Once the imperial envoy and his party had been seen off, Zhu Haocheng wasted no time making his way to his father’s side. “Father, what on earth does this decree mean? What have you done?”

Zhu Bowen cast him a look. “Is that how you speak to your father — as though you were questioning him?”

“This son would not dare. I am simply too anxious.” Urgent as he felt, Zhu Haocheng would not risk offending his father again. As the eldest son, he understood better than his younger siblings just what manner of friendship existed between his father and Hua Zhi’s grandfather. In other households, even the closest of old friends conducted their dealings with a layer of mutual interest woven through; these two men were different.

He remembered one year when his father had fallen from imperial favor and come perilously close to being sent away to a distant post — it had been Hua’s grandfather who navigated through heaven knew how many layers of difficulty to smooth the whole matter over. In the years afterward, when his father was passed over for promotion again and again, it had been Hua’s grandfather who worked steadily, visibly and behind the scenes, to help clear the way. He understood why his father was protective of the Hua family. But only so long as doing so did not draw the Zhu family down with them.

“Father, think of Ziwen — think of the futures of the other children in this household. I know you are a loyal and sentimental man and cannot bring yourself to abandon the Hua family. But we can only protect them effectively if we ourselves remain standing. If the Zhu family is also dragged into the mire, who will there be to turn to?”

Zhu Bowen was silent for a moment, then let out a long breath and turned to his second son. “Haodong — what do you say?”

“I naturally do not want any harm to come to the Zhu family either. But after this past year, I have seen what manner of person Zhi’er is — she would never touch anything that ought not to be touched. Look at the businesses she has run: nothing but food. Is she incapable of anything else? She handed us the soap formula herself, so it is not a matter of ability. It is that she understands proportion. Selling food — even if others covet it — does not encroach upon the vital interests of too many people. And even so, she has not kept the profits to herself. Every single enterprise she has set up has its own protector. She knows that is the only way to stay safe. I do not believe she would stir up any great calamity — and even if trouble does come, it will not be of her own making.”

Free from any need to restrain himself in front of his younger brother as he was before his father, Zhu Haocheng let out a cold laugh. “Pretty words. Then explain to me what this decree means.”

“Ask Zhi’er and you will know soon enough.” Zhu Haodong could not stand how his brother was already maneuvering to keep himself clear of things before he even knew what had happened — yet this was the same man who had been so agreeable when the idea of marrying Zhu Shan into the Hua family had first come up.

Zhu Bowen glanced at his second son, then fell to thinking. He did not know where things had gone wrong in families like theirs, but it seemed a near-universal truth that the younger sons outshone the elder. He had once thought his own eldest was not too bad — but looking at the matter now, he found the man wanting after all.

No single pillar could hold up a hall; the same was true in the court. Hence the formation of factions. He appeared to stand apart from all of them, and yet he and the Hua family had always, in truth, been bound together — not only because they were family by marriage, but because the only man in the world he truly trusted was Hua Yizheng. Even Sun Qi ranked below him.

His hands folded behind his back, Zhu Bowen looked toward his wife, whose face was drawn with worry. “There is nothing greatly amiss. Send someone to the Hua household — ask Zhi’er and that Master Lu to come by.”

It was already dark and he was summoning people; this was hardly the manner of a man with nothing to worry about. The old mistress’s heart contracted, but she pressed no further. “Zhi’er’s maidservant — go, and go quickly.”

“Yes, Madam.”

“Very well. Let us have the meal laid out.”

Only at the Elder Statesman’s reminder did the household recall that in all the commotion they had not eaten — and at once everyone felt the hollow ache of hunger.

They made short work of the meal, and afterward all the Zhu men, including Zhu Ziwen, gathered in the study. Zhu Bowen instructed the steward: “When Zhi’er arrives, bring her straight through.”

“Yes, sir.”

No sooner had everyone settled than Zhu Haocheng prepared to press the matter again — but the moment he raised his head and met his father’s calm, steady gaze, every word he had been about to say dissolved before it could reach his lips. He lowered his head and dared not pull the tiger’s whiskers further.

