Blossoms in Adversity Recap, Plot, Synopsis

Blossoms in Adversity Synopsis

Qinggui Hua Mansion suddenly faces confiscation and exile, leaving only women and children desperate and destitute. Miss Huazhi, no longer pretending to be foolish and naive, leads the women, navigating through adversity with determination and wit.

Along the way, she turns the Qixiu Defterdar Gu Yanxi into the charming and beloved "Mr. Yan." Amidst the chaos and warmth, Huazhi evolves from a distressed young lady to the head of the household, embarking towards a brighter new life.

Blossoms in Adversity Recap

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On a stormy night, Hua Yizheng, the elder of the Imperial Censor Hua family, was writing a letter on a boat when a sudden gale struck, causing water to flood the deck. In the urgent moment, the sail needed to be lowered immediately, but the hired servants went on strike over wages. Seeing this, the young Hua Zhi, without hesitation, grabbed a dagger from the ground, climbed up the mast, and cut the sail to save everyone.

The next day, the Shen family was coming to present the betrothal gifts, but Hua Zhi was not anxious; it was her maid Bao Xia who was nervous. Hua Zhi told Bao Xia that even after marriage, they must insist on doing what they believed in. Looking at the surrounding walls of the house, Hua Zhi sighed, feeling as if trapped in a cage.

Just then, another maid, Ying Chun, came and told Hua Zhi that everyone was currently waiting at Chengyuan for the imperial bestowal of the peach wood charms. Hearing this, Hua Zhi became excited and took Bao Xia and Ying Chun toward the west corner gate. Uncle Zhong had long been waiting there with the carriage. Hua Zhi instructed Ying Chun to guard the gate while she and Bao Xia boarded the carriage and left. Chengyuan was bustling with excitement.

In the room facing the stage, the third lady of the Hua family, Xia Jin’e, was having the servants report the accounts. Feeling the charcoal braziers were placed too closely in front of her, she ordered the servants to move them. Coincidentally, they ended up in front of the second lady Qi Huilan and the first lady Zhu Yingzhen.

Zhu Yingzhen wanted to step out for some fresh air, but Qi Huilan invoked the old madam’s authority, making her abandon the idea. Qi Huilan then asked the fourth lady, Wu Yuniang, who said it was a bit hot. Qi Huilan thus told the maid Zhe Gui to open a window, and seeing this, Xia Jin’e simply ordered all the windows to be opened.

Since the peach wood charms would arrive at night, the Hua family’s old madam, Lin Wan, stayed with everyone to watch the opera while waiting. Commander Chen Qing of the Seven Guards led patrol officers to search the streets. After finding Hua Zhi’s blueprint at a bronze ware shop, they stopped Hua Zhi's carriage. As an unmarried lady, Hua Zhi should not have appeared in public, but Chen Qing pressed aggressively.

Shen Qi, the eldest son of the Shen family, stepped forward to defend her but was forcibly thrown aside by the officers. Refusing to submit, Shen Qi faced Chen Qing drawing his sword. At the critical moment, Gu Yanxi shielded Shen Qi behind him. Gu Yanxi recognized that the blueprint depicted an ancient-style bronze crow, but Shen Qi became suspicious of Gu Yanxi’s identity and insisted on taking him back to the Seven Guards Bureau.

Knowing how formidable the Seven Guards were, Hua Zhi quickly jumped off the carriage to defend Gu Yanxi. After Hua Zhi revealed her identity, Chen Qing repeatedly apologized. Hua Zhi admired Gu Yanxi for coming from the northern lands and lamented that since she came to the capital four years ago, she had not seen snowfall again. Late at night, the emperor summoned Hua Yizheng.

He and his eldest son, Hua Pingyu, donned their official robes and hurried to the palace. Meanwhile, in Chengyuan, the ladies continued enjoying the acrobatic performances. Xia Jin’e took the opportunity to report Hua Zhi’s engagement to Lin Wan and, with veiled sarcasm, mocked Hua Zhi. Only then did Lin Wan realize that Hua Zhi was missing among the gathered crowd. A servant reminded her that Hua Zhi had gone out, which made Lin Wan furious.

The Da Qing Emperor, Gu Chengtai, summoned Prince Ling’s heir, Gu Yanxi, late at night and told him there was something worth hearing that night. In the grand hall, Gu Chengtai brought up the matter of appointing a crown prince and the investigation of private minting led by the Seven Guards. Surprisingly, Hua Yizheng, who had always dared to speak frankly, remained silent on both issues.

Curious, Gu Chengtai questioned him, and Hua Yizheng straightforwardly replied that these were His Majesty’s private affairs, and whether he advised or not was insignificant. Gu Chengtai was displeased, insisting that the Seven Guards were his creation and that Prince Hui, Gu Yanrui, and Prince Xian, Gu Yangong, were his own sons—thus it was not wrong to call them private matters.

The atmosphere grew tense, but Hua Yizheng showed no fear, bluntly stating that the Seven Guards disregarded the law and committed executions recklessly, while the crown prince’s position remained undecided, causing constant infighting among the princes. For the sake of the nation’s stability, it should be resolved quickly. By that reasoning, these were matters of the state, not private affairs.

Enraged, Gu Chengtai dismissed Hua Yizheng and stripped the official ranks of his three clans, exiling the entire family to the northern lands, never to be reinstated. Gu Chengtai then summoned Qi Ruhai, the historian of the Seven Guards, to the hall, and Qi Ruhai declared that the mastermind behind the private minting case was Gu Yanxi.

Qi Ruhai said that Gu Yanxi had managed the Northern Army for many years and now held heavy military power, coveting the capital and plotting to seize the position of Crown Prince. He presented confidential letters between Gu Yanxi and rebels as evidence. After reading the letters, Gu Chengtai pressed for the mastermind behind the private minting case. Qi Ruhai answered that it was Gu Yanxi. At Gu Chengtai's command, Qi Ruhai was beaten on the spot.

After Hua Zhi returned home, Lin Wan summoned her and made her kneel in front of the four madams, scolding her for the lack of discipline since childhood, accusing her of sneaking out on New Year's Eve and returning dressed as a crow. Lin Wan expressed her deep dissatisfaction that Hua Zhi never read the Women's Commandments but instead spent her days studying metaphysics and business practices.

As punishment, she ordered Hua Zhi to copy the Women's Commandments one hundred times in the ancestral hall. The Fourth Madam handed the bronze crow to Hua Zhi, and Fourth Master Hua Pingyang even specially brought her food and a knee pad. The beating continued until dawn, until Qi Ruhai died. Gu Chengtai lamented that now there was no one trustworthy left in the Seven Guards.

Recognizing Gu Yanxi’s handwriting immediately, since he had personally taught him to write, Gu Chengtai realized that Qi Ruhai had falsely accused Gu Yanxi. Gu Yanxi, cherished like a rare treasure by the late emperor and the late empress since childhood, had always outshone Prince Hui and Prince Xian.

To dispel Gu Chengtai’s doubts, Gu Yanxi disfigured his own face, picked up Qi Ruhai’s mask, and expressed his willingness to leave the Northern Lands forever, join the Seven Guards, and serve Gu Chengtai unconditionally. Early in the morning, Gu Yanxi, wearing a mask, led people under imperial orders to confiscate the Hua family's property. The Empress Dowager issued a special pardon, exempting the women and children from punishment. The mansion descended into chaos.

