Chapter 299: Matters Upon Matters

Over six months had passed, but Hua Zhi finally ran into Chen Tu again in that same damn village. This time, she wasn’t clueless like last time. She could see it right away from his cold, calculated behavior toward Yan Xi. The guy was most definitely from the Seventh Stars Bureau.

After an unremarkable meal—plenty of food, but bland as hell—Hua Zhi pushed back from the table and said, “You two talk, I’m gonna rest.”

Yan Xi followed her into the room. Without missing a beat, he poured her some tea and handed it to her, his voice low, “You barely ate anything.”

“Rough trip, lost my appetite,” Hua Zhi said with a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Half of it was vegetarian. He made an effort. Tell him thanks for me.”

“Get some rest. We leave early tomorrow, aiming to reach Yinyan Pass the day after tomorrow.”

“Got it.”

Yan Xi gave her a soft pat on the head before turning to leave.

Outside, Chen Tu stood waiting, like some stiff soldier. He followed Yan Xi into the side room.

“Reporting, Leader,” Chen Tu saluted again.

Yan Xi waved it off, not in the mood for any of that. “Cut the formalities. You get the word from Yingshan Pass?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Don’t waste time with the formalities next time. From now on, you make sure everything’s locked down every six months. This place stays as a stopover point. No surprises.”

Hua Zhi already knew who the hell Chen Tu was. No point in keeping up the charade anymore. With her mind, she would’ve cracked it the moment she stepped foot here.

“Any updates from Gu Chengde?”

“Two assassination attempts last month,” Chen Tu reported, his tone even. “One from the Second Prince. The other? The Emperor himself.”

It wasn’t a shocker that the Emperor had tried to kill his own son again—he’d done it before.

But the Second Prince? That one got under Yan Xi’s skin.

He’d expected the bastard to move sooner. Not sit on his hands this long.

That caught him off guard.

Progress.

"Tell me about the situation."

"Got it." Chen Tu was already on top of things, his report ready and his tone calm. "As you predicted, the First Prince is suspicious of his bodyguard, Wu Shoujiang. I spoke with him, and Wu Shoujiang wasted no time taking the blame. He met with the First Prince once, but then he started dodging further meetings. Eventually, the First Prince got the message and stopped pushing. The person who’s been with him for the past two months hasn’t left his side, and I haven’t been able to get a read on who they are."

Yan Xi's eyes narrowed, lips curving slightly. "It’s clearly someone from the capital. Everyone’s got brains, and even if they’re loyal to Gu Chengde, they wouldn’t risk angering the Emperor right now. As for not knowing their identity... that’s hardly an obstacle."

Chen Tu bowed slightly, continuing without missing a beat. "I had people keep an eye on the generals. On the surface, there’s nothing between them, and they’re not exactly best friends. But just like you said, they’ve got their own way of talking to each other. No one else buys into it, though, and they’re not bringing anyone else in. So far, we’ve got nothing useful."

Yan Xi tapped his fingers on the table, irritation flashing in his eyes. If they weren’t including anyone else, he’d send someone they couldn’t ignore. But that could wait until he returned to put things in motion. "Keep going."

"Understood," Chen Tu said, not even lifting his head. "Wu Shoujiang has strong ties with the Hua family. Elder Hua set up a whole network to help him tighten his grip on Yingshan Pass. Four days ago, they launched an operation and caught fourteen spies. Wu Shoujiang was furious and rushed everything to the capital. The report should be on the Emperor's desk in a couple of days."

Yan Xi's eyes sharpened. "Does the report mention the Hua family?"

"I don’t know, but everyone at Yingshan Pass knows about it. It’s not a secret."

Wu Yong is no fool—he should have brought this up already. Whether the merit is big or small, it’s enough to prove that the Hua family, even in exile, is still loyal to the Great Daqing Dynasty. The Emperor isn’t going to let them off the hook for that, but it’ll definitely leave a positive impression on him.

“Got something else for me?”

Yan Xi raised an eyebrow, signaling him to go ahead.

“Yes, a message from Chen Feng. He’s out in the grasslands beyond the borders. He reported no rain for three months, and it’s wrecking the land. The sandstorms are worse than ever. We need to prepare for the worst.”

“Has Wu Yong been briefed on this?”

“Of course.”

“Southern floods, northern droughts—this is a mess.” Yan Xi stood up, pacing back and forth. “Support Chen Feng. If anything changes, get him back here immediately. Hao Yong’s got the rest covered. And send someone to inspect Bingzhou. We can’t let the people there get restless, and we need to keep an eye on the local officials.”

“Understood. I’ll handle it right away.”

Chen Tu, who hadn’t seen the leader in six months, went into overdrive with the details. He knew Yan Xi picked apart even the smallest problems, so he didn’t hold back on anything.

They kept at it until late into the night. But by the time Hua Zhi woke up early the next day, Yan Xi had already completed his martial training for the morning.

As they neared Yingshan Pass, the pressure grew. The closer they got, the more it felt like they would never reach their goal.

To shield themselves from the brutal sandstorms, Hua Zhi wore a veil, while Yan Xi pulled a hood low over his head, hiding most of his face. The others wrapped their heads tight, leaving just a narrow slit for their eyes to see through. It was hot and suffocating, but they had no choice—the force of the sandstorms was relentless.

They didn’t drop their covers until they reached Yingshan Pass the next evening. Yan Xi motioned for someone to come over and hand him the pass, but the guards at the city gates stood there, unmoving.

That’s when Hua Zhi, looking a little messy and worn out after removing her veil, spoke up. "A girl from the Hua family passed through here before the New Year. I remember her. She gave me some frostbite ointment."

Yan Xi shot a quick glance at Ah Zhi, who seemed taken aback. It was clear that this person barely even remembered helping out with a simple gift.

But Hua Zhi caught on quickly. "Did the medicine work?" she asked.

"It did. Saved me a lot of pain. Thanks for it," the guard responded, his voice sincere.

Hua Zhi grinned, clearly pleased. "I’m glad it helped. My family’s caravan should be arriving soon. We’ve brought a lot, so I’ll make sure you get more when they get here. You can share it however you like."

The soldier’s face lit up with gratitude. "That’s very generous of you. I’ll thank you on behalf of my brothers," he said, and the others standing around him echoed their thanks.

Although Yingshan Pass wasn’t as bustling as other cities, it wasn’t deserted either. When word spread that a girl from the Hua family was there, everyone slowed down, eager to see her. The Hua family was well-respected in these parts, and most people had benefited from their generosity in one way or another. The market, despite its usual chaos, was surprisingly clean—people often took extra care to brush off the dirt before entering.

Hua Zhi didn’t pay any attention to the curious stares. Once the soldiers cleared them to pass, they mounted their horses and entered the city. Though galloping was banned in the streets, trotting was fine, and they moved on without any trouble.

By the time they neared home, Hua Zhi didn’t feel much different. But the closer they got, the more a sense of urgency pressed down on her—something was coming. She could feel it.

———TN: In Haoyue's original timeline, Xiao Liu didn’t survive—he died.

The other princes?

They were wiped out in brutal power struggles, each one falling in the fight for the throne.

And then there’s Gu Yanxi, who managed to claw his way to the top and become the emperor.