Shaoyao was not entirely without perception. She grabbed Xiao Liu and bolted outside, sending the unprepared Xiao Liu stumbling.

Hua Zhi was not the least bit worried. Even before, Xiao Liu had come and gone freely within the inner courtyard. A child just past ten years old — for now, there was no cause for concern about such things. And besides, this was their own home. He could go wherever he pleased.

Gu Yanxi sat down before the dressing table. “Ah Zhi, come and put my hair up for me.”

She had performed this task more than once over these past few days. Hua Zhi walked over and took the comb. Hair that had never been subjected to any kind of treatment was in superb condition — smooth and soft. She gathered it together and said, “No need to put it up. Just tie it like this. There are no outsiders here anyway.”

“As you say.”

Hua Zhi glanced at the person in the mirror and gave a quiet, dismissive sound. “Your hair is in my hands. You would not dare disobey me.”

Gu Yanxi only smiled, not bothering to point out that for someone whose words were so firm, her hands were anything but.

“Has the wound been itching badly today?”

“It is manageable.”

She tied his hair deftly and rested her hands on his shoulders, meeting the eyes of the person in the mirror. “When do you leave for Jinyang?”

“Within a few days.”

“Cannot be postponed a little longer?”

“Do not worry. I will try my best not to exert myself physically.” Gu Yanxi raised his hand and placed it over hers, his smile warm and gentle. “In your eyes alone am I this precious. In the past, I could suffer an injury of any severity, lie in bed for ten days or half a month, and it would be considered a great indulgence.”

“In the past, no one was there to worry about you. Now there is.”

Hua Zhi wrapped her arms around his neck and rested against his back, like a pair of mandarin ducks neck to neck. “Yanxi, let us make a promise.”

Gu Yanxi turned his head to rest his cheek against hers. “You say it.”

“We each have our own responsibilities that we must carry — that cannot change. But we can protect ourselves to the greatest extent possible. I hope that we are people who create good days, and that we also live to enjoy those good days.”

“…All right.”

Hua Zhi buried her face in Yanxi’s neck. Not a single day could be lived without thinking and planning — it was truly exhausting.

After allowing herself that brief moment, Hua Zhi lifted her head, her expression restored to its usual composure. “Let us go. We should join the festivities too.”

The gatekeeper women at the inner gate only paused for a single moment at the sight of the two of them before pulling the gate open. By now, who in the household did not know who this man was? Even though they all felt that their eldest young miss had been a little bold, not one of them said a word against it. The eldest young miss being bold was hardly a thing of a day or two — everyone had long since grown accustomed to it.

As for the eldest young miss bringing an unrelated man into the inner courtyard — the eldest young miss would never do anything to harm her own family.

Though that was what everyone in the household thought, Hua Zhi still had to be mindful of her younger sisters’ reputations. She stayed at a distance, watching from afar the lively scene glowing along the covered walkway.

All else was in darkness, which only made that stretch of it brighter and more vivid.

If only there were a camera, Hua Zhi thought. She could capture this moment and send it to her grandfather, so he could see that everyone was truly doing well.

Yingchun handed her a lantern. Hua Zhi held it up to look at it — the craftsmanship was not outstanding, but the pumpkin shape was recognizable enough. She gave a soft, deliberate cough and pushed it into Yanxi’s hands. “A gift.”

Gu Yanxi looked at it for a moment, then looked at Ah Zhi’s slightly uncomfortable expression, and understood everything without needing to ask. His smile spread, thread by thread, from the corners of his eyes. “I love it. But… what do these symbols mean?”

Hua Zhi looked down at the line of English script on the lantern. She had originally planned to leave a riddle that would be difficult to solve, but that felt too ordinary. After some thought, she had written what was, in her previous life, the phrase she had seen most often.

“I will tell you on the day we are wed.”

Gu Yanxi held her gaze for a long moment, agreed with a quiet “Good,” and asked nothing more. Ah Zhi had secrets — he had always known that.

The night was cool as water. Hua Zhi drew her cloak more tightly around herself. Gu Yanxi took her hand, and they stood side by side looking in the direction where the sounds of laughter and play continued unceasing. One day, these kinds of days would simply be ordinary.