A maid accidentally bumped into Yuan Qi, the Deputy Commander of the Seven Guards, who drew his sword to kill her. At the critical moment, Gu Yanxi drew his sword to stop him. Facing the disaster that had struck her family, Hua Zhi ran to the library to gather her blueprints and bronzeware. Gu Yanxi found her and picked up her blueprints to look at them, but blood from his face dripped onto the paper.

Hua Zhi handed him a handkerchief to wipe his wound. After the confiscation was complete, the Seven Guards took all male members of the Hua family over ten years old into custody, allowing the women to leave freely. Before leaving, Gu Yanxi specially left two carriages and two horses for them. In the scramble for survival, the maids and servants fought over valuables.

The Third Madam took abacuses, silver notes, and deeds of sale, the Second Madam looked for longevity lockets and snack boxes for her son, the Fourth Madam caressed the kite given by Fourth Master with tears streaming down her face, and the First Madam locked herself in an empty room, utterly despondent.

Hua Zhi returned to the library again, took Hua Yizheng’s manuscripts, and ordered Ying Chun, Bao Xia, Fu Dong, and Mi Qiu, her four maids, to gather the books scattered on the ground. The First Madam, believing her husband had met a tragic fate, attempted to hang herself, but even failed to tie the noose properly. Hua Zhi scolded her awake, urging her to live for herself and not always rely on others.

The Second Madam advised her to think more about the children and not act foolishly. One carriage was loaded with books, and another carried the unmarried young ladies. Lin Wan led the other women on foot. Although many commoners stood by watching and ridiculing, Lin Wan remained dignified, walking tall and proud. Meanwhile, Shen Qi was at home, excitedly counting the betrothal gifts, completely unaware of the turmoil at court.

Shen Zhongxing staggered home and threw the engagement papers into the brazier, warning Shen Qi never to mention the Hua family again. He also ordered that anyone who dared leak any word about Shen Qi’s engagement to Hua Zhi would be beaten to death. Before they even reached the estate outside the city, rain began to fall. Lin Wan, leading the entire family with dignity, exited the city under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

In the crowd, Shen Qi spotted Hua Zhi but never managed to call out to her. The estate outside the city was a gift from the Empress Dowager, named Zihuang Residence. In her youth, the old madam often came here to escape the summer heat, but because the place had been uninhabited for many years, it was now filled with cobwebs, causing the madams to feel uneasy.

The Third Madam, Xia Jin’e, had yet to step out of her role as a madam, loudly ordering the servants to clean the house. Seeing this, Hua Zhi immediately assigned her four personal maids to tidy up and even joined in herself. The Old Madam, Lin Wan, instructed Xia Jin’e to inventory the items brought out from the manor. Xia Jin’e suggested buying a few more servants, saying that a starved camel was still bigger than a horse.

Lin Wan told her that times had changed and that from now on they must work together and avoid bringing trouble to their respective maiden families. Finally, Lin Wan kept Xia Jin’e behind alone, asking her to probe the authorities' intentions. If heaven truly showed no mercy, they would have to quickly find a reliable man, even hiring him into the family if needed, to manage the household and look after the women and children.

Shen Qi wanted to ask about the Hua family at the dining table but was stopped before he could speak. Shen Qi’s younger brother, Shen Huan, was lively and mischievous, deeply loved by their father. Though Shen Huan did nothing all day, it did not affect his favored status. Shen Qi asked his father for money, but his father said that Shen Qi lived comfortably at home, unlike Shen Huan who wandered outside, and refused his request.

With no beds in the house, Hua Zhi spread clean straw around the brazier on the floor for everyone to rest. Hua Ling, the third daughter of the Hua family, couldn’t bear the wretched conditions and insisted on bathing, only to fall into the water. Gu Yanxi reported the results of the confiscation to Emperor Qing, Gu Chengtai.

As he sipped tea and laughed, Gu Chengtai remarked that as the Son of Heaven, whatever he did, right or wrong, was for the good of the realm. He also reminded Gu Yanxi to rather kill mistakenly than let anyone slip through. Outside the hall, Gu Yanxi encountered Prince Xian, Gu Yangong.

Gu Yangong warned Gu Yanxi that serving the emperor was like serving a tiger and that he should not become arrogant thinking he was special in the emperor’s eyes. The women and children of the Hua family squeezed together in the cold and empty main hall, unable to sleep, all feeling deeply unsettled by the sudden upheaval. At that moment, Uncle Zhong, who had once served the old master, arrived.

He said they had been forcibly separated, and the other male servants had fled. Hua Zhi wanted him to come inside with everyone, but the Second Madam thought it inappropriate because he was a man. While talking in the courtyard, Hua Zhi noticed agents from the Seven Guards secretly watching them from nearby. When Gu Yanxi returned to Prince Ling’s manor, he saw that Concubine Xiao was already waiting at the gate.

He specially went to see his sister, Shao Yao. Shao Yao, whose mind was impaired, had been kept confined by Prince Ling. Xiao told him that although Shao Yao was confined, Prince Ling had sought famous doctors far and wide, and no one in the manor dared to neglect her. Looking at Shao Yao, Gu Yanxi felt deep sorrow, but Shao Yao no longer recognized him. She spent her days with medicines and occasionally made ointments and pills for amusement.

When Hua Zhi returned to the room, everyone was already asleep, so she lay down to rest as well. In the middle of the night, someone complained of the cold. Qin Concubine, a distant niece of the old madam, got up and sealed the door tightly. The brazier was still burning. Half-asleep, Hua Zhi sensed something wrong, quickly opened the door, and called for Uncle Zhong. Looking at the sleeping Shao Yao, Gu Yanxi was reminded of her childhood.

Even in her dreams, Shao Yao was still calling for her brother. After holding her hand for a moment, Gu Yanxi left the room. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds. At that time, Prince Ling, Gu Yanxun, arrived. Ten years ago, the great fire had taken Gu Yanxi’s mother and left his sister mentally impaired. He could not forgive his father. But Gu Yanxun didn’t care; he believed all of it stemmed from Emperor Qing’s suspicion.

Because Gu Yanxi grew up in the palace and was kept close by Emperor Qing every day, estrangement naturally grew between father and son. Each additional heir would add to Emperor Qing’s suspicion, so to support Prince Ling, Concubine Xiao took infertility medicine, rendering herself unable to bear children. This made Gu Yanxun extremely grateful. Fortunately, Uncle Zhong saved everyone just in time, preventing them from being poisoned by the coal fumes.

Qin Concubine cried, claiming she hadn’t shut the door herself; she was from Xia Jin’e’s room. To protect her, Xia Jin’e and the Second Madam, Qi Huilan, had a fierce quarrel, greatly displeasing Lin Wan. Hua Zhi remembered what Hua Yizheng once told her on the boat: it was human nature to seek profit and avoid harm. If something was beyond one’s power, one should not force it. One must know when to act and when to refrain.

Think carefully before making any decisions. Early the next morning, Shen Qi and two classmates came to visit Lin Wan and her family, bringing clothes, bedding, and food.

Lin Wan was very grateful for Shen Qi and the others’ help. Chen Zhi told Lin Wan that the decision from the imperial family was already made, and the best strategy now was to quickly purchase good farmland and gather tenant farmers, as well as rent a few houses in the city to settle down. Since Xia Jin‘e was the one managing the household, Chen Zhi began discussing the details with her.

