Upon learning that the Hua Family’s elderly matriarch had come to recuperate, the members of every branch within the household came to pay their respects and then refrained from disturbing her further.
Whether the old matriarch had truly let go or simply buried her thoughts even deeper, no one could say — but day after day she spent her time leisurely chatting with her daughter, never once bringing up household affairs, and her spirits visibly improved with each passing day.
Hua Zhi would carve out time each day to accompany her for a while, though for the most part she remained busy in the front courtyard as usual.
“Miss, the Second Madam and Third Madam have arrived.”
Hua Zhi set down her brush, picked up the paper covered in writing and gave it a gentle blow to dry the ink, then gathered it together with several other sheets and handed them to Bao Xia. “Deliver these to Fourth Aunt. Everything on them needs to be prepared — have her go through them and select the finest options.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Only after giving her instructions did Hua Zhi rise from behind the writing desk, step around it, and bow in greeting to her two aunts. “I have troubled both aunts to come all this way. By rights I ought to have gone to pay my respects myself, but since the matter concerns both of you equally, it seemed more fitting to have you come together so we could speak at once.”
Qi Shi and Xia Shi both felt a quiet premonition stir within them and quickly assured her it was no trouble at all.
Hua Zhi picked up a ledger from the writing desk, leafed through it briefly, and then passed it to her Second Aunt. “Please, both of you have a look. This is the dowry list I have drawn up for our two younger sisters — prepared in two identical sets, one for each. See whether you find it suitable.”
Qi Shi was delighted. As a member of a collateral branch, she had assumed her daughter’s portion would be somewhat thinner than that of the Third Branch — yet here it was, identical in every respect. Did that not mean her daughter’s dowry would match the main branch’s entirely? She bowed her head and read carefully from beginning to end, her pace quickening as she went further along. She could scarcely have imagined it would be so generous.
Xia Shi, having read through it as well, was equally overjoyed. Though it fell short of what the Hua Family could once have offered in its heyday, a dowry like this could by no measure be called meager.
She bowed slightly. “Miss has gone to great lengths — truly beyond anything I had imagined.”
Hua Zhi deflected the compliment with a gentle gesture. “Third Aunt, please do not put me to shame. Since the household management has fallen to me, it is only right that I look after our sisters more carefully. I have no experience in these matters, however, and if you feel anything is missing, do raise it so I may make sure it is included.”
The two sisters-in-law exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison. “It is already exceedingly complete — more than sufficient.”
Not a single piece of furniture was absent, all the major items were accounted for, several sets of jewellery, along with storefronts and two hundred mu of fertile farmland. In the Hua Family’s former days such a list might have seemed unremarkable, but to produce a dowry like this now was more than enough to earn the admiration of others.
After all, it had been barely a year since the Hua Family was stripped of their assets and exiled — and everything on that list had been earned by the eldest young miss within that single year.
With this in mind, Xia Shi felt a flicker of worry. “Will it not draw too much attention?”
“If we cannot even produce this much for a dowry, how could I claim the reputation of someone who turns stone into gold?” Hua Zhi had long since thought the matter through; even pausing to reconsider felt like a waste of time. “Second Aunt, Grandmother has already been looking into several suitable prospects — all families with long scholarly traditions and good standing. Second Sister’s marriage will not be delayed much longer. There is no need to worry.”
Qi Shi clutched her handkerchief tightly and nodded repeatedly, her earlier reservations entirely dissolved.
As for Xia Shi, she had already been privately promised an extra thousand taels in chest silver for Hua Ling, so she harboured no sense of being slighted. Qi Shi, noticing that she showed no displeasure at the equal treatment of the collateral and main branches, felt a warmth of gratitude toward her, and her manner in conversation became noticeably more cordial.
Hua Zhi watched the two of them exchanging pleasantries and did not join in, calmly sipping her tea. If a little money was all it took to bring harmony and goodwill among everyone, she was perfectly happy to provide it.
Later, when Gu Yanxi came, Hua Zhi mentioned the matter to him. “Second Aunt hopes to be treated the same as the main branch. Third Aunt hopes to be a step above the collateral branch. Give each of them what they want and all is well.”
