Chapter 391: Madam Sun's Calculated Move

Lin Shuang dutifully relayed Madam Qin’s words to the Eldest Miss, allowing Hua Zhi to piece together the Qin family’s stance with a clear head.

Strictly speaking, this issue had little to do with the main branch of the Qin family. Still, their subtle message was unmistakable: they preferred to keep the Hua family at arm’s length.

Since the passing of Hua Zhi’s grandmother, interactions between the two families had dwindled significantly. The last notable connection was when Hua Zhi sent an invitation to the grand opening of Shi Zhai, which the Qin family had attended out of courtesy. But beyond that single gesture, they maintained a carefully calibrated distance. It wasn’t outright estrangement, but it certainly wasn’t intimacy either—a deliberate balancing act.

Madam Qin’s response made this even clearer. Not only did she avoid suggesting a time for a follow-up visit, but she didn’t even bother with a token inquiry about the Hua family’s wellbeing. It wasn’t cruel, just pragmatic. This kind of calculated restraint was the hallmark of a family focused on longevity, prioritizing pragmatism over sentiment.

Hua Zhi wasn’t exactly upset, but there wasn’t any warmth left in her heart either. She could tell the other side didn’t see much value in their relationship, so there was no point in forcing a connection. They would simply go their separate ways.

Quietly, she crossed the Qin family off her mental list, though a faint sense of disappointment lingered. She had thought that while the Qin family might not be as dependable as the Zhu family, they’d at least hold their own compared to the others. Yet, in the end, they turned out to be barely distinguishable from strangers.

Her eyes swept the room, but there was no sign of her personal maid. “Ying Chun still isn’t back?” she asked casually.

“Not yet,” Bao Xia replied with a slight pout. “Miss, you only ever think about Ying Chun. Am I not good enough to handle things?”

Hua Zhi chuckled. “Alright, you win. You’re the most capable. Pass the word around to each household—everyone’s dining together tonight.”

Bao Xia perked up instantly, her pout replaced with an eager smile. “Got it, Miss!” she said, hurrying off to carry out the instructions.

Left alone, Hua Zhi shook her head, a faint smile lingering on her lips. In the span of a year, though life hadn’t flipped upside down, the changes were undeniable. The Hua sisters no longer obsessed over appearances and reputation. The usual squabbles within the households still happened, but they no longer tipped the balance. Even the children—who, at their age, had no business being this mature—had taken on responsibilities beyond their years.

And as for the servants? They were no longer hollow, mechanical figures. Efficiency and reliability had seeped into their work, transforming them into a quietly capable force.

*

While Ying Chun was visiting the Sun family, Madam Sun deliberately kept her around. Unlike treating her as a mere guest, Madam Sun behaved as though Ying Chun was one of their own. She sampled two dishes in Ying Chun’s presence, her expression thoughtful yet carefully neutral. After a moment, she broke the silence with a pointed question about the Hua family:

“I’ve heard about the recent turmoil. Is the third Miss doing all right?”

“Thank you for asking,” Ying Chun replied with a polite smile. “The third Miss is well now.”

“Glad to hear it.” Madam Sun didn’t bother mentioning that she had initially been on her way home when the news reached her. Hearing that the situation had stabilized and the Hua family hadn’t taken any losses, she chose to return. It wasn’t because she was indifferent to her own obligations, but rather because she couldn’t bring herself to stand by if the Hua family’s young women were in trouble.

“By the way, do you know anything about Xiao Liu’s whereabouts?”

Ying Chun’s expression grew cautious. Unlike most people in the household, she was aware of Xiao Liu’s true identity. Picking her words carefully, she said, “Madam, I believe the young master, our cousin, and Xiao Liu have already written to Miss Hua. From what I’ve gathered, they’re currently down south.”

“Xiangyang?”

After a brief mental calculation, Ying Chun nodded. It wasn’t a detail worth concealing.

Madam Sun acknowledged the response with a nod and asked no further questions. Any lingering doubts she might have had seemed to dissipate. Over time, she had come to appreciate her grandson’s somewhat ceremonial yet powerless role in the Hua family. It was a strange kind of balance—hard to articulate, but she could feel it. And she was convinced it was for the best.

In the past, she wouldn’t have dared to imagine letting the prince venture out on his own. Even within the safety of the palace, she’d been riddled with anxiety, constantly fretting over whether he might face humiliation or bullying. But now, with him setting off independently, it felt as though she’d shed layer upon layer of long-standing worries.