Shen Qi explained the matter of the engagement, but Hua Zhi calmly stated that what happened yesterday was already in the past and there was no need to mention it again. Lin Wan greatly agreed with Chen Zhi’s proposal, so all the madams, young ladies, and even the maids handed over their jewelry and money they had brought out, entrusting them to handle the purchase of land and houses.

Hua Zhi disagreed, saying she could handle these matters herself, but was stopped by her mother, who said an unmarried girl should not expose herself in public. Since the money was insufficient, Shen Qi added his own money and jade pendant, and Chen Zhi also swore an oath that he would make up the rest and properly complete the task for them. To reassure them, Yu Zhengyao was assigned to supervise.

After they left, Hua Zhi still felt uneasy and instructed Uncle Zhong to follow Chen Zhi. Gu Yanxi familiarized himself with the environment at the Qixusi. After taking the main seat at the administrative office, he removed his mask. Chen Qing brought wine to Gu Yanxi and, to his shock, recognized him as the person he had once troubled in the street, causing him to immediately kneel and beg for forgiveness.

Knowing that Uncle Zhong was keeping an eye on him at the front gate, Chen Zhi deliberately exited through the side door. Gu Yanxi questioned Deputy Officer Yuan Qi about why he had bypassed the chief officer and secretly entered the palace to report Qi Ruhai. Yuan Qi flaunted his seniority and arrogantly claimed to know about Gu Yanxi’s family affairs.

Gu Yanxi calmly told him that in the eighth year of Chengtian, when his maternal family plotted rebellion, to avoid implicating too many lives, the emperor kept it a secret, thus saving his mother and many court officials. He had known about this since he was young. Realizing he could not threaten him, Yuan Qi surrendered his badge as ordered, but when placing down his sword, he attempted a desperate attack.

Fortunately, Gu Yanxi had been prepared and, with his superior skills, not only remained unharmed but also successfully killed Yuan Qi. Gu Yanxi used Yuan Qi’s death to warn all Qixusi guards that betraying the chief officer would not end well. The chief officer must be loyal to the emperor, and the Qixusi guards must be loyal to the chief officer. From now on, Gu Yanxi would be in charge, and everyone must follow his rules.

Chen Qing begged Gu Yanxi for forgiveness, and the unaware Zheng Hu tried to plead on his behalf. Seeing Zheng Hu’s straightforwardness, Gu Yanxi appointed him as the new deputy officer. Meanwhile, Shen Huan saw Shen Qi’s jade pendant at a gambling house and thought he had been secretly gambling. He redeemed the pendant, planning to show it to their father. Hua Zhi went to the pawnshop where Chen Zhi had previously visited and realized he was lying.

She then sought out the pawnshop owned by Chen Zhi’s family and ran into Shen Qi at the door. Shen Qi, holding the jade pendant, told her about the strange incident: although the pendant had been pawned, his brother had seen it at the gambling house. Chen Zhi went to Lin Wan again, saying he still needed a bit more money, and suggested selling the Hua family's collection of books to buy a large four-courtyard mansion.

Lin Wan and Xia Jin‘e did not suspect him. As Chen Zhi was about to leave with the books, Hua Zhi returned. She produced Shen Qi’s jade pendant and exposed Chen Zhi’s gambling habit on the spot. It turned out that she and Uncle Zhong had already contacted Yu Zhengyao and discovered that Chen Zhi had colluded with him to defraud the Hua family’s assets to fund gambling.

Upon exposure, Chen Zhi tried to flee by carriage, but Hua Zhi, thinking quickly, called out to the Qixusi guards who had been monitoring them, claiming she wished to turn herself in. The Qixusi guards stopped the carriage, and Hua Zhi confessed that during the house raid, they had secretly brought money out of the residence, which was now hidden by Chen Zhi in the pawnshop.

Sensing the situation was serious, the Qixusi guards took both Chen Zhi and Hua Zhi back. Gu Yanxi was sparring with the Qixusi guards, and his exceptional skills won their complete respect. At this time, someone reported that a new batch of confiscated Hua family property had been discovered. Gu Yanxi ordered them to release Hua Zhi, but she refused to leave and insisted on seeing the chief officer. Wearing his mask again, Gu Yanxi met with her.

Hua Zhi requested the return of the manuscripts to the Hua family. Gu Yanxi replied that he wanted to read the "Meihua Yishu" to amuse himself. Hua Zhi became nervous, because hidden within it were Hua Yizheng’s latest manuscripts. Gu Yanxi noticed her unusual reaction but did not expose her. Instead, he ordered all the books returned to Hua Zhi.

Shen Qi once again visited Zihuangju to apologize to the Hua family, but upon hearing that Hua Zhi had been taken by the Qixusi, he hurried away.

Hua Zhi’s younger cousin, Hua Qin, was doing embroidery nearby. Hearing Xia Jin‘e praise Shen Qi’s character, she took the initiative to see Shen Qi off, wanting to offer herself to repay him for his care. When Shen Qi refused, she simply threw herself into his arms, saying she was willing to become his concubine. Shen Qi struggled to break free but accidentally slipped and fell, and this scene happened to be seen by Hua Zhi, who had just returned.

Hua Zhi returned the jade pendant to Shen Qi and told him there was no need to come again. Shen Qi alone could not save everyone; what the Hua family needed now was to save themselves. As Xia Jin‘e continued to complain, Hua Zhi entered the house with the books.

She told everyone that she intended to use this matter to show those with ill intentions that even if the Hua family had only women and children left, they would not allow anyone to plunder them. Otherwise, they would fight to the death, even if it meant going to the Qixusi. Hua Zhi handed the "Meihua Yishu" to Lin Wan, who was greatly comforted when she saw Hua Yizheng’s manuscripts inside. Gu Yanxi brought toys to visit Shao Yao.

Shao Yao used her homemade medicine to treat the wound on Gu Yanxi’s face. After being deceived by Chen Zhi, Lin Wan fell seriously ill, and the Hua family was nearly out of food. Xia Jin‘e considered seeking help from the Shen family, as they had not yet come to withdraw the engagement. Upon hearing this, Hua Zhi immediately dismissed Xia Jin‘e’s idea.

So Xia Jin‘e went to find the fourth madam, Wu Yuniang, suggesting they seek help from their respective natal families. Wu Yuniang asked Hua Zhi to accompany her home, but her parents would not even open the door, as her father and brothers were still officials in the court and needed to avoid suspicion. Xia Jin‘e then took her child to her own family. After some hesitation, her parents opened the door and cautiously welcomed her inside.

After learning that Wu Yuniang was pregnant, Hua Zhi picked fruits for her to eat. At that moment, an old woman came out and claimed that the orchard belonged to her. Upon finding out that Wu Yuniang was pregnant, the old woman generously gave Wu Yuniang half a basket of fruits she had picked.

Xia Jin‘e’s parents were willing to give her a large sum of money on the condition that she sever ties with the Hua family and return home to live again as a young lady of her family. However, Xia Jin‘e could not bear to abandon her child, so she refused her parents' offer and carried Huaduo out the door. On the way back, a thief spotted Xia Jin‘e’s earring and snatched one from her.

Shocked, she immediately took off the other one and handed it to her maid, instructing her to buy persimmons for Huaduo. Gu Yanxi instructed Chen Qing to purchase all available medical books for Shao Yao. When he entered the courtyard, he saw Madam Xiao forcing Shao Yao to take medicine. He quickly intervened and told Madam Xiao that it would be better for Shao Yao to remain naive her entire life than to suffer such forceful treatment.

