Chapter 216: Protecting One's Own

Xu Jie didn't return until a long while had passed. After bowing to Wu shi, he reported to the eldest young miss, "I've inquired and found out that Yang Qi feasted with eldest master Wu at Yunlai Restaurant yesterday."

Hua Zhi looked at Wu shi, and Wu shi looked back at her. Bitterness filled their eyes, their mouths, and their hearts. These were her own kin, the people who had once doted on her. It was as if all that affection had been a dream, a figment of her imagination. Now, as she thought of them, she found them utterly despicable.

“I understand. Let it be. From now on, the Wu family will walk their prosperous path, and I, as the daughter-in-law of the Hua family, will cross my solitary bridge.” Wu Shi stood up, her expression surprisingly calm, as if all the resentment and hatred in her heart were false, as if the Wu family she mentioned had nothing to do with her at this moment.

Hua Zhi got up to see her off, only to hear her fourth aunt say again, “Zhi’er, do whatever you want with the Wu family. You don’t need to tell me about these things anymore in the future.”

“……Yes.”

Standing at the door and watching her fourth aunt leave, Hua Zhi quietly hid the little guilt in her heart where no one could see it. Turning around, she looked at Xu Jie who was standing aside with his head lowered, and slowly walked back to sit behind the desk, saying softly, “There's something I've been meaning to tell you.”

“Yes, I’m listening to your orders.”

“The other day when Steward Xu fell ill, I remembered that he was several years older than my grandfather, and it was time for him to retire.”

Xu Jie hesitated, then immediately replied, “I understand. I’ll take my father to the Zhuangzi Manor later…”

“Where did that thought come from? Do you think I would just discard someone I’ve used?” Hua Zhi scolded, then softened her tone again, “Steward Xu has been in the mansion all his life. I only regret that I can’t let him retire in the old house, so how could I let him leave the manor? It’s just that we need to find a suitable new steward to take over, and Steward Xu will have to give him a good training.”

Xu Jie felt relieved, then immediately felt that he had been too suspicious, so he lowered his head even further.

“You have to manage the outside affairs, and Xu Ying is still too young. The replacement can only be chosen from among the others. I hope you won’t have any objections to this.”

Xu Jie immediately knelt down, "We dare not have any objections, miss. It's never been reasonable for servants to have opinions about their masters."

"Now that everything is clear, everyone's minds are at ease. I won't treat any of you poorly." Hua Zhi helped him up, "Get up. Go back and tell Xu Ying that he'll be reporting to me from tomorrow. You're about to leave, and I need someone else to run errands."

"Yes, I'll thank the young miss for promoting my brother on his behalf."

"I hope I'm well, and you're all well too." Hua Zhi said meaningfully. She placed people in positions she thought were suitable and tried her best to relieve their worries. She only hoped that they would be more sincere towards her as their master. Even if they couldn't reciprocate her feelings, she hoped they could at least remain loyal.

*

Gu Yanxi had become so accustomed to coming over for dinner that everyone in the courtyard had grown used to it. It wasn't that no one noticed the unusual relationship between the two, but no one dared to say anything.

On a larger scale, the Hua family needed the eldest young miss to support them. Now that she was in charge of the household, her affairs could not be discussed. On a smaller scale, the two of them had been under everyone's watchful eyes, and there had been no rumors or scandals. They had simply been spending more time together. Since their eldest young miss had even dared to smash their First Aunt's shrine, what was so strange about her spending more time with someone?

Even Shao Yao now knew better than to come over to Hua Hua's side and glare at Yan Ge at this time. Every night at dinner, she would take her large portion from the kitchen and join Xiao Liu and Bai Lin, and the three of them would eat and chat happily.

Their alone time was limited to this meal, and Gu Yanxi cherished it dearly. As he ate the dishes prepared by Ah Zhi, he could glance up and see the person he adored sitting right beside him. There was no awkwardness, no suspicion, no conflict between them. With every peaceful and gentle moment, he wished their time together would never end.

Ah Zhi put down her chopsticks and gently wiped her mouth. "I have a tea party to attend tomorrow."

"It's good to socialize with people from various families. There are certainly those worth associating with."

