Hua Zhi settled comfortably on the bed and softly thanked Nanny Yuxiang before picking up the thread of conversation. “If Grandmother truly came to your dreams, she would certainly come to express her gratitude. She doesn’t even come to visit me in my dreams anymore — if you do see her, please pass along a message from me: the Hua Family is doing well.”
“The Hua Family is doing very well now, and so are you.” Looking at this person whose eyes softened the moment family was mentioned, the Empress Dowager let out a quiet sigh. Hua Zhi’s weakness was far too apparent — apparent enough for others to seize upon at will — and likely she herself knew this. And so she simply left it exposed and in plain sight for anyone to see, making no attempt to conceal it. This was perhaps one of the reasons she had no choice but to project such forcefulness, no choice but to let the world know that the eldest daughter of the Hua Family was not to be trifled with.
One who is weak cannot protect her family. Only by arming herself to the teeth could she build for her family a wall that let in no wind.
The Hua Family — they must have accumulated the most profound store of good fortune for Heaven to have sent a Hua Zhi to help them through this difficult passage.
“But do take good care of your body. Don’t let the root of your health be damaged while you’re still so young — you will be the one to suffer for it in the end. If nothing else, do it for the sake of my grandson, who has only with the greatest difficulty found someone he cares for!”
“Yes.” Hua Zhi felt somewhat helpless as well. Every relative and old friend who saw her reminded her to take care of her health. What a state she must be in for everyone to look at her this way.
The Empress Dowager glanced at Yuxiang, who understood at once and withdrew to stand guard personally outside the door.
The door, however, was left unlatched. The Empress Dowager, who had lived deep within the palace for many years, knew well that leaving the door open was the better way to handle unexpected situations.
“I have noticed that Hao Yue has targeted you on several occasions. Do you know why?”
Hua Zhi likewise lowered her voice in reply. “Hao Yue has a strange obsession with Yanxi. Yanxi once said that when they first met in Yuzhou, she seemed already to know a great deal about him. In the matter of Yuan Shifang she even rendered him assistance. She… claims to excel at prophecy, and once foretold that Xiangyang would suffer a great flood causing tens of thousands of casualties. Yanxi and I analyzed it afterward — if we had not happened to be in Xiangyang at the time and made some preparations, there truly might have been casualties on that scale.”
The Empress Dowager’s brow drew tight. “Does she truly have the gift of prophecy?”
“I do not believe so.” Hua Zhi’s tone was certain. “We tested her several times afterward. Most of the things she said had already come to pass, and the outcomes also differed from what she described. At that time Yanxi had her detained and she could not make contact with the outside world — her information was limited. If she truly possessed the gift of prophecy, how could it be so?”
“She has another source of information?”
“Hence Yanxi’s long-standing suspicion of her.”
The Empress Dowager gave a slight nod, her brow still furrowed. If this were truly the case, Hao Yue was far too dangerous. To have such a person remaining within the imperial palace, and one moreover so extraordinarily favored by the Emperor — simply thinking of it made her uneasy.
If Hao Yue only brought harm to the Emperor, that was one thing — the Emperor was already muddled enough without her. What she feared was that Hao Yue might use the Emperor to achieve some other purpose. The Empress Dowager felt a pang of regret. She should have dealt with Hao Yue directly during that incident at the New Year. It would have saved so much trouble.
“So Hao Yue is targeting you because of your relationship with Yanxi?”
“I cannot think of any other reason.”
“This is truly…” The Empress Dowager shook her head. If the Emperor ever learned of all the complications behind this, who knew what he would think of Yanxi. Hao Yue was nothing but a scourge!
“Your Highness, you must be on guard against her. I suspect she has some knowledge of medicine. Back when she was traveling outside the palace as the Sect Master of the Seven-Star Sect, she adjusted a certain medicinal tincture — in fact, Yanxi said he would bring it back for Elder Yu to examine. Elder Yu, do you recall this?”
Elder Yu stroked his beard. “I remember. It was in truth simply a nourishing and strengthening formula — the effect was decent enough.”