Gu Yanxi carried Shao Yao back to her room. Watching Gu Yanxi’s back as he searched for medicine for her, Shao Yao recalled her childhood memories, recognized Gu Yanxi, and softly called out, “Brother, why did you only come back now? ”Shao Yao said that she was not really sick, just afraid that when she grew up, she would forget her mother. Gu Yanxi told Gu Yanxun that he would find a way to cure Shao Yao’s illness.

That night, Gu Yanxi dreamed of his mother and Shao Yao, followed by the great fire during the self-immolation. He woke up in shock, calling out “Mother! ” At that moment, Madam Xiao entered. Gu Yanxi regretted not being by his mother’s side during the incident. Madam Xiao, with tears in her eyes, told him that his mother would not blame him.

Looking at the scars on Madam Xiao’s hands, Gu Yanxi felt deep gratitude for her rescuing Shao Yao from the fire back then and apologized for today’s events. Madam Xiao reassured him that they were all family and she would not mind. Hua Zhi and Wu Yumei sat on the steps and noticed that the Qixusi surveillance had finally been withdrawn.

Seeing the current state of the household, Hua Zhi felt that they could not wait any longer and had to quickly come up with a solution. The next day, the Shen matriarch arrived at Zihuangju with a letter of annulment. Seeing the Hua family’s situation, she tucked the letter into her sleeve and simply said she was there to visit Lin Wan.

Hua Zhi pawned the last of her jewelry and asked Bao Xia to get a table, red paper, and ink. Today was the New Year's Day, and she intended to write peachwood charms on the street to sell. This quickly attracted a crowd; the commoners either watched for amusement or mocked her in various ways, but Hua Zhi paid no attention. Just as the commotion was growing, Shen Qi arrived.

He placed a string of coins on the table and asked Hua Zhi for a piece of calligraphy. After she finished writing, Shen Qi praised her and left with the work. Seeing that Hua Zhi’s writing was quite good, many in the crowd eagerly paid to buy charms. Two men, though they bought the charms, immediately tore them up and spoke words that insulted Hua Zhi’s reputation. Shen Qi, furious, punched one of them.

Hua Zhi understood that these people were merely mocking her, but she didn’t mind — earning money was what mattered. Shen Qi expressed that ever since their first encounter at the coppersmith’s shop, he had wanted to be friends and confidants with Hua Zhi. Hua Zhi laughed and said of course they could, and Shen Qi left satisfied. All of this was seen by Gu Yanxi from a building across the street.

Before leaving, he instructed Chen Qing to buy a peachwood charm. At the gate, Hua Zhi stopped Gu Yanxi to ask him where the pharmacies in the city were. As the Hua family was carrying the stigma of guilt, others either dared not speak to her or lied, so she had no choice but to ask the Qixiu Office.

The direction to the pharmacy happened to be the same as Gu Yanxi’s route, so after boarding the carriage, he removed his mask and asked Hua Zhi if she had fallen into despair and become shameless in public because the engagement with the Shen family had fallen through. Hua Zhi retorted that Gu Yanxi always wore a mask, acting demure and proper. Gu Yanxi was not angry and asked if she hated him.

Hua Zhi replied that whether in public or private matters, they were simply following orders, and there was no point in talking about hatred. Hua Zhi went out to buy a pile of food, supplies, and medicinal herbs. Finally, the family had a full meal on New Year's Eve. Looking at the food on the table, everyone grew concerned about the situation of the old masters and young masters.

For the Hua family, even a reunion dinner had become a luxury. After the meal, Hua Zhi took out a packet of preserved plums for Lin Wan, which she had been longing for. Fudong simmered red fruits in malt sugar and served them to Hua Zhi and Lin Wan, and everyone praised Fudong’s culinary skills. At that moment, Xia Jin'e brought Hua Ling in, wanting her to follow Hua Zhi to sell peachwood charms.

But Hua Ling was too shy to sell goods on the street and desperately protected her cherished paintings, refusing to sell no matter what. Seeing this, Hua Zhi quickly smoothed things over, saying there were plenty of ways to earn money; it only depended on one’s willingness. Before her marriage, Xia Jin'e was adept at abacus calculations but knew that trading was considered a disreputable profession and not a long-term path.

Shen Qi informed Hua Zhi and Xia Jin'e that the Dali Temple had concluded the trial, and soon the Hua family men would be sent in batches to exile in the northern lands. Before the exile, there would be a brief chance to meet them at the Ten-Mile Pavilion. Lin Wan asked Xia Jin'e to arrange the making of forty-three cotton-padded clothes so the Hua men could wear them.

To buy wine and meat so the men wouldn’t leave on an empty stomach, Xia Jin'e sold three maidservants. Although Fudong belonged to Hua Zhi, her deed of sale was in Xia Jin'e’s hands, along with the other remaining maids. In desperate times, Xia Jin'e would not hesitate to act ruthlessly. Gu Yanxi told Shao Yao that those physicians would not be coming anymore. At that moment, crying and shouting came from outside.

Following the noise, Gu Yanxi saw servants carrying a corpse covered with a white cloth. The leader said it was under Madam Xiao’s orders to purge the Prince’s residence and punish the maid who had shown disrespect to the late princess consort. Standing in the courtyard, Gu Yanxi recalled the happy scenes of his childhood with his mother. Suddenly, a figure darted past. Gu Yanxi chased after it and found paper money stained with blood on the ground.

To find out the truth, Gu Yanxi arranged for Qixiu Office members to secretly infiltrate the Prince’s residence. Xia Jin'e gave her only remaining orange to Lin Wan, but she refused it, so Xia Jin'e gave it to the Second Madam instead. The First Madam and Second Madam still had a little silver on them, so they decided on their own to sew it into the clothes to bring to the Hua family men.

Under Gu Yanxi’s questioning, the old servant Dong who had burned paper and sprinkled dog blood in his mother's courtyard confessed. On the Lantern Festival night, he heard a sound like firecrackers, then saw the Princess Consort’s courtyard catch fire and heard her calling for help. It turned out that years ago, when Hua Zhi had followed Hua Yizheng to pay respects at the Princess Consort’s memorial hall, she had met Gu Yanxi.

During their conversation, Hua Zhi mentioned she had once gotten lost in the royal residence and mistakenly entered the Princess Consort’s courtyard, where she was led out by an old maidservant. However, Gu Yanxi’s mother had always lived alone, with no old maidservants by her side. Coupled with Dong’s words today, Gu Yanxi suspected there was hidden truth behind the incident.

At that time, Hua Zhi was dressed like a young servant, and Gu Yanxi had not asked for her name. Upon learning that Shen Qi intended to see the Hua family men off, Shen’s father was furious and personally flogged Shen Qi until he coughed up blood.

Shen Qi struggled to get up and see the men off, but Shen Father forbade him, striking him down to the ground with a stick. Lin Wan and the others waited a long time but saw no sign of Shen Qi. To avoid missing the scheduled time, Hua Zhi volunteered to drive the cart to Ten Mile Pavilion. Since the cart was lightly loaded, Bao Xia simply lay on top to guard it.

When Hua Zhi saw that her grandfather's hands were covered in wounds, her eyes reddened uncontrollably. She smiled and told Hua Yizheng that ever since trouble struck their family, she hadn't shed a single tear. From a distance, King Xian of the Dali Temple, Gu Yanguang, was watching everything. He smiled and said to those beside him that Hua Zhi was more interesting than Hua Yizheng.