"That family definitely isn't one of them," Ah Zhi's lips curved into a slight smile, but her eyes remained distant. "The Wu family and the Yang family have joined forces. Inviting me probably isn't to thank me for dealing with Yang Qi."

Gu Yanxi didn't ask why she was going when she knew the other party had no good intentions. He understood Ah Zhi. Knowing someone's motives but avoiding them was not something she would do. Even if the situation was unfavorable to her, she would turn it into what she wanted and then strike back hard at the other party's gathering.

That was his Ah Zhi!

He only wished he could witness it firsthand!

"I'll send two people to follow you..."

"No need. They can't possibly attack me. And if they do, I'm not sure who would end up tearing whom apart."

Gu Yanxi shook his head with a wry smile. That was right, how could he forget? In terms of martial arts, those women were no match for Ah Zhi. Upon closer thought, he realized he couldn't help in any way.

Well, not entirely.

Gu Yanxi lowered his gaze and finished the last bite of his meal. He had no chance to deal with the woman, but the man was within his reach.

*

The next day was the grand court assembly. The dragon throne was empty, as it had been for many days, occupied instead by the leader of the Seven Stars Bureau. Some couldn't help but wonder if the person behind the mask was always the same.

Ever since the leader of the Seven Stars Bureau had assumed the regency, the familiar phrase 'Anyone with matters to report, please step forward. Otherwise, the court is adjourned' had disappeared. In the leader’s own words, why hold a court if there was nothing to discuss?

The civil and military officials had grown accustomed to his rhythm and had gradually developed a set of coping strategies, such as starting with the lowest-ranking officials when presenting matters.

After listening to a few trivial matters, Gu Yanxi waved his hand, signaling for them to stop. "Since none of you have anything important to report, then I shall speak."

A collective tension gripped everyone present. They all held their breath, fearful of being singled out. This was not the first time, and more often than not, it didn't bode well.

"Yesterday, as I was passing by the City Prefecture Office, I witnessed quite a spectacle. Minister Wen, wouldn't you agree it was quite a scene?"

The City Prefecture's Minister, Wen Qing, trembled. Composing himself, he stepped forward and replied, "Your Excellency, I am truly sorry. It was merely a case of citizens disputing over the distribution of benefits, and the matter dragged on a bit as we weighed the appropriate punishment. I didn't expect you to witness it. It was my negligence."

"Oh, so it was due to a dispute over the distribution of benefits?"

Wen Qing gritted his teeth and nodded in agreement.

Gu Yanxi gave a cold sneer and gestured for Lai Fu to bring over something. "However, it seems to me that the petitions do not say so."

Wen Qing took the crumpled petition and glanced at it. He knew without a doubt that it was the same one he had seen yesterday. But he had already ordered it to be dealt with. How could it have...

"Minister Wen, do you have anything else to say?"

Wen Qing knelt on the ground, his lips clamped shut. "Your subordinate truly knows nothing of this matter. Please, Your Excellency, investigate clearly."

"Very well, then let's investigate."

Wen Qing hadn't expected to be let off so lightly. He had thought his official hat was surely going to be lost...

"As for Minister Wu mentioned in the complaint, his promotion will be temporarily suspended and reconsidered later."

As soon as he heard the head of the Seven Stars Bureau mention the incident at Mingtian Prefecture yesterday, the Deputy Censor Wu Zhen knew he was in trouble. But seeing the rank of Third-Rank official, which was almost within his grasp, vanish into thin air because of this casual remark, his eyes turned red.

He had paid such a high price to finally cross that threshold and enter the ranks of high-ranking officials. He had used everything he could, sacrificed everything he could, and even ignored the Hua family's troubles despite their long-standing friendship, all for the sake of crossing that threshold.

And now it was gone?

Just like that?

Wu Zhen clutched his chest, his vision darkening. But he dared not faint. If he dared to faint here, the entire Wu family, over a hundred people, would be implicated.

He was not Hua Yizheng; his family's women had no one to protect them!

———TN: Exams are coming up, so I might be a bit slow to respond for a while. I'll try my best to keep up, but don't be surprised if it takes a little longer than usual.