The next day, Hua Zhi went to the residence as usual, and lost more than she won as usual. She played the part of a wealthy visitor in search of amusement to perfection — everyone who saw her had something pleasant to say to her.

During the break, a woman entered from outside — one Hua Zhi remembered as having a husband surnamed Lv.

After greeting everyone, the woman surnamed Lv sat down beside Hua Zhi and said in a low voice, “Have you heard? Yu Weiwi has had her new husband locked up.”

Hua Zhi felt a stir of alertness. “Where did you hear that?”

“It must be all over the city by now. They’re saying that Qi Qiu wants to continue sitting the examinations and Yu Weiwi won’t allow it — she’s even refused to let him take on a tutor.”

This isn’t right.

Hua Zhi knew how capable the people under Yanxi’s command were. If news like this had been circulating, they could not possibly have failed to pick it up — which meant it had not been spreading before she left home. It was now barely an hour since she arrived at this residence, yet the story had already spread far enough to be on everyone’s lips. Someone had done this deliberately.

Hua Zhi immediately thought of Zeng Xiangling. He was using the force of rumor to pressure Yu Weiwi into releasing the man?

“If you ask me, Yu Weiwi is being foolish. If her husband actually made something of himself through the examinations, would she have lost anything? With the strength of both the Yu and Zeng families behind her, she has nothing to fear from a man who might fly off once he has standing. Why bring this kind of disgrace on herself?”

Hua Zhi’s brow drew into a frown. “Might the rumor be false?”

“There’s no smoke without fire. It’s probably true.” Looking at Hua Zhi’s expression of concern, the woman surnamed Lv urged, “If you’re worried, go and see for yourself. Perhaps she could use someone to talk to right now.”

“Would that not be overstepping?”

“How so? You’d be going out of concern for her.”

Hua Zhi thought it over, then rose to her feet. “Then I’ll trouble you to take my seat. There are still some chips left — if you win, keep it. If you lose, it’s on me.”

The woman surnamed Lv, who had gotten exactly what she wanted, smiled with her eyes curved shut and made a show of demurring. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly — this isn’t right at all.”

“Please, it’s nothing. I’m not sure whether I’ll be back today. I can’t have my being away leave them short a player.”

“Well, if you put it that way, then I’ll hold the seat warm for you and give it back when you return.”

Hua Zhi smiled and agreed, both of them saying what needed to be said with full awareness that not a word of it was sincere.

With the convenient opening the woman surnamed Lv had provided, Hua Zhi went to the Yu family residence with complete justification.

Yu Weiwi was genuinely surprised to see her. Before she could say anything, Hua Zhi said, “I overheard some unpleasant talk outside. What’s happened?”

“No need to be delicate about it — they’re saying I had my husband locked up, aren’t they.”

“The two of you were perfectly fine just recently. How did things suddenly…”

Yu Weiwi’s eyes filled with tears. She turned and instructed her maid, “Go outside and keep watch. Don’t let anyone in.”

Xiao Tao curtsied and withdrew, thoughtfully pulling the door shut behind her. Hua Zhi glanced at Shao Yao, who took the hint immediately and positioned herself by the door to watch for any movement outside.

Yu Weiwi let out a few convincing sobs, then sat down beside Hua Zhi and dropped her voice to nearly nothing. “Why did you come so suddenly? Is something wrong?”

“The rumors spread all at once. Someone is behind it.”

“No need to wonder — it’s Zeng Xiangling.” Yu Weiwi’s smile was cold. “He thinks this will force me to give in? Not a chance.”

Hua Zhi reminded her quietly: “He’ll probably use concern for you as his reason to come calling before long. Not to see you — to see your father and mother. He’ll work through them to persuade you.”

Yu Weiwi bit her lip. Her parents were her weak point. If they truly came to reason with her, she would have no choice but to yield.

Hua Zhi said nothing about what she ought to do — Yu Weiwi was not under her command. Instead she leaned closer and asked in a voice that was nearly soundless: “Does the Yu family have a silver mine?”

Yu Weiwi looked at her in surprise, not understanding the question.

“We’ve turned up something. It may be connected to your father’s poisoning.”

Yu Weiwi’s attention sharpened at once. She thought it over, then said, “I’ll have to ask my father. I can’t be certain he transferred all the family’s holdings to me.”

“How is your father doing these days? Oh — and I have something for you. I didn’t find the right moment yesterday.” Hua Zhi passed her the small vial of medicine. “Medicine that Ling Niang prepared. It will help your father.”

Yu Weiwi received it and tucked it away inside her robe. Her voice was low. “Not well. He sleeps most of the day.”

“Ling Niang said the poison can be neutralized. Don’t worry.”

Yu Weiwi nodded, exhaled a long breath, and wrapped both hands around Hua Zhi’s. “I feel so much steadier now. Whatever you need me to do, just say the word.”

“You said Qi Qiu was looking at a map earlier. I’ve been turning it over in my mind. He’s been in the household for some twenty-odd days now — has he left behind any clues?”

“Nothing. I searched carefully. His belongings are so few it’s as if he came here as a guest — beyond the bare necessities, he doesn’t even have a change of clothes.”

“You can’t keep him locked up indefinitely. Once he’s released, you’ll need to watch him closely.” Hua Zhi thought for a moment, then beckoned to Shao Yao. “Give Weiwi some things to keep herself safe. Leave her some antidote too — in case she finds herself in another trap.”

Shao Yao rummaged through her pack and produced two paper packets and a small vial. “The vial is for you. If anything feels wrong, take two pellets — it will counter most common poisons. The upper packet will blind a person. The lower one will put them to sleep. Just scatter it directly.”

“Thank you.” Yu Weiwi put them away with great care. These were things that could save her life — there was no telling when they might be needed.

It would not do to spend too much time alone together and arouse suspicion. Hua Zhi rose to leave. Yu Weiwi vigorously rubbed her eyes until they were red, then dug her fingers into the inner flesh of her thigh and gave it a sharp twist. Tears poured down her face at once — no one could guess how much force she had used.

On the way back, Hua Zhi stopped into a teahouse to sit for a while. Sure enough, the conversation there was entirely about the Yu family. She went to two more establishments and found the same. The rumors had spread remarkably wide.

When she arrived home, before Yanxi could say a word, Hua Zhi told him about her visit to the Yu household.

Gu Yanxi nodded. “The silver mine does indeed belong to the Yu and Zeng families — forty percent each — with the remaining twenty percent going to Zhu Ling.”

“Just as I thought. But what’s strange is that Yu Weiwi knew nothing about the silver mine in her family’s holdings. Her father, knowing his days were numbered, had urged her to marry quickly and handed the family’s affairs over to her. If so, why was the silver mine left out?”

“It may not have been an oversight. He knew Yu Weiwi might not be able to protect it.”

Hua Zhi’s brow rose. “He suspected Zeng Xiangling?”

“The Yu family has only one daughter. He may have surrendered his share of the silver mine to keep her safe. I’ve borrowed men from the Qinglu Camp to keep watch on the mine. Most of the agents from the Seven-Night Bureau have returned to Jinyang — Zeng Xiangling should be making his move soon.”

“What about the gambling house? Is the signing happening?”

“Tomorrow morning. If Zeng Xiangling wants to take both Peng Fangming’s silver and his establishment for himself, he has two choices — either bring Peng into his fold, or swallow him whole. The Peng family isn’t without roots. He should not choose the second way.” Gu Yanxi gave a cold smile. “And to bring someone into your fold, you can’t keep everything to yourself. You have to show them something of your hand.”