After everyone put on their cotton-padded clothes, they were once again shackled with leg irons. Hua Zhi looked at her fourth uncle Hua Pingyang but did not tell him that her fourth aunt was pregnant. Hua Pingyang secretly told Hua Zhi that the big locust tree behind Qingya Academy was planted when she was born, and she should go water and loosen the soil when she had time. As they were about to depart, Gu Yanxi rode over.

He asked Hua Yizheng about the child who had appeared at the royal residence with him back then. Hua Yizheng did not understand Gu Yanxi’s intentions and did not tell the truth. Gu Yanguang thought Gu Yanxi came to stir trouble, so he stepped forward to negotiate. Gu Yanxi, under the pretense of a routine inspection, ordered Chen Qing to search the prisoners. Gu Yanguang did not stop him.

Disgusted with the Dali Temple's methods, Chen Qing conducted a very thorough search and indeed found silver pieces sewn into the clothes. The Seven Lodges Division publicly embarrassed the Dali Temple, making Gu Yanguang very displeased. Seeing the situation, Hua Zhi quickly stepped forward and explained that the cotton clothes were brought by her.

Realizing it was a misunderstanding, Gu Yanguang immediately downplayed the matter and ordered Hua Zhi to be taken back to the Dali Temple for ten strokes of the cane. After sending off Hua Yizheng and the others, Gu Yanxi left alone. After Hua Zhi was punished at the Dali Temple, she was released. Covered in injuries, Hua Zhi walked out of the Dali Temple just as it began to rain.

This time, Gu Yanxi was not wearing a mask, and Hua Zhi recognized him as the man who had spoken up for her outside the coppersmith’s shop. Gu Yanxi took Hua Zhi to see a doctor. After applying medicine, Hua Zhi did not return home immediately but instead went with Gu Yanxi to Qingya Academy on the mountain. Hua Zhi, speaking indirectly, told Gu Yanxi about her current plight.

Gu Yanxi did not press further but gave her a copper coin, suggesting she use it to decide on troubling matters. Under the big locust tree, Hua Zhi dug out eighteen jars of nu'erhong wine, which Hua Pingyang had prepared as her dowry. With Gu Yanxi’s help, Hua Zhi sold seventeen jars, exchanging them for 170 strings of cash, and gave the last jar to Gu Yanxi as a thank-you gift, along with two strings of coins.

Gu Yanxi escorted Hua Zhi home. Along the way, Hua Zhi, unable to hold on any longer, leaned on Gu Yanxi’s shoulder. Having learned from bitter experience, Hua Zhi knew that with so many mouths in the family, mostly women and children, she could only rely on Gu Yanxi’s help to dig and sell the wine. Gu Yanxi lamented that his greatest regret was having distanced himself from his dearest one—his mother—when he was young.

Hua Zhi asked for Gu Yanxi’s name, and he replied that his surname was Yan, with the given name Xi. Back home, Hua Zhi questioned her mother and second aunt. Her mother, always careless, now felt both heartache and regret. Second Aunt still did not realize her fault. Third Aunt, seeing Hua Zhi arguing with the elders, also began scolding her. Hua Zhi, heartbroken by their attitudes, said no more and turned to leave.

After returning to the Seven Lodges Division, Gu Yanxi ordered his men to closely watch the Hua family and prevent any further trouble. The pawnshop that had taken in the wine was only allowed to accept redemption, not to sell the wine. Wu Yumei comforted Hua Zhi, telling her that she was not an insignificant girl in the family. To find her, everyone had done their utmost, disregarding face and money—no one was more important than family.

The family was not a place for reasoning. Hearing Wu Yumei’s words, Hua Zhi obediently returned to her room, where the family had already laid out a quilt for her. Seeing their care, Hua Zhi’s heart warmed.

After Hua Zhi fell asleep, Lin Wan, worried about her health, specially had the last three Nourishing Pills brought to her. Her mother, Zhu Yingzhen, lovingly covered Hua Zhi with a cloak. Although the Second Madam, Qi Huilan, had maintained a stern front during the day and refused to yield, she knew Hua Zhi had been wronged, so she placed her son’s last three candies by Hua Zhi’s pillow.

When Hua Zhi woke up and saw all the items by her pillow, she realized that although everyone usually treated her harshly, deep down they still loved her. Just as Gu Yanxi had said, the closer the relationship, the deeper the estrangement, like a thin sheet of paper separating them — only when the paper is pierced can one truly see each other's hearts.

After understanding this, Hua Zhi went to see Lin Wan and told her she wanted to manage the household. According to the Great Qing Penal Code, as long as they could gather 21,500,000 coins, they could redeem the forty-three members of the Hua family who had been exiled to the northern lands. Upon hearing this astronomical figure, everyone was stunned. Even if they had sold all their properties before the Hua family was raided, it still wouldn't be enough.

But Hua Zhi believed that if they were determined, where there’s a will, there’s a way, and they could achieve it. Xia Jin'e still thought Hua Zhi was dreaming, since even their own food supply was uncertain. Hearing this, Hua Zhi took out a jiaozi note from her bosom and handed it to Bao Xia, instructing her to buy food for the month and distribute the remainder as monthly wages to the servants.

As everyone stared in shock, Hua Zhi went on to say that from now on, the madams and young ladies would also receive monthly stipends. She then turned to Lin Wan and said she would manage the household for three months, and if she didn’t do well, she would personally return the account books to Xia Jin'e. The engagement with the Shen family had to be resolved as soon as possible.

After understanding Hua Zhi’s attitude, Lin Wan personally took her to the Shen family to break off the engagement. Shen Father, fearing the Hua family would use the engagement as leverage, avoided seeing them. Thus, the Old Madam Shen received them. She never expected they had come to break off the engagement and even wrote an IOU for the gifts they had accepted with the betrothal contract.

Upon hearing the news, Shen Qi hobbled after them, but Hua Zhi told him he was a wonderful person and, although they were no longer engaged, they could still be friends. Chen Qing reported all of this to Gu Yanxi and even, on his own initiative, handed all the nu'erhong wine over to the Seven Lodges Division.

Hua Zhi gave half of the money from selling the wine to Wu Yuniang and told her that she had simply realized she wanted to do the things she desired and protect the people she wished to protect. One day, she would gain true freedom, traveling the mountains and rivers and the vast world without relying on anyone. And the starting point of it all lay in the red fruits processed by Fu Dong.

After settling her thoughts, Hua Zhi organized the maids to pick, clean, pit, and cook the red fruits in an assembly line process. However, while planning was easy, execution was difficult. Most of the maids had never done such rough work, and before long, they began to slack off and complain. As a result, the batches of red fruits produced varied greatly — some too sour, some too sweet.

Later, some maids were directly called away by Xia Jin'e to do other tasks, leaving no time to help with the red fruits, forcing Hua Zhi to personally join in. Meanwhile, Gu Yanxi had Chen Qing investigate all the Hua family members, including distant branches, to find the young servant who had once spoken to him, but still found nothing. As Gu Yanxi led his horse past a red fruit field, he unexpectedly saw Hua Zhi picking fruits.

Hua Zhi subtly shared her current situation managing the household. During their conversation, the elderly caretaker Lin Granny arrived, and Hua Zhi specially gave her pastries and money, instructing her to eat properly. When Gu Yanxi inquired about the Hua family's male servants and learned that none had remained, he felt somewhat disappointed. While the maids were processing the red fruits, someone came to say that the Third Madam had summoned them for other tasks.

