The moment Yu Xiasheng departed, Hua Zhi had someone go and invite Hua Ling — who had grown steadily more composed of late.

She waived the formality of a bow and asked directly, “What do you think of Yu Xiasheng?”

Hua Ling had not given it a second thought, assuming her eldest sister only meant to use him for some matter, so she replied, “His nature seems sound. He bears no ill will toward the Hua family.”

“He just came here.” Hua Zhi blinked. “To propose a marriage. For the Third Young Lady of the Hua family.”

Hua Ling froze. The moment she understood, she shot to her feet — not only her face, but her neck went red as well. Because just moments ago, she had praised the man herself!

“Eldest Sister!”

Amusement filled Hua Zhi’s eyes. “I’ll have someone look into his background. If it checks out, there’s something to discuss — but if he’s a fraud putting on a good face, then the two of us had better both go see Shao Yao about getting our eyes examined.”

Hua Ling’s heart beat hard against her ribs. What girl did not wish for a good husband? She had imagined it herself. After what had happened to her, she had once resolved never to marry — yet this man, who had tried to save her when she was in danger, and who knew better than anyone what she had been through, had now come to ask for her hand?

The thought of Yu Xiasheng’s refined, handsome face made Hua Ling blush so deeply it might have dripped. The joy in her eyes could not be concealed. He was not one of those privileged, useless young men of the capital with their endless bad habits and unearned arrogance. He was not one of those second-generation heirs who had lived on inheritance with nothing to show for themselves. Just recently he had placed as sub-ranked first in the examinations. And this person — this person was seeking to marry her…

Looking at her reaction, Hua Zhi felt a twinge of regret at having spoken so soon. Her intention had been to ask Hua Ling’s opinion — but from the look of things, she had already taken it far too much to heart. If the match came through, all would be well and everyone would be happy. If it did not, Hua Ling would not have an easy time of it.

After a moment’s thought, Hua Zhi said, “I told Yu Xiasheng to wait until after the eleventh month, once we’re out of mourning, before the matter is properly discussed. I’m telling you now because this is your marriage — if you have no inclination toward him, I will find a way to turn him down. You are the one who has to live with this person for the rest of your life; no one else’s opinion carries more weight than yours. But you must also keep in mind: until nothing is settled, everything can change. Don’t take it too much to heart.”

Hua Ling drew a long breath, and though her face was still flushed, she did not look away. “Eldest Sister, don’t worry. I understand what you mean. I’ll let fate take its course and not force anything.”

“Keep this between us for now — don’t speak of it to your mother either.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Hua Zhi nodded, then turned to speak with her about the business matters. The preserved food enterprise was yielding full profit — once the scale grew, the money would come in very fast. But she had no intention of being so selfless as to offer up this particular venture either. That person would take no note of her generosity in any case — why press her warmth against a cold surface?

She sent the distracted Hua Ling on her way and idly sorted through the papers on her desk — finding nothing that urgently needed handling, she decided to simply be idle for once. “Nanny Su, what do you make of this matter?”

Nanny Su had eaten well and rested well during her recovery, and was looking paler and plumper than before, with something of a kindly, benevolent air. Hearing the eldest young lady’s question, she smiled and replied, “This old servant can see that Mr. Yu has taken the Third Young Lady to heart. Still — though you stand in front as her protector, the Second Young Lady comes before the Third. It wouldn’t do to skip past her.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Hua Zhi pressed her fingers to her temple. “Once the mourning period ends, Grandmother and the Cai family will likely have some word. But Second Sister is even more complicated than Third Sister.”

Hua Xin was a concubine-born daughter. If the Hua family were flourishing, even concubine-born daughters could marry well — just like the young aunt, for whom the Yang family had been selected from a whole list of households in her day. But now, finding just the right match for Hua Xin would not be easy.

Yet it had to be done. Without the Second Young Lady’s marriage settled, how could the Third Young Lady’s proceed?

As for the eldest young lady herself — Hua Zhi had not factored herself into the equation at all.