As the eldest Miss of the Hua family had so eloquently expressed in her letter, letting go didn’t necessarily equate to abandonment. For Xiao Liu, it seemed more like a moment of personal growth, even fulfillment.

Madam Sun, signaling for the nanny to accompany Ying Chun out, allowed her thoughts to wander further.

For the past two days, the capital had been abuzz with talk about the Hua family’s curious move—selling, but not really selling, a particular basket of goods. Everyone who’d sampled the contents was now planning to present the same basket as a thoughtful tribute to the examination halls.

During the imperial examinations, students preparing for the grueling nine-day Autumn test needed ample provisions to endure the ordeal while maintaining their focus. Most of the time, though, the prepared food turned stale, unappetizing, or insufficient. But the Hua family’s offerings were a game-changer—long-lasting, delicious, and thoughtfully balanced with staples, meats, and fruits.

Though this venture had been labeled as a sale, no one could overlook the underlying sentiment. It wasn’t just about food; it carried an emotional resonance.

Whether or not the Wei family genuinely intended to host that philosophical gathering, the eldest Miss of the Hua family had already made a strategic preemptive move. But sending over such an extravagant basket…

“Madam,” the nanny interrupted, returning in haste.

“What is it?”

The nanny grinned knowingly. “Ying Chun didn’t let much slip. She mentioned she still had another household to visit but wouldn’t say more. However, I did catch sight of two other baskets in her carriage—not as large as the one she delivered here, but substantial all the same.”

Madam Sun laughed softly, her mind already turning over new schemes. “Oh, those baskets weren’t hidden by accident. They wanted us to notice them.”

That girl was clever and must have known the best place for these items was the military. During marches, as long as each person carried a small bag, it could sustain them for several days.

Running her fingers over the porcelain jar, Madam Sun pondered. Was this meant to be passed through her hands to her husband, who would then present it to the Emperor?

Why wouldn't she offer it to the Emperor herself? The Hua family was currently disgraced; if they had such a contribution...

No, that couldn't be right.

Madam Sun stood up and paced back and forth. If she were facing the ambitious Emperor of her youth, such an offering would surely be rewarded with great merit. But things were different now. The Emperor was aging, and mindful of the Hua family's long-standing service. This credit could belong to anyone but the Hua family.

As criminals, how could they be rewarded?

Would their merits cancel out their crimes and allow the Hua family to return?

No, such a contribution would be far outweighed by their past transgressions, and could even provoke the Emperor's anger.

The girl had clearly seen this, and so had gone to great lengths to distance the Hua family.

If that were the case, why go through so much trouble?

What was her reason for doing this?

Madam Sun picked up a strip of dried meat, tore off a piece, and let it sit on her tongue before chewing deliberately. If the young woman didn’t care for recognition but still insisted on sending this to the army, who stood to gain? The soldiers, of course, and by extension, the entire Daqing Empire.

The army’s provisions were a constant sore point among its ranks. The soldiers had to contend with those cold, unyielding cakes—so tough they scraped against their throats and left their jaws aching after endless chewing. For those with weaker teeth, the only option was to let the cakes soften in their mouths before they could even attempt swallowing. And yet, these subpar rations drained a fortune from the empire's coffers.

By contrast, this dried meat, while pricey, was undeniably better. The fried noodles that came with it? A far cry from the standard-issue misery. High in quality, thoughtful in design—this was food that soldiers could actually look forward to.

As Madam Sun’s mind wandered to her husband, a man who had spent his years in the army enduring those wretched cakes, her heart tightened with a pang of sorrow. She set the dried meat aside, wiped her hands carefully, and made her way back to her room. There, she sat down to compose a letter.

She entrusted the letter, along with the large basket of provisions, to her most reliable servant, instructing him to deliver everything to her husband as swiftly as possible. Whatever happened next wasn’t her call—it would be up to her husband to decide how to proceed.

———TN: This just crossed my mind—what if, back in the day, before Xiao Liu’s mother became one of the Emperor’s women, she and Hua Zhi’s father had followed through on their feelings for each other? Imagine if they had actually gotten married back then, considering Hua Zhi’s father felt the same way about her. Wouldn’t that have completely rewritten their stories—and maybe even history?