Since their indenture contracts were in the Third Madam’s hands, they dared not disobey. Hua Zhi personally delivered food to Lin Wan and requested the return of the maids’ indenture contracts, to which Lin Wan agreed. Gathering everyone together, Xia Jin'e publicly handed over the indenture contracts to Hua Zhi. Hua Zhi then told everyone that she was giving them freedom and distributed the contracts to them. After regaining their freedom, Miqiu bid farewell to Hua Zhi.

Yingchun came to ask about Hua Zhi’s plans. Hua Zhi told her she would start with selling red fruits and gradually expand the business, aiming one day to redeem her grandfather and the others. Without the bondage of indenture contracts, everyone worked with great enthusiasm, and the red fruits they produced tasted exceptionally good. Seeing this, Xia Jin'e devised a plan and, that night, carrying her blanket, went to Lin Wan’s room.

Using the excuse of taking care of Lin Wan, Xia Jin'e moved into Lin Wan’s room. Her words were filled with doubts about Hua Zhi selling red fruits. Lin Wan, tired of her endless nagging, simply went to sleep. Finally, under Fu Dong’s skillful hands, the red fruits reached the perfect taste, and Hua Zhi decided it was time to sell them on the street.

Since they became sticky over time, Hua Zhi had a clever idea: she used bamboo skewers to string them together and asked Fu Dong to give them a nice name, "Mi Dan'er" (Honey Pops). Everything was ready, but none of the maids were willing to hawk the goods on the street. So Hua Zhi came up with another idea: she drew a design and asked Uncle Zhong to make lantern-shaped head coverings.

Xia Jin'e still didn’t believe in Hua Zhi’s plan and tried to dampen her enthusiasm. Hua Zhi countered her doubts calmly. Since they didn’t have a shop, they would sell on the streets just like when they had sold peachwood charms.

Given that the Hua family was a scholarly family and had just been raided, they couldn’t afford to be too conspicuous on the streets, so Hua Zhi had the maids wear head coverings shaped like flower lanterns to hide their faces. Following Hua Zhi’s plan, Fu Dong and Bao Xia went to a school entrance to try selling, and the red fruits were very popular with children, selling for a total of 117 coins in one go.

Seeing the reward Fu Dong and Bao Xia received, everyone grew envious and eagerly joined in hawking. While Bao Xia was selling, she was careless and had her money stolen by a thief. Fortunately, Chen Qing happened to pass by and helped her get it back. Gu Yanxi, riding a carriage through the street, happened to see Hua Zhi walking with a head covering and deliberately sneaked over to lightly tap her on the head.

When Hua Zhi turned around, she recognized it was someone from the Seven Lodges Division. After walking a while, Bao Xia couldn't hold back anymore and simply removed her head covering. After all, earning money honestly wasn’t something shameful. Gu Yanxi dined with Emperor Qing, who reminded him that when managing the Seven Lodges Division, he needed to be more ruthless — some people needed to be killed to avoid bigger troubles later.

Chen Qing, disguised, went to buy Mi Dan'er, only to find Gu Yanxi was also there. Hua Zhi, worried Chen Qing might trouble Gu Yanxi, hurriedly pulled him aside. Seeing Hua Zhi caring for the poor deeply moved Gu Yanxi. He made a reservation for a portion of the sweet treats to take to his uncle, Gu Chengtao. Hua Zhi had people buy a bunch of chicks and ducklings, filling the courtyard with laughter, which made Xia Jin'e very uncomfortable.

When it came time to distribute monthly wages, Fu Dong received a full string of coins, and everyone agreed she deserved it. Xia Jin'e, holding only half a string in her hand, grew very angry. That night, someone secretly went to steal from the kitchen. This scene happened to be witnessed by Xia Jin'e and Concubine Qin. Xia Jin'e told Qin not to say anything, as she had her own plans.

Gu Yanxi brought the Hua family’s honey cakes to Gu Chengtao, who liked them very much. Just then, Prince Xian, Gu Yanggong, arrived. Seeing the flower design on the wrapping paper, he recognized the cakes as coming from the Hua family, but Gu Chengtao said nothing. Later, Gu Yanxi took the pastries Gu Yanggong had bought and gave them to Hua Zhi, asking her to study them. Unexpectedly, it started pouring rain.

Everyone crowded under the eaves to avoid getting wet. Gu Yanxi protected Hua Zhi from being squeezed until the rain stopped. When Gu Yanggong ordered his men to smash the stalls, he discovered Gu Yanxi was there too and had no choice but to buy out all the goods Hua Zhi was selling. Gu Yanggong thought Gu Yanxi was degrading himself to protect his own safety. Gu Yanxi exposed his own difficult situation to reassure Gu Yanggong.

As for the private minting case and Qi Ruhai’s slander, Gu Yanggong firmly denied being the mastermind. Gu Yanxi knew it wasn’t him either and subtly hinted at the true culprit. Gu Yanggong understood and was shocked to realize that the Gu Yanxi he had always envied was actually living such a pitiful life — born royal yet worse off than ordinary folk. Chan Lu, who served the First Madam, would secretly steal honey every few days.

Xia Jin'e deliberately caught her in the act and went to Hua Zhi, planning to use this to reclaim her authority over the household management.

Chan Lu had no choice but to resort to stealing because her mother had been bedridden for a long time. Lin Wan sympathized with Chan Lu's situation and also understood Xia Jin'e’s intentions, so she punished Chan Lu by withholding her monthly wages for a year, and the money needed for her mother’s treatment would be deducted from her own stipend.

To dispel Xia Jin'e's doubts, Lin Wan showed her the account book, where Hua Zhi’s monthly allowance was the same as that of Concubine Qin. Lin Wan explained to Hua Zhi that Xia Jin'e was born into a merchant family and was naturally strong-willed. Coupled with a troubled marriage, she sought to manage household affairs to hold her head high in front of her sisters-in-law and silence idle gossip.

After understanding Xia Jin'e’s hardships, Hua Zhi voluntarily handed over the account book for her review. The maid delivering food failed to lock Shao Yao’s courtyard properly. After chatting with Gu Yanxi, Elder Dong of the household had been recalling the fire from that year. Just as he happened to pass by Shao Yao’s courtyard, he spoke a few words to her through the door. This scene was witnessed by a masked assassin hiding on a distant rooftop.

The assassin silently strangled Elder Dong with a silk thread. In his dying moments, Elder Dong managed to pull open the message Gu Yanxi had given him. The courtyard gate was blown open by the wind. Shao Yao stepped out just after, and the masked assassin immediately leapt into her courtyard. It was Shao Yao’s first time out on the street, and she was curious about everything but had no money to buy anything.

On the way, she saw Shen Huan having tea but unable to pay the bill. Shen Huan casually told the shopkeeper to put it on his brother’s tab before walking off. Shao Yao imitated him: after eating Hua Zhi’s Mi Dan'er, she said, "Put it on my brother’s tab. "While inspecting Elder Dong’s body, Gu Yanxi learned that his younger sister was missing.

As night approached, Shao Yao couldn’t clearly explain her own home address, so Hua Zhi simply took her home. Shao Yao liked the warm atmosphere at Hua Zhi’s house and was delighted to eat dinner with everyone. That night, Lin Wan’s coughing grew worse. Seeing the prescription given by the doctor, Shao Yao pointed out that three medicines needed to be changed for the treatment to be effective. The doctor praised her medical knowledge highly after hearing her suggestions.

