Chapter 322: Three Rules

Gu Yanxi was gone, and Shao Yao couldn’t have been more thrilled. The field was clear—Hua Zhi was hers now, no question about it.

Pure-heartedness is truly rare, and the Hua family thought highly of this girl. Not only was she skilled in medicine, but she also protected Hua Zhi with care.

Happy as she was, Shao Yao was not naive. Grinning, she grabbed the medicinal broth and turned to Hua Zhi. “I’m heading to the pharmacy for herbs. You, do not move a damn inch from that bed, got it?”

“Yes, little mother,” Hua Zhi replied, cheeky as ever.

“Yeah, yeah, if you’re calling me ‘little mother,’ guess I’ve got to keep an eye on you.” Tossing her hair like she owned the place, Shao Yao strutted out the door, leaving Hua Zhi chuckling.

Hua Zhi smiled to herself, genuinely Shao Yao was impossible not to like. They would certainly never be lonely in their old age together.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Hua Zhi turned to the two men in the room—her father and Fourth Uncle. She raised a brow. “So, what is it? What do you need to discuss with me?”

Hua Pingyang shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “You were unconscious before. There’s something we need to discuss. I’ll go get your grandfather.” Without waiting, he left, leaving an awkward silence behind.

And there they were—father and daughter, alone and unsure. Hua Pingyu, usually all business, fumbled for words. He glanced at her injuries, guilt flashing in his eyes. But before he could even open his mouth, Hua Zhi beat him to it.

“How’s your injury, Father?” she asked, her voice calm but sharp.

“It’s… much better,” he answered with a forced smile. "That girl Shao Yao is skilled in medicine. After she treated me, I felt much better."

Feeling uneasy, Hua Zhi unsure how to handle her stiff, all-business father. So, played it safe and brought up the dullest, least offensive topic she could think of. Watching his shoulders relax a fraction made her smirk with a cocktail of amusement and sorrow. Fathers and daughters—they didn’t hug it out or share heart-to-hearts anymore, but the undercurrent of unspoken feelings stayed the same.

"Shao Yao's master is a great physician, I remember his surname is Yu."

The sound of footsteps cut through the air as Hua Yizheng strode in, catching the tail end of her words. “Physician Yu? Oh, I know him. Word on the street had him curing half the town. Even the Emperor tried to rope him into the Imperial Hospital. But the man’s a recluse—spends most of his time hiding from the world, ignoring imperial summons. They eventually gave up. And Shao Yao’s apprenticed to him? Well, that explains a lot.”

Hua Pingyang silently helped his father to a seat and shut the door with a quiet finality.

Hua Zhi shifted to sit up, only for her grandfather’s voice to cut through her like a blade. “Stay put. You don’t need to move just to talk.”

"Yes."

Hua Yizheng’s gaze lingered on her, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. The sweet, docile girl before him was a far cry from the fire-eyed spitfire he’d seen that night. It threw him, sure, but he couldn’t help a grudging respect. His granddaughter had layers, and he didn’t hate it.

They say a person’s writing bares their soul. When he saw her calligraphy—bold strokes slashing across the paper—he knew she wasn’t the meek, obedient flower she pretended to be. Sure, she could dress it up neat and tidy, play the role of the docile granddaughter. But that was just her mask, obedience painted on to hide her true self beneath.

He sighed quietly and turned to the matter at hand. "Earlier, Yanxi came to me asking for writing memorials in details about the attack on the Hua family. After this incident, there will be eyes on you. Certain eyes. Watch your step in the capital. Stay out of sight if you can. If not, take Yanxi with you. You’ll need someone to have your back.”

Hua Zhi’s lips curved into a defiant grin, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Grandfather, you’re not like the other grandfathers.”

Hu Yizheng snorted, his glare cutting sharp. “And why the hell shouldn’t I be different? If Hua Ling or Hua Rong tried pulling the stunts you have, I’d have cracked their legs in two by now. But you—you’ve cleared your trials on this side. What happens on that side is up to fate. Whether they come for you out of spite or strategy, that’s a game only the heavens can call.”