The sixteenth day of the first month. Grand Court Assembly.

Gu Yanxi, clad in his official robes, stood at the head of the assembly. What was different from before was that his face was no longer covered by a mask.

Predictably, five officials stepped out one after another to impeach him for sacrificing public duty for private matters.

They had found a rather good pretext. Gu Yanxi cast his gaze downward and paid them no heed. Engaging in open confrontation in the middle of the court would be truly beneath him.

“Oh? I wonder if our honored officials might enlighten Us — for what private matter did the Shizi neglect his public duties?” The clear sound of beads colliding rang out as the Emperor spoke unhurriedly.

The court fell momentarily silent. Those who had stepped forward exchanged glances, and one of them steeled himself and brought into the open what everyone already knew. “The Shizi removed his mask for the sake of a woman, breaking the rules that the Seven Lodges Bureau has upheld for years. Your Majesty, the Shizi’s conduct in this matter was a clear case of prioritizing private affairs over public duty.”

“Oh? Our memory has not been what it once was. Tell Us — which statute of the Great Qing dynasty stipulates that the head of the Seven Lodges Bureau must wear a mask?”

No such statute existed. It had simply been the custom from generation to generation, and habit had made it convention. The officials who had stepped out to impeach him already sensed that things had taken a bad turn, and scrambled to find a way to retreat.

While Duke Anguo, Minister Zhu, and those of their faction let out a genuine sigh of relief — judging by His Majesty’s attitude, this matter would be turned over and forgotten.

“No need to rack your brains over it. Court has only just resumed, and We are disinclined to upbraid anyone on the very first day. Take your places.”

Several officials bowed deeply and hastily retreated to their positions.

The Emperor, in no good humor, looked toward the Shizi who was the source of all this trouble. He wanted to teach the man a lesson, yet feared that anyone with ulterior motives would seize upon it and refuse to let it go. Not teaching him a lesson, however, left him with the frustration of a subordinate who would not listen.

Still — it was not as though he held no leverage over him.

“We intend to excavate a new canal, running through Lingzhou, passing through Dongyancounty and Yancounty, and connecting to the Jingshui River.”

At these words, the business of impeaching one’s opponents became trivial. Excavating a canal? Now, when the treasury was depleted, and natural disasters and man-made calamities had been unceasing year after year? Where was the silver to come from? Where was the labor to come from? Spring plowing was just ahead — even if corvée labor were conscripted, the manpower would fall far short!

Minister of War Chen Yuanqing stepped out immediately. “Your Majesty, by convention, the conscription of new soldiers begins at the start of the fourth month. This servant respectfully urges Your Majesty to reconsider.”

Minister of Revenue Zhu Bowen followed close behind. “Your Majesty, last year’s floods in the southern regions and droughts in the north left most areas with exempted taxes. This year, opening wasteland for cultivation and storing grain ought to be the foremost priority. This servant respectfully urges Your Majesty to reconsider.”

Even Minister of Works He Lianjie could no longer stay seated. “Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works has not undertaken an undertaking of such magnitude in many years, and I fear it cannot shoulder such a responsibility at short notice. This servant respectfully urges Your Majesty to reconsider.”

At this moment the court officials were remarkably united. Aside from Gu Yanxi, who remained standing, all the others knelt in unison. “We urge Your Majesty to reconsider.”

The Emperor’s face darkened. The magnanimity he had demonstrated moments ago instantly reached its limit. As the sovereign of a nation, every time he wished to accomplish something of significance he was opposed again and again. Where was his dignity!

He turned to look at the one person still standing. “What do you say?”

Gu Yanxi gave a respectful bow. “You raise this matter now for reasons of your own, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor’s expression improved slightly. At least that was worth something, after all the trouble of favoring him.

“If there is no silver, we can earn some — is there not a golden-handed financial genius available? As for manpower — I never said anything about doing it in these two months. The ground is still frozen. At the very earliest it would be after the fourth month. By then spring plowing will be done, and the labor will have become available, will it not?”