“Not every household can manage that.”
True enough. Distinctions between the main and collateral lines had always been the way of things — the notion of equal treatment simply did not exist in most people’s minds. Hua Zhi nestled further into her man’s arms; having a warm-bodied boyfriend was genuinely a source of happiness, and the growing harmony within the Hua Family was a fine thing indeed.
“Our people have entered Jin Yang.”
“Has the public-facing candidate been decided?” Hua Zhi tilted her head up at the same moment Gu Yanxi lowered his — their lips barely an inch apart, their breath mingling. With not a trace of self-restraint, Hua Zhi simply raised her head and kissed him.
Gu Yanxi was a half-beat behind her, then immediately deepened the kiss. As they drew close, his eyes and heart grew fuller and fuller with only this one person.
When their breathing had settled, Gu Yanxi lowered his head and nipped the tip of her nose. “I promised your Fourth Uncle I would observe propriety.”
“Never mind that — I’ll tell Fourth Uncle it was me who seduced you.” Hua Zhi laughed without a shred of restraint. And naturally, her actions were equally unrestrained — Yanxi bit her, so she bit him right back.
Gu Yanxi felt sweetness and a tingling warmth flood through him. A woman with A’Zhi’s nature was probably the only one of her kind in all the world. Beneath that prickly outer shell, she was clingy and soft and yielding — impossible to escape, and impossible to want to escape.
Hua Zhi, thoroughly unbothered, finished flirting and moved straight on to business. “So who did we choose over in Jin Yang?”
“The Peng Family — a mid-tier clan, but with one inherent advantage.” Gu Yanxi drew her closer into his arms. “Peng Fang, the third son of the Peng Family, will turn twenty next year. A year ago he came into conflict with a nephew of the Zhu Family and was sent away from home as a result, with the Peng Family having to pay a substantial sum in compensation. They are on genuinely poor terms with the circle surrounding that Zhu Family connection. It makes perfect sense for Peng Fang to have returned after a year away, bringing with him a new form of entertainment. Furthermore, the Peng Family’s roots are not bad — they were once a prominent clan in Jin Yang. It was only after losing out to Yuan Shifang in a contest for the position of chief administrator many years ago that they fell into decline. Now that an opportunity has arisen to restore the family’s standing, they know what needs to be done.”
Turning the cause and effect over in her mind, Hua Zhi nodded. A feud with Yuan Shifang was indirect proof of the family’s integrity. Whether or not they were capable was a secondary concern — with the Seven Lodges Division behind them providing strategy and counsel, even the incapable would be made capable. What mattered most was that they not tip anyone’s hand too soon.
“Will you need to go there yourself?”
“I’ll need to make a trip after the new year. If we delay any longer, Jin Yang will belong entirely to the Chao Li Tribe.”
“Even once the Chao Li Tribe problem is resolved, finding a way to reverse their influence afterward will be an enormous challenge in itself. Habits, once formed, are too difficult to break.” Hua Zhi raised her eyes and met Yanxi’s gaze, then teased, “Is this empire about to become yours? Why does it always seem like we are the ones losing sleep over these things?”
Gu Yanxi gently smoothed her hair. In his usual cool tone he said, “In His Majesty’s own words — those with ability bear the heavier burden.”
“I could choose to be less capable, you know.”
“As could I.” Gu Yanxi leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. “What if we just ran away together?”
“Don’t tempt me — I could run, but you cannot.” Hua Zhi huffed. “What about the Gu Family’s empire? Without you, it would probably end up renamed after the Chao Li.”
Gu Yanxi sighed. “Whether it is the imperial family or the court, their dependence on the Seven Lodges Division runs far too deep. They always assume the Seven Lodges Division can handle anything — and even knowing the Chao Li Tribe is poised to make a resurgence, none of them seem particularly alarmed. Yet the Seven Lodges Division has only so many men, and this is far from the only matter we are watching over. I have no idea where they find the confidence. A’Zhi — I want the Seven Lodges Division to end with me.”
Hua Zhi ran her fingers in slow, gentle strokes along the nape of his neck. She had always believed that the Seven Lodges Division, as it existed now, brought far more harm than benefit.