Upon returning home, she was greeted by everyone as expected. Seeing that her color looked well, they all set their worries aside, and the household gathered together in cheerful company for a meal that served as both dinner and supper. By now, Zeng Han and Little Six had essentially taken up residence at the Hua Family home, so naturally they too had a place at the family table.
She passed the letter to her Fourth Aunt to handle, then accompanied her mother back to her room, listening the whole way to her mother’s soft, gentle words. “While you were away, the various branches and your maternal family suddenly renewed their correspondence with us. Remembering that you said you wanted to cut those ties, I had Lin Shuang keep a closer watch — but before anything could come to light, your Fourth Aunt simply shut the gates and refused to receive anyone at all. She said these people were all coming on account of you, and that one wrong move could bring you trouble. I don’t understand these matters myself, but I feel your Fourth Aunt has not had it easy — she suffers and toils on your behalf and still must do things that make enemies of people. Now that you’re back, you ought to go and thank her properly. Her heart is genuinely with you.”
“Yes, I understand. I’ll go soon.”
“There’s no such hurry — you’ve only just returned. Everyone knows you’re exhausted, so rest properly and recover first. That’s what matters. Your Fourth Aunt won’t hold it against you.”
Zhu Shi stroked her daughter’s ice-cold fingertips, her heart aching deeply. In the past, this child had been like a little furnace — her hands always warm. How had it come to this? A year of relentless toil had truly taken a toll on her body. When she thought about it, she was useless as a mother, unable to help with anything — not her daughter’s affairs, not her son’s.
“Oh, that reminds me — a couple of days ago, Steward Xu brought me a letter from Bailin. It was full of reassuring words, painting the outside world as though it were paradise. I may never have ventured far from home, but I know it isn’t that pleasant out there. He’s a filial child — he didn’t want to frighten me. I won’t disappoint his good intentions, so I’ll pretend I don’t know. Zhi’er, you’re clever, and you have your own ideas. Do guide him more. I know you two siblings are close and that he listens to you — teach him well. And in the future, if he ever dares to treat you badly, I won’t keep him.”
That was likely the harshest thing her mother was capable of saying. Hua Zhi embraced her. This was not a mother who had grown fierce for her children’s sake — yet Hua Zhi found nothing wrong with that. No matter how far she traveled, no matter how many schemes she laid, no matter how hardened her heart became, so long as she turned back, her mother would still be standing there, soft as ever. That was enough to make a place for her to return to.
“Father has become quite popular at Yinshan Pass. There are even young women offering to wash his inner garments for him.”
Zhu Shi gave her a light, mock-punishing pat on the shoulder, then immediately and reluctantly rubbed the same spot, shooting her a glare. “Your father is not that sort of man. If it were years ago, he might have brought a woman into the household — but now, with his temperament, he wouldn’t pull a woman in to suffer. What he considers suffering.”
Though she was a delicate and clinging vine, she was a vine with resilience and pride. Hua Zhi smiled. “I hadn’t finished — Father is so frightened that now he washes his own clothes right there in the bathwater before he dares go out.”
Zhu Shi broke into a smile at once, her eyes curving with warmth and light — trust in them, and longing. Even separated by a thousand li, emotions could still be drawn along by the other person. Hua Zhi thought that love in this era must look something like this.
She walked her mother to her room and sat with her a while longer. When she rose to leave, Hua Zhi said: “You need not worry about me and Bailin. I trust his character. Even if one day he truly changes for the worse, I won’t fall apart over it. Your daughter has a reputation as a Goddess of Wealth with the power to turn stone to gold — it is others who come seeking me. Rest easy.”
Zhu Shi nodded with reddened eyes. The moment her daughter was gone, she slumped over the table and wept. Whenever she imagined the siblings could one day be estranged, the grief was unbearable. What sum of money could ever replace the loss of those you loved?
Gu Yanxi went first through the hidden passage to the Bureau of Seven Lodgings, and after donning his mask, proceeded as usual toward the imperial study — only to be told that His Majesty was at this moment with Noble Consort Yue.
Having estimated his imperial uncle’s state of mind, he went directly, as was his custom, to Yue Pin’s Rulan Hall. The palace attendants spotted him and hurried inside to announce his arrival, and he waited a while before being granted permission to enter.
Gu Yanxi gave a faint, scornful smile. She knew nothing yet, and already she couldn’t wait to give him a warning.
“This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
“Hmph — you still know the way back?” The Emperor was furious, slapping the table as he raised his voice. “Passing your own gate without entering — do you still have any regard for Us?”
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Even if I passed by without stopping before, haven’t I returned now? When I’m gone, you miss me; when you see me, you scold me — whatever am I supposed to do?”
Gu Yanxi looked up at Hao Yue, who spoke to the Emperor with such casual ease while he wore an expression of complete contentment — and in so short a time, no less. She had quite the ability.
Hao Yue smiled at him, then picked up a dried fruit and brought it to the Emperor’s lips. The Emperor ate it, and his temper softened accordingly.
As if only now noticing that his nephew was still kneeling, the Emperor frowned. “Why are you kneeling? Get up.”
Gu Yanxi rose, cupped his hands, and said: “This subject has an important matter to report. I request that Your Majesty adjourn to another place.”
Hao Yue instinctively moved to make a cutting remark, but reason won out over impulse and she held her tongue, her fingernails digging into her palms without her even noticing.
“Can it not be said here? Yue’s lips are sealed tight.”
“This matter is of grave consequence.”
When Yanxi said something was of grave consequence, it was certainly no small thing. The Emperor understood the weight of matters, rose, brushed off his sleeves, and spoke a few warm words to Hao Yue before departing. Gu Yanxi had an inexplicable sense of watching a husband bid farewell to his wife.
Hao Yue saw them to the door. The moment they were out of sight, her expression went cold. So that meant — Hua Zhi had also returned? The eldest daughter of the Hua Family — in her previous life, she had been an utterly obscure figure. In this life, she was making waves. Unless —
In the imperial study, Gu Yanxi had not the least intention of exchanging pleasantries with the Emperor. He spoke directly: “While this subject was still at Yinshan Pass, I received a letter delivered by urgent courier at Hua Zhi’s behest, saying there were anomalies in Jinyang. As I have long suspected the connection between Jinyang and the Chaoli Tribe to be anything but shallow, I did not dare delay, and set out overnight for Jinyang at once. Upon arrival, I followed the leads she had uncovered and dug deeper — only to discover the problem was far greater than anticipated. Does Your Majesty know what state Yuzhou’s tax revenues have been in these past few years?”
“No one has seen fit to inform Us.” The Emperor was mediocre but not foolish — he had not reached the throne by being a simpleton. Realizing his nephew had gone to Yuzhou not for Hua Zhi’s sake but on account of a genuine matter of state, the small flare of irritation in his chest subsided, and he issued a direct order: “Send for Zhu Bowen.”
Laifu was about to go and arrange this when the Shizi followed at once with: “Please have Lord Zhu bring all tax records from Jinyang spanning the past ten years.”
“Yes.”
“Continue.”
“Yes. This subject witnessed with his own eyes that Jinyang has become a city of gambling. The entire city gambles — any matter whatsoever can be made into an event to open betting on. Most workshops have closed, and farmland too lies fallow in places. This could not have been the work of a single year. By rights, the field tax and commercial tax records ought to have shown some signs of trouble long ago.”
“Fang Hongzhi!”
Gu Yanxi lowered his gaze. That a man’s private motives had buried the realm in such catastrophe — he wished he could dig up the corpse and flog it.