The Seven Lodges Division searched the city all night but couldn’t find Shao Yao. The next day, they unexpectedly saw her on the street following Hua Zhi. When Gu Yanxi rushed over, he saw Shao Yao happily selling Mi Dan'er. Hua Zhi advised Gu Yanxi to take better care of Shao Yao and not let her eat alone all the time. Hua Zhi greatly admired Shao Yao’s medical skills.

After bringing Shao Yao back, Gu Yanxi questioned her and confirmed that Hua Zhi still didn’t know their true identities, finally easing his mind. Shao Yao didn’t want to be locked up again, and Gu Yanxi felt sorry for her lonely days without companions. So he told her that if she didn’t want to go back, she didn’t have to—but she must never reveal that her surname was Gu, especially not to Hua Zhi.

Shao Yao was very happy after hearing this. Gu Yanxi entrusted Shao Yao to Hua Zhi and gave her three hundred coins as payment for food and lodging. Hua Zhi accepted and dragged Gu Yanxi along to the forest to help pick red fruits. Since it was getting late, Hua Zhi simply invited Gu Yanxi to have dinner at her home. The masked assassin finally found Shao Yao and began tailing them. It started to rain.

Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi stood together under the eaves, watching the lake and talking about their families. Gu Yanxi and Shao Yao had been separated for ten years, and now Hua Zhi was also separated from her grandfather and others. The Second Madam asked the First Madam to keep an eye on Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi. The First Madam called Shao Yao over but couldn’t get a single word out of her.

When leaving, Gu Yanxi noticed someone spying from the bushes nearby. Elder Dong had just died, and someone was already watching Shao Yao, leading Gu Yanxi to suspect it was related to the fire from back then. He arranged for the Seven Lodges Division to set an ambush. As they prepared to take the masked man back to the division, Gu Yanxi, still masked himself, suddenly realized there might be more than one assassin and hurried back to Zi Huangju.

Sure enough, another masked assassin had sneaked into the courtyard. Just as he was about to attack Shao Yao, Hua Zhi blocked him. At that moment, Gu Yanxi and the members of the Seven Lodges Division burst in. The assassin grabbed Hua Zhi as a hostage, trying to escape. In the critical moment, Gu Yanxi subtly reminded Hua Zhi to dodge right when the crossbow bolt was fired. Hua Zhi understood, shifted her body just in time, and the assassin was killed on the spot.

Before leaving, Gu Yanxi specifically stationed seven guards around Zi Huangju. Shao Yao applied medicine to Hua Zhi’s neck. Seeing that Hua Zhi was fine, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. Zhu Yingzhen took the cotton swab from Shao Yao and personally applied the medicine to her daughter. Looking at Hua Zhi’s wound, she apologized tearfully, blaming herself for being too cowardly—never standing up for Hua Zhi whenever she was bullied.

Hua Zhi hugged her mother and cried, and Shao Yao also shed tears beside them. The next day, choking with emotion, Shao Yao told Hua Zhi that if there were any more dangers in the future, she would protect her. Gu Yanxi lied, saying that Shao Yao was recuperating at the residence of a miraculous doctor. The Xiao family said no more about it. Since the lantern designs had been imitated, Hua Zhi created a rotating lantern box.

From the surviving assassin’s mouth, they learned that the employer had hired two martial artists with a heavy sum to kill Elder Dong and Shao Yao. They had never seen the employer’s appearance and only communicated through letters. On the street, Hua Zhi’s stall was packed with people. Buying a skewer of red fruits allowed one experience with the rotating lantern box, and everyone eagerly paid. When the stall closed, Gu Yanxi arrived.

Seeing Hua Zhi’s neck wrapped with a handkerchief, he asked about it. Hua Zhi, not knowing he was the Commissioner, lied, saying her neck was uncomfortable. Hua Zhi remarked that the pastries he previously gave from Ruihe Tower tasted similar to those made by Fudong. Gu Yanxi explained that in the capital, there were many wealthy people and many who followed trends, so they were willing to spend hundreds of coins to buy them.

Seeing that Shao Yao was living happily here, Gu Yanxi was also very pleased. He asked Shao Yao about Elder Dong. Shao Yao said Elder Dong had spoken to her about many things, but she couldn't recall the details clearly. Shen Qi pursued information about Shao Yao’s whereabouts. Gu Yanxi replied that she was living well now but had little memory of the fire. Despite her injury, Hua Zhi didn’t neglect her business.

She instructed Bao Xia and Chan Lu to spend a month recording the customer flow at Yunlai Restaurant. Afterward, she brought new pastries from the Hua family’s shop to visit Bai Mingxia, the manager of Yunlai Restaurant—the most renowned establishment in the capital. She proposed to promote the Hua family shop by offering free pastries for three months. Bai Mingxia readily agreed to this mutually beneficial arrangement.

After the deal was made, Hua Zhi hired people to loudly advertise while delivering pastries to Yunlai every morning. Soon, the reputation of their pastries rose sharply. Hua Zhi then secured deals with two other top restaurants in the capital. When the three-month period ended, Bai Mingxia offered to continue purchasing pastries at full price. After negotiating ten coins per pastry, Bai Mingxia turned around and sold them for one hundred and twenty coins, leaving Hua Zhi dumbfounded.

Bai Mingxia explained that Hua Zhi was selling craftsmanship, while he was selling Yunlai’s brand—how much he could sell for was his own ability. Knowing that consigning pastries to restaurants wasn’t a long-term plan, Hua Zhi came up with a new idea: to save money and open a Hua family shop, establishing a true foothold in the capital. With no family members to discuss it with, she shared her plan with Gu Yanxi.

Gu Yanxi encouraged her to act on her ideas. As business flourished and profits grew, six months later, Hua Zhi excitedly told everyone that they could move back into the city. They debated between opening a shop or renting a house and ultimately agreed to rent a house first, prioritizing settling everyone down. When moving, Hua Zhi apologized to Wu Yuniang, saying the daughter’s wine had been redeemed by someone. Wu Yuniang laughed and said it was fine.

After moving into the new residence, Lin Wan asked Hua Zhi to pick her room first and specially assigned a room to Shao Yao. Lin Wan told Hua Zhi not to think the hardest days were over; sailing with the current was not necessarily easier than sailing against it. The toughest days were just beginning, and she would have to work even harder from now on.

To ensure that Bo Lin and Bo Li could quickly start schooling and pass down the Hua family’s traditions, Hua Zhi personally visited the best private academy. Meanwhile, Hua Yizheng and his sons, although enduring tough conditions during their journey, were still living fairly smoothly. However, he remained worried about Lin Wan and the others back in the capital. Li Gui, the former Hua family guard, came to Hua Zhi after seeing that the family had moved back into the city. He offered to resume his duties as a guard and said he had already gathered a group of men.

Although Li Gui claimed it was a request, in reality, fifteen strong men blocked the entrance, and Hua Zhi had no choice but to agree to let him return as a guard. Qin Concubine was unwilling to live next to Xia Jin’e and was determined to live near the Second Madam, even preferring to stay in a woodshed. Xia Jin’e tried to persuade her to no avail.

At that moment, Hua Zhi arrived and, unaware of the situation, directly agreed to Qin Concubine's request. When the Second Madam saw Qin Concubine living across the hall, she immediately shut her window. When Gu Yanxi heard that the Hua family had moved back into the city, he was momentarily stunned but said nothing more.

