Chapter 323 Wu Yong's Thoughts

For days on end, Hua Zhi spent more time passed out than conscious. Her body was fighting to patch itself up, and the sedatives in the herbal soup kept her down. Not that she complained—whenever she did wake up, the pain hit like a freight train, leaving her no choice but to endure in silence.

The Hua family took turns chatting her up when she wasn’t knocked out cold, filling the dead air and trying to keep her spirits afloat. After four or five days, the worst seemed to pass. She slept less, her face gained a hint of color, and Shao Yao started hauling her outside twice a day to soak in some sun.

It was during these moments, watching the world she’d been dragged into, that Hua Zhi got her first real glimpse of the Hua family’s exiled life—and it hit her like a punch to the gut.

Every morning, the family gathered in grim routine: from her elderly grandfather to the youngest cousin, barely eleven, they spent half an hour reading together. Then the elders headed to government offices, while the younger ones switched into work gear—sturdy tops and pants tucked into shoes—and grabbed their shovels for the day’s grind.

Yingshan Pass wasn’t kind. The mines needed bodies to dig deep, and the jagged mountains demanded constant reinforcement. Exiles like the Hua family? They were just tools for the job, tossed wherever they fit.

At first, half the Hua family slogged underground, enduring the filth and danger. Hua Pingyang, sharp as ever, used the gold bars Hua Zhi had given him to bribe and negotiate their way out, piece by piece. But before that? They ate dirt. Scholars and nobles, shoved into hell and told to live with it.

Eventually, Pingyang got the elders out, then worked on freeing his own generation. But the younger ones? They were stuck. It wasn’t just about resources—it was politics. If the Hua family looked too comfortable, too successful, they’d draw the wrong kind of attention. Envy turned dangerous fast in Yingshan Pass.

So, the younger Hua clan labored on the rocky mountains, their hands toughening as their pride took hit after hit. After half a year, they’d adapted. Sure, they still looked like scholars when they donned their robes, but strip them down to short jackets? Their arms told a different story—lean muscle from work that didn’t ask, just took.

Watching them sweat and haul like beasts of burden, Hua Zhi couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Could her legendary ancestor, towering in the family’s history, ever have pictured his bloodline like this—stooped, scarred, and jacked?

Probably not. But here they were, develop strong muscles.

Basking in the warm sun, feeling so leisurely, Hua Zhi indulged in her thoughts for a while until she heard footsteps and looked up.

Dongzi quickly approached and reported, "Miss, General Wu requests an audience."

Hua Zhi smiled and raised her voice, "The Hua family now has a low threshold, there's no need for formal requests. General Wu, please come in."

Shao Yao was inside pounding medicine. Upon hearing the conversation, she peeked out with the mortar in her arms. "Huahua, we don't need to pay attention to anyone. Just focus on recovering from your illness."

"It's nothing. I'm just idle." Hua Zhi tilted her head and looked at her. "Caocao, go wash your face."

Shao Yao absentmindedly wiped her face, making it even more colorful.

When Wu Yong saw her like this, he chuckled, causing Shao Yao to shoot him a glare before retreating.

Why did Hua Zhi's smile make him unable to contain his own?

Wu Yong rubbed his nose and looked at the gentle-looking woman. Who would have thought that such a seemingly qualified noblewoman would possess such courage and determination?

"General Wu, are you here to see me for a reason?" Hua Zhi asked.

"Yes, I have a little matter to discuss." Wu Yong glanced back, signaling to his deputy, who then went out to fetch a few soldiers carrying something inside. Hua Zhi immediately understood what it was.

"This was made according to the Shizi's instructions. He said it was the young lady's idea and the rules were also set by her. Can you teach this general?" Wu Yong asked.

Hua Zhi lay there without moving, feeling a bit helpless as she looked at the sky. They say stealing moments of leisure is a joy, and she had stolen quite a few moments already, it was enough.

"What did Yanxi say?" Her direct use of his name caught Wu Yong off guard, which he seemed to find very impressive.

