Hua Zhi, remaining in that position, gently stroked Ying Chun’s head. She herself had not been carrying a light burden, yet these few maidservants beside her — which one of them had not been forcing herself to grow, forcing herself to shoulder things independently in order to share the load? The bond forged from growing up together since childhood was all contained within this.

“It will pass soon.”

Ying Chun raised her head, wanting to ask yet not asking. She only nodded vigorously.

The sound of footsteps came from outside. Mistress and servants exchanged a glance. Ying Chun quickly took a cloth over to dry the Young Miss’s feet.

Liu Xiang came in to report. “Young Miss, Wang Rong requests an audience.”

After putting on shoes and socks, Ying Chun carried the water out while letting the visitor in.

“Young Miss, the former Chief has been injured. He is presently at the Shizi’s manor.”

Hua Zhi leapt to her feet. “Is the injury serious?”

“It is not light.”

Hua Zhi paced back and forth several times, then took a cloak and draped it over herself before heading out. “Keep the household secure.”

She thought of something, and Hua Zhi turned back into the room to retrieve a small bundle. These were the medicines Shao Yao had left behind for her. She was not sure whether the Shizi’s manor would have them; bringing them along might prove useful.

No one tried to dissuade her from going out in the middle of the night — after all they had been through together, the Hua household’s servants had all grown considerably calmer. As for reputation — sometimes it was not so important. At least, not for their Young Miss.

The carriage rolled along the road and encountered several night patrol groups. Wang Rong carried the Shizi Manor’s token, and they passed through without obstruction.

This was Hua Zhi’s first visit to the Shizi’s manor. Under the circumstances, she had no leisure to take in the surroundings. Led by a servant, she walked briskly into a courtyard where lamps were lit.

The room still carried the metallic smell of blood. Divine Physician Yu was bent over the desk writing something. Seeing her, he gave a brief nod. Hua Zhi returned the courtesy with a bow — she had forgotten that Divine Physician Yu resided at the Shizi’s manor; there had been no need for her to bring medicines.

Chen Qing was not the least bit surprised that the Young Miss had come. After exchanging greetings, he quietly introduced the man who had just been unconscious and had now opened his eyes again. “Young Miss, this is the former Chief of the Seven Lodges Bureau. My lord, this is the Young Miss of the Hua Family — the Shizi’s…”

“I know who she is. That young fellow has spoken of her.” Gu Ye Lin strained to prop himself up. Chen Qing quickly moved to support him.

Hua Zhi dipped into a curtsy. “This junior, Hua Zhi, greets the old lord.”

Gu Ye Lin gestured to a chair, signaling her to sit. “I hear it was you who noticed something was amiss.”

“This junior has a somewhat excessive tendency toward suspicion.” Hua Zhi settled into the chair Ying Chun had brought over.

Gu Ye Lin had rarely encountered someone who could expose her own shortcomings with such candid composure. Even his lethargic expression gained a measure of vitality. “I did not see the Emperor.”

Hua Zhi’s expression tightened. “Who injured you, my lord? And what is the current situation of the Seven Lodges Bureau within the palace?”

“The ones who injured me were Seven Lodges Bureau members.”

“How could that be…”

Gu Ye Lin gave a wan smile. “A Chief of the Seven Lodges Bureau who has removed her mask is just an ordinary person whom no one recognizes.”

Hua Zhi felt a wave of desolate grief. To have devoted one’s entire life to a cause, and in the end to be recognized by no one — how pitiful. All the more so to have been wounded in the end by one’s own former subordinates.

The sorrow on her face was too apparent. Gu Ye Lin was startled for a moment, and then understood somewhat why this young woman was held in such high regard by that pair of siblings. Some people are born like a beam of light, illuminating a patch of the world, giving warmth to all who draw near. What made her rarer still was that she was also capable of shouldering great burdens — she truly deserved to be called an able helpmeet.

“I know the palace well. Yet this time, entering it was far more formidably guarded than any previous occasion — the hidden imperial guards and the Seven Lodges Bureau members were interlocking in their watch, with additional personnel assisting from the side. In principle, I should have been able to evade them. Yet in the end, they caused my whereabouts to be exposed.”