The old Master Shen wanted to curry favor with Prince Xian and tried to send gifts, but failing that, he considered Shen Qi, still in plain clothes, and pressured him to write an invitation to Prince Xian for tea. Shen Qi was initially unwilling, but after persistent pressure from his grandfather and father, he finally gave in. Gu Yanxi came to the residence to find Hua Zhi but was blocked by Li Gui at the door.

Coincidentally, Hua Zhi returned, and Gu Yanxi gifted her a sleeve dart as a housewarming present. Shao Yao was very happy to see her brother and even deliberately tried to create opportunities for Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi. The Second Madam reminded the First Madam to keep a closer eye on Gu Yanxi, as his attitude toward Hua Zhi was different from others. At the entrance, Shen Huan saw Shen Qi carrying a large load, intending to run away from home.

Shen Qi said he wanted to find a quiet place to prepare for next year's Spring Examination, and if he didn’t spend the family's money, he wouldn’t have to do anything against his will. At a corner, while picking up something, Shen Qi unexpectedly encountered Hua Zhi, who was selling goods. Hua Zhi hurried over to help.

Seeing this, Gu Yanxi grew extremely jealous, quickly grabbed the books from Hua Zhi’s hands, and helped Shen Qi move to his residence together with her. Seeing Shen Qi living poorly, Hua Zhi later arranged for many supplies to be sent to him. When Bo Li returned to his room, he found Qin Concubine sneaking around. Upon questioning, it turned out she wanted to deliver a writing brush. Bo Li directly refused and threw the brush away.

Bo Lin and Bo Li started skipping school because they were descendants of a criminal official. Their classmates ridiculed them, and the teacher completely ignored it, even telling them that no matter how well they studied, they would never hope to become the top scholar. The Second Madam had high hopes for Bo Li and couldn’t accept his truancy. After a fierce argument, Bo Li ran away. That night, everyone went out to search for Bo Li.

Qin Concubine, with her sharp eyes, first spotted Bo Li, who had fallen into the water. She jumped in and rescued him. Seeing the drenched Bo Li, Qin Concubine blurted out, "My son," causing the Second Madam to slap her directly. After returning home, Qin Concubine developed a high fever and kept muttering "My son" in tears. Seeing her like this, Hua Qin rushed to Bo Li's room and told him that his biological mother was Qin Concubine.

After learning the truth, the Second Madam went to find Xia Jin’e, intending to drive Qin Concubine out. Just as Qin Concubine was about to be carried out of the residence, Hua Zhi returned. She arranged for Qin Concubine to help at Yuexiu Pavilion and forbade her from returning home except for formal reports. Hua Zhi’s handling of the matter greatly pleased Lin Wan. After visiting Shao Yao, Gu Yanxi came to find Hua Zhi.

Hua Zhi sighed that she had never cared about the household matters before, and only after the Hua residence was confiscated did she truly start to understand her family. After talking with Gu Yanxi, Hua Zhi felt much more at ease. Li Gui then found the Second Madam to demand the reward money for rescuing Bo Li. The Second Madam had no choice but to comply.

Since the outside academies could not accommodate the Hua family, Hua Zhi decided to establish a clan school. She was busy from morning till night. Although Lin Wan felt distressed for her, she fully supported Hua Zhi’s decision. Hua Zhi sought out many teachers. Even though the payment was generous, none were willing to come. On her way back to the residence, Gu Yanxi arrived and asked Hua Zhi to help pick out fabrics for Shao Yao.

While choosing, Gu Yanxi, using the excuse that Hua Zhi and Shao Yao had similar builds, had Hua Zhi try on the cloth. Seeing the excellent fit, Gu Yanxi insisted on buying it for her. Hua Zhi laughed and said she must reciprocate, making Gu Yanxi try on a set as well. By coincidence, the two garments were made from the same piece of fabric, and the patterns matched perfectly.

The two of them, dressed in their new clothes, walked out of the cloth shop together. Learning that Hua Zhi was looking for teachers, Gu Yanxi comforted her, saying she would definitely find someone.

A group of scholars mocked the Hua family’s effort to find teachers. Hearing this, Shen Qi couldn’t help stepping forward to defend them. Gu Yanxi learned from Chen Qing that the most renowned scholar currently in the capital was Mu Chengzhi, who happened to be one of the two people Hua Zhi had yet to visit. So, he asked Chen Qing to send a letter to Mu Chengzhi.

When Mu Chengzhi saw the wax seal on the letter bearing the emblem of the Seven Lodges, he thought his life was in danger. He and his disciples bathed and burned incense before he finally opened the Hua family's pastries and took a piece. Then he had the letter tube opened, only to find it was an announcement from the Hua family inviting teachers. While tidying up, Shen Qi arrived with a notice for Mu Chengzhi as well.

Hua Zhi showed Mu Chengzhi around the residence and promised to deliver pastries and fruits to him daily, which made Mu Chengzhi very happy. Hua Zhi was curious how Mu Chengzhi knew her family planned to establish a clan school. Mu Chengzhi said it was because of Shen Qi. Wu Yunang urged Hua Zhi to thank Shen Qi, but Hua Zhi replied that the more grateful she felt, the less she should meet him again.

When Gu Yanxi came to visit Shao Yao, he learned that Hua Zhi had recently been searching for a martial arts teacher. Just as they were speaking, Hua Zhi returned. Seeing Shao Yao wandering around during class time, Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi personally escorted her back to the classroom. Li Gui recommended his own son to be the martial arts teacher.

Hua Zhi's ambiguous response left him dissatisfied, so he began demanding a Dragon Boat Festival bonus and threatened Hua Zhi for a raise in his monthly allowance. Hua Zhi agreed. Hua Zhi later learned from Yingchun that Li Gui had been acting more and more arrogantly, even embezzling the monthly payments meant for the guards.

But since the Hua family was now mainly women and children, Hua Zhi dared not act rashly, though hiring a martial arts teacher had become urgent. Lin Wan asked Hua Zhi to read a letter from an old friend but did not reveal the friend's name. As she listened to the words in the letter, Lin Wan felt as if she had returned to her youthful days with her friend.

When the Dragon Boat Festival arrived, everyone wore the handmade flower accessories from before, filling the household with laughter and joy — only Hua Zhi was absent. Lin Wan learned from Fudong that Hua Zhi had been busy since early morning, not only delivering herbal bundles to various households but also setting up a shed to distribute porridge. So Lin Wan led everyone to help.

At the palace, Emperor Qing, Gu Chengtai, hosted a banquet and invited Prince Ling, Gu Yanxun, and his wife. The two brothers had not seen each other for ten years. Gu Yanxun spoke very cautiously. Prince Hui and Prince Xian were also present. When Gu Yanxi arrived, Gu Chengtai asked him to sit by his side, but Prince Hui was already next to the emperor, causing an awkward moment.

Gu Yanxun quickly rose to invite Gu Yanxi to sit beside him. After serving wine to Gu Chengtai, Gu Yanxi took a seat opposite Gu Yanxun. Gu Chengtai spoke with hidden barbs, and Gu Yanxun refused to back down, leading to the banquet ending in discord.

Afterwards, Gu Chengtai kept Gu Yanxi behind, complaining that although he had carefully prepared the family banquet, the Empress Dowager refused to show up because of matters related to the Hua family, which made him extremely frustrated.

Since the Empress Dowager and the old Madam Hua had been close in their youth, and frequent secret letters had been sent from Fengxiang Palace ever since the Hua family's downfall, Gu Chengtai ordered Gu Yanxi to