A flash of insight struck Hua Zhi, and she sat up slightly. “Could it be that she simply has a few reasonably good prescriptions in her possession, and her medical knowledge herself is only superficial?”
“What medical knowledge could she have.” Shao Yao gave a scornful sound. “There isn’t the faintest trace of medicinal fragrance on her. Huahua, take a sniff of me — every single garment of mine carries the smell of medicine. No amount of incense can overpower it.”
And Shao Yao did indeed lean herself in front of Hua Zhi. Hua Zhi laughed despite herself and, humoring her, actually leaned in and took a sniff. “The medicinal smell on you is so concentrated it could be boiled down into a full bowl of medicine.”
Shao Yao lifted her chin, looking proud — though for what, it was difficult to say.
The Empress Dowager watched with a warm smile, her fondness for Hua Zhi growing several degrees. You did not need to look at too many things to tell whether a person was good — watching how they treated those around them told you most of what you needed to know. This Hua Zhi was a good one.
“Your Highness, please take particular care with what you eat and use each day. Shao Yao, go over everything carefully and often — do not let Hao Yue find any opening to slip through. In the palace today, you are the only one who can hold her in check. She may well set her sights on you.”
The warmth in the Empress Dowager’s expression frosted over, her gaze becoming sharp as a blade. “I understand. But moving against me is no easy matter. The women in this palace have come and gone in wave after wave, and their methods are always the same tired repertoire. In these matters, I am their grandmother.”
Shao Yao suddenly pressed Hua Zhi back down onto the bed. “Huahua, don’t push yourself — your head is bound to be spinning right after waking. Rest a while before going to pay your respects.”
The others took the cue. The Empress Dowager picked up the thread. “Are there any other areas of discomfort? Lying on that cold floor for so long in this bitter weather — the cold must have entered your body. You need to drive it out thoroughly.”
Shao Yao jumped to her feet. “I already have ginger sugar water prepared. Wait here, Huahua — I’ll go fetch it.”
At this moment the sound of footsteps outside had become quite distinct. She darted out with her usual forceful energy, and Hao Yue, her face a picture of aggrievement, immediately tried to hide behind the Emperor.
The Emperor reached out to intercept. “Now, now — what kind of conduct is this.”
Shao Yao fixed her eyes on him with a sharp glare. “Your Majesty, you’ve only heard her side of the story, and yet you’ve already taken her word for it, haven’t you?”
“…” The Emperor found himself unable to answer. Shao Yao, now suddenly inclined to use her brain, had left him without a response.
“Did she say that Huahua was disrespectful toward her? Did she say that Huahua put on an act just to wrong her? Did she say I didn’t believe her and treated her poorly?” Shao Yao gave a cold laugh. “Huahua has been injured three times. The first time — she encountered a fugitive being pursued by the Seven Luminaries Division on her own family’s estate. Someone capable of fleeing from Yanxi’s grasp — you can imagine the caliber of that person. Huahua held on until Yanxi arrived, but not before she had taken several blades.”
The Empress Dowager came out of the room and stood quietly listening.
“The second time was in Zhenyang. Huahua had gone to negotiate a trade deal, and the local strongmen tried to force a sale and then attempted to violate her. If it had only been some street thugs and hired guards, it would have been one thing — but in the end the soldiers of the Yixin Battalion joined the siege. Huahua was wounded again.”
“The third time was at Yinshan Pass. Your second Imperial Prince sought to harm Huahua’s family. Huahua defended them at the cost of her own body. She barely escaped with her life and could not leave her bed for half a month. In the course of one year, she has spent half of it taking medicine — and yet she has still given her full effort to every task Your Majesty has assigned her. You had her answer questions for a full hour, during which she was already spent to her last reserves. And then your cherished consort deliberately waited for Huahua right there — waited for her to perform a full kneeling bow, and sought to punish her for failing to do so.”
Shao Yao fixed the Emperor with a steady gaze. “Have you also come to punish her, Your Majesty?”