“I know,” Hua Zhi said, her tone light but firm. “You don’t need to worry. I’ve got my own moves lined up.”

"As long as you have a plan." Hu Yizheng shot back, steering the conversation with the subtlety of a hammer. “But once the rumors start flying, you’ll have to deal with the fallout. You might not care about mud on your name, but the wrong reputation has a way of inviting trouble you don’t want.”

Hua Pingyu stiffened, his face darkening. “Father!”

Hu Yizheng ignored him, his steely gaze pinned on his granddaughter. “So? Have you thought it through?”

Her smile sharpened. “What’s there to think about? The royal family? Please. The Emperor already branded the Hua name as criminal, seized our lands, and sent us into exile. What would he gain by coming after the daughter of a disgraced house? Even for appearances, he wouldn’t bother.

“As for the prince?” She leaned back, her tone oozing scorn. “If he’s interested, he won’t act openly. He’d risk his own neck to play dirty, but even then—he’d need the skills to win. And trust me, Grandfather, he doesn’t have them.”

Hua Zhi shifted slightly, finding a more relaxed position. "First off, you're giving me way too much credit. I'm not the kind of woman they'd treat differently, not at the level you're imagining. Second, you're selling Yanxi short. I trust him. His sincerity toward me is real, and he wouldn't let things spiral out of control."

Hua Yizheng didn't know if he had underestimated Yanxi, but he was sure he hadn't overestimated Hua Zhi. Rarity signifies importance, and in the capital, could he find a second like her?

The key was that Hua Zhi's weaknesses were too apparent. If someone targeted the Hua family...

"Zhi'er, let's make three rules."

"Go ahead."

"First, no matter what happens, you put your safety above everything else."

Hua Zhi didn’t miss a beat before shaking her head. "If it’s like that night again, I’d do the exact same thing. It’s not about being reckless—it’s about weighing the fallout beforehand and acting accordingly. But some moments hit like a thunderclap, and you don’t get the luxury of thinking twice." "You know we were ready to rush in and go down with you, right? Die together if we had to?"

"And that would’ve been a wasteful, brainless move. Someone had already gone to get Yanxi. I handed him Jia Yang's token; I knew he'd track us down. Yanxi knew what was going on and would’ve come running. My job was just to stall. Every move I made was calculated—timed down to the second."

Hua Yizheng didn’t argue; instead, he kept going. "Second, the Hua family must rise again—and do it with pride. I don’t care if it takes years, as long as there’s a bloodline to carry the torch. They’ll fight for this."

"You think I’d stoop to dirty tricks?" Hua Zhi scoffed, her tone sharp. "Never. And if I did play dirty, I’d make sure everyone saw it coming—a trap in plain sight, and I’d still dive in headfirst. No half-measures."

"Three, no matter who targets the Hua family, you must not give in to coercion. Zhi'er, I am not as powerless as you think. The men of the Hua family are not as useless as you imagine. Not everyone is as brainless as the Second Prince. The Emperor fears the Hua family, but he only dared to exile them, and only those over ten years old. Why? Because we are the Hua family, the leading literary family of the Daqing Dynasty. The Hua family has learned from the mistakes of the Second Prince, and in the future, no one will dare easily harm us. So, don't be deceived."

Hua Zhi wanted to argue—she didn’t think her grandfather or the older generation were weak. She just… couldn’t stomach watching those hands, skilled with brushes and ink, forced to grip swords instead.

She’d said it before and meant it: she couldn’t walk their path, but she honored it.

The Hua family might be stubborn scholars, but they had unbreakable spines. Exile didn’t suit them. They deserved better.

But for now, all she could say was, "Grandfather, I promise you, the Hua family will rise again, and we’ll do it with our dignity intact.”