Zhu Bowen felt a pang of disappointment. But with his grandson present, he could not reprimand his son in front of the boy. He only shook his head and said: “Zhi’er came to speak with me earlier today. The Emperor has taken notice of her talent for commerce.”

Zhu Haodong brightened. “That is good news! If Zhi’er helps the Emperor earn more money, perhaps his mood will lift and he will let the Hua family come home?”

“Wishful thinking.” Zhu Haocheng gave a quiet scoff. “If the Emperor were truly pleased, his manner would not have been what it was.”

Zhu Bowen paid his two sons no mind and looked instead toward his eldest grandson, who sat lost in thought. “Ziwen — what are you thinking?”

“There is a rumor circulating in the capital, Grandfather — I wonder if you have heard it. They say that our cousin Biao has the gift of turning stone into gold.” Zhu Ziwen’s brow was furrowed. “I have been wondering whether someone may have started it deliberately.”

“I have heard colleagues mention it in passing, in a joking manner. Has it spread widely?”

“Very — nearly the whole city knows of it.”

Zhu Bowen considered it and shook his head. “It is difficult to say. For someone to have done it deliberately, they would have had to know that the Emperor wished to open a canal — and without knowing that, how could they have calculated the outcome? And yet I cannot believe there is no one behind it, pushing things forward. There are always those who begrudge the Hua family any success.”

But by now, none of them were focused on the rumor anymore. Each man thought he had misheard. Zhu Haocheng asked, “Opening a canal? To where? Why has there been no whisper of this before? And with the treasury already empty, with tax exemptions granted this year due to natural disasters — nothing coming in and everything going out — what would fund the construction of a new canal?”

“Which is why the Emperor needs Zhi’er.”

“If the Emperor needs Zhi’er, then why was his manner so cold?” Zhu Haocheng refused to believe it was so simple. “That decree — no matter how I look at it, it does not seem like a blessing. And then that line about going to keep the Hua family company — is it because we have been shielding the Hua family that we have displeased the Emperor?”

“If the Emperor were going to take offense, he would have done so long ago — not waited until now.” Zhu Haodong moved to deflect his brother’s words yet again, and was just about to continue when the steward’s voice came from outside. “Elder Statesman, the eldest young mistress is here.”

“Show her in quickly.”

And it was not only Hua Zhi who arrived — Gu Yanxi had come as well. The two of them had just finished their own evening meal when Zhi’er’s maidservant appeared.

Learning that her great-grandfather had received an imperial decree, and hearing from the maidservant the gist of its contents, Hua Zhi could not help but feel a wave of guilt wash over her. From the day of the Hua family’s downfall until now, her greatest fear had always been that her actions might implicate the Zhu family. She had not imagined it would still come to pass.

The moment she entered the room, Hua Zhi knelt to seek forgiveness. “It is Zhi’er who has brought this upon you.”

“Even without you, the Zhu family could not have escaped this particular current.” He gestured to his second son to go forward and help his niece to her feet, then let out a slow breath. “In court there are those who guard the frontier passes — they, above all others, can afford to stand apart from any faction. The Hua family has always had the same luxury. But everyone else must choose a side; there is no option to remain neutral. I have held off as long as I possibly could. Since the Hua family has now bound itself to the Sixth Prince, the Zhu family will not choose anyone else.”

“Father!” Zhu Haocheng’s shock was evident. The presence of an outsider kept the words of protest from escaping his throat, yet the alarm in his eyes was impossible to conceal. How could they choose the Sixth Prince? If they truly had to choose, surely the Fourth Prince — born of a consort of higher rank — was the more sensible choice.

Zhu Bowen paid him no heed. “Ziwen, stay. The rest of you may go.”

“Father…”

“Out.”

Zhu Haocheng set his jaw, turned, and strode out with heavy steps. Zhu Haodong, before he left, gave his niece a reassuring smile — which side of the family held genuine warmth was plain enough for all to see.