Even now, Gu Ye Lin found it hard to believe. Those subordinates — some he had trained himself, others had once served under him — yet he had stumbled at their hands. He did not know where he had made his mistake, but the wounds on his body were an undeniable reminder that this was the reality.

“Though it was not entirely without gain. Someone passed me this.” Gu Ye Lin produced a tiny paper ball and began unfolding it as he spoke. “This is a unique folding method specific to the Seven Lodges Bureau. Only insiders know it. Forced unfolding would yield nothing.”

As he spoke, the paper ball had become a small slip of paper. He glanced at it, then held it out.

Hua Zhi took it and read it. Eight characters were scattered across the slip in irregular positions: The Emperor is changed — Chief, take care. Hua Zhi vaguely grasped the ingenuity of it — if it had fallen into a stranger’s hands and been torn open by force, these characters would surely have been destroyed.

So it was the Emperor himself who had changed? Hua Zhi fell into deep thought. She did not believe Hao Yue had no hand in this. Yet even now, the Seven Lodges Bureau spoke only of the Emperor being changed, not of what Hao Yue had done — which meant her methods were all expressed through the Emperor. She could advance or retreat as she pleased. A fine move indeed.

Seeing her fall silent, Chen Qing worried this would leave a poor impression on the former Chief, and was about to offer a quiet reminder, when Gu Ye Lin stopped him with a single glance and closed his own eyes to rest. He was old now, and content not to meddle in such matters. Were it not that Yan Xi was absent from the capital and the situation was difficult to control, he would have been only too glad to let the Emperor truly ascend to the heavens.

Hua Zhi bent her head to study the crease-marked slip of paper. The fact that someone had sent it meant the Seven Lodges Bureau members had not failed to notice the problem — they simply could not do anything about it for some reason. And the only thing capable of rendering the Seven Lodges Bureau so helpless was the Emperor.

In other words, the Emperor was conscious — at least, the orders were truly issuing from his own mouth. Otherwise, the Seven Lodges Bureau would not be following them so obediently.

Hua Zhi could not help thinking once more of that possibility: might it be… that the Emperor was genuinely testing someone? And if so, was the one he was testing Xiao Liu or Yan Xi? Or — could it be that this entire scheme was set up specifically against Yan Xi?

It was precisely at the time of her return to the capital. Those who did not know better would surely assume that Yan Xi had returned together with her. Given Yan Xi’s concern for the Emperor, if he could not reach him and could not enter the palace, what would he do?

She could say with certainty that whatever he might do, he would absolutely not do nothing.

So — the Emperor was using Yan Xi’s concern for him to lay a trap?

Fury surged through her in waves. Hua Zhi pressed her thumb joint to make herself calm down. If this was truly the case, she could only be glad that Yan Xi was still thousands of li away at this moment. He would not know that a net had been spread here, aimed precisely at him. He would not be hurt by it.

Yes. She had to break the scheme before he returned.

“Chen Qing, go—” Hua Zhi came back to her senses and immediately fell silent, rising and making a bow of apology. She had forgotten that she was at the Shizi’s manor and that there was still an elder present. “This junior has been presumptuous.”

“Pay me no mind. Make your decisions as you see fit.”

Hua Zhi looked to Chen Qing. Could she take those words at face value?

Chen Qing gave her a nod. “Since the Shizi took over as Chief, the old lord has already stepped aside from all matters.”

Since that was the case, Hua Zhi stood on no further ceremony and gave her instructions directly. “Use the Chaoli Tribe as a pretext. Send a calling card into the palace, saying that intelligence from the Chaoli people indicates there are Chaoli remnants within the palace. As for how to steer suspicion toward Hao Yue, use your own judgment — the best would be to use this pretext to search the Ruyue Hall.”

Chen Qing’s eyes brightened, then furrowed into a frown. “What if they still decline to summon me into the palace…”

“Then take it to the court. If even the court cannot force the Emperor to show himself, then let the whole city know.” The sharpness in Hua Zhi’s eyes was undisguised. “By that point, we need not do anything further — the hundred officials will be unable to restrain themselves.”

She would see for herself just how long he could hold out.