that Bailin had no elders presiding over him — if Zhu Shan married into the household, she would be the mistress of the family from the very start. Bailin would inevitably pursue a career in officialdom and would not concern himself with the business affairs, so the one who would take over those dealings would only be Zhu Shan. A daughter like that — what reason would he have to fear his younger brother anymore? And if Zhu Shan were to think a little more of her own family, so much the better.

Zhu Haocheng simply found the whole thing laughable. Even if that day truly came — did his elder brother think he would just stand by and let Hua Zhi be treated poorly? That girl repaid a foot of kindness with a yard of warmth, and repaid a yard of injury with tenfold in return. If Zhu Shan ever dared to harm the Hua Family’s interests, Hua Zhi would dare to cut her loose entirely.

Thinking it through to that conclusion only made him more certain this marriage must not happen. This wasn’t forming a bond — it was asking for a feud.

“Zhi’er, go persuade your grandfather.”

The fog in Hua Zhi’s mind cleared at once. Of course — as long as Grandfather supported her, the problem was as good as solved.