That day when Gu Yanxi came, he brought someone with him. Hua Zhi looked more carefully and recognized the person — it was Xiao Shuang.

He had grown taller, and fairer, and his bearing had changed entirely. He bowed deeply before Hua Zhi, and she received his obeisance without deflecting it.

“Where is Xiao Liu?” Gu Yanxi settled himself at Hua Zhi’s side and asked.

“In his room reading. He’s been too diligent lately — talk to him properly, tell him not to ruin his eyes.”

Gu Yanxi looked toward Xiao Shuang. “Go and bring him here.”

Xiao Shuang assented, every movement precise and correct — a world apart from how he had been before.

“Is he useful?”

“Still a long way from where he needs to be. Xiao Liu needs people around him — let him come back and attend to him first.”

Hua Zhi glanced sideways at him. “One Xiao Shuang is nowhere near enough. You should assign more people to him — don’t leave him without the means to protect himself if something happens.”

“There will be people with him whenever he goes out. Don’t worry.” Gu Yanxi watched her maternal protectiveness and felt the corners of his lips lift. “And it’s not only my side that has arrangements in place — the Sun family has also sent people. Before, they kept everything hidden, but now that they’ve stepped into the open, the Sun family can openly station people there — only, not inside the Hua family’s gates.”

“Isn’t the Sun family afraid that person will grow suspicious?”

“Xiao Liu is the Sun family’s only bloodline. It would be more suspicious if they did nothing at all.”

As they were speaking, Xiao Liu appeared at the doorway. “Hua Jiejie. Yanxi Gege.”

“Now that Xiao Shuang has returned, I’ll need to take back the servants who were posted with you before.”

Xiao Liu obediently agreed. Hua Jiejie was always different from others — it had never once crossed her mind to plant her own people close to him.

“By the way, Xiao Liu — do you have a residence outside the palace?”

“A prince may not open his own residence until he turns sixteen.”

Hua Zhi was surprised. “He has no place to stay except within the palace?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what if the Emperor demands that he return to the palace to live?”

“If he were to make such a demand, it would mean he wanted Xiao Liu’s life.” Gu Yanxi spoke in a level, unhurried tone, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Xiao Liu’s expression shifted through several changes — and then he bent deeply at the waist. “Xiao Liu thanks Yanxi Gege for the warning.”

“In this city, you must be on guard at every step. Anyone, anything — loyal today could turn treacherous tomorrow. The first thing you must learn is to read people, and to use them.”

Gu Yanxi rarely offered guidance, and Xiao Liu fixed every word firmly in his heart. “If Hua Jiejie heads north, may I still stay here?”

Hua Zhi smiled. “Of course. The Hua family will always have a place for you.”

But Gu Yanxi was already thinking further ahead. “Would you be willing to come to the Shizi’s residence?”

Xiao Liu shook his head. He had no wish to go — in his heart, nowhere made him feel as settled and safe as the Hua family. And besides: “The Shizi has always kept himself at a distance from the court. There is no need for people to know too soon that the Shizi has come to stand on my side.”

Gu Yanxi and Hua Zhi exchanged a look. They were both quietly satisfied. To be able to see the problem — and to think it through — showed that the boy’s mind was working well.

Using the excuse of familiarity, she sent the two of them off to play with the strategy board. Hua Zhi turned to look at the cool, handsome man. “The Emperor agreed?”

“He agreed. The return date is fixed.” Gu Yanxi smiled. “He went into a great rage — not at me, at you. The seventh ministry is almost finalized, and he doesn’t want you leaving the capital at this time.”

“Those matters — one could pull any official from the court and he’d do better at them than I would. And I am not an official in any case — I have no need to report my comings and goings to him.”

Because he knew this, the Emperor could only vent his anger — he could not truly confine her to the capital. He wanted to use Hua Zhi, and by now he had taken some measure of her temperament. If he truly forbade her from going north, she could simply put down everything she was doing for him and walk away. He could threaten her through the Hua family — but he could not compel her to give more or less of her effort, and without genuine cause, he had no desire to drive her to the very edge.