Soldiers brought a chair over, and Wu Yong sat across from Hua Xhi, adopting a casual demeanor. "The Shizi said that this is the young lady's creation of entertainment. It is now being promoted in the five camps in the capital and will gradually extend to the garrisons in the Nine Provinces. This general is fortunate to have experienced it before the others."

"If it's for entertainment, then it should be used for just that," Hua Zhi replied.

Wu Yong thought that Hua Zhi was being modest and was about to praise the Shizi when she spoke again, "But even in entertainment, there can be winners and losers. General Wu, do you understand the rules?"

"The Shizi doesn't have the patience for others. This general is waiting for the young lady to enlighten me."

Hua Zhi smiled and turned to shout, "Caocao."

Shao Yao popped her head out again. Without waiting for Huazhi to speak, she said, "I don't want to talk to this 'General' person."

Hua Zhi smiled and nodded. "After you finish talking, you can play."

Shao Yao's eyes lit up. Play freely? Hua Zhi nodded to her.

Wu Yong had no idea what kind of game the two were playing, but he didn't have a good feeling about it. However, when he saw the ugly girl with a colorful face coming towards him, he pushed that feeling aside. "Miss Shao Yao can also play?"

"I can." Shao Yao rolled up her sleeves, secretly thinking, "I'm really good at it. Just wait and see how I conquer all, make you piss your pants!"

Hua Zhi patted her hand, put down her rolled-up sleeves, and said, "Go wash your hands and face first."

"Oh," Shao Yao ran off quickly, and Wu Yong's gaze unconsciously followed her.

Hua Zhi was about to speak when she noticed his gaze and narrowed her eyes slightly. Could it be that there are people in this world who look beyond appearances and see the essence?

Shao Yao ran back, her face still wet, but she didn't care. She wiped her arm, then went to the sand table to pick up a teaching stick. With a command-like posture, she prepared to explain the rules, looking both amusing and adorable.

"Wu Yong, why do you keep staring at me? Did you hear what I said earlier?" Shao Yao tapped the stick loudly. She had been judged by many people before, but there was no hint of annoyance in Wu Yong's eyes when he looked at her. He was indeed strange.

What was there to look at her, was her face not clean enough?

If so, he could just say it.

Hua Zhi had her eyes half-closed, as if dozing off, but she didn't miss any of the movements happening on the other side. Even though Shao Yao's antics were making her struggle to contain her amusement, she waited for Wu Yong's response.

Wu Yong cleared his throat and casually wiped his nose. "You've got something stuck in your hair."

"In my hair?" she snapped, eyebrows arching.

"Yeah, right here." He gestured toward his right temple, stepping closer. "Let me handle it."

Without waiting for her to protest, Wu Yong brushed his hand through her hair with a deliberate slowness. "All set."

Her eyes narrowed. "What was it?"

"Just some dust," he said, slipping his hand behind his back as if nothing had happened. His tone turned pointed. "Now, about what you were saying earlier—get on with it."

Shao Yao shot him a glare, her irritation practically crackling, but she begrudgingly picked up where she'd left off.

Hua Zhi’s gaze lingered on Wu Yong’s retreating back, her thoughts sharp and biting. His smooth-talking, easy charm might fool a simple mind like Shao Yao's, but it didn’t sit right with her. She had seen it plain as day earlier—when Shao Yao stepped out of the house, her mind had been an open, untouched slate.

Was Wu Yong setting his sights on Shao Yao?

Not a bad pick, Hua Zhi conceded, if he had a shred of taste. But let’s not forget—Wu Yong was the prized heir of the Wu clan, the only male descendant in the family line.

Unmarried? Unlikely. And even if he were, a man like him wouldn’t exactly be lonely. There was no doubt he had a harem of concubines and servants waiting back home to tend to his every whim.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. No, Shao Yao had no business getting tangled up with someone like Wu Yong. She belonged at Hua Zhi's side.

———TN: I’m tight on time today, so here’s the novel—dive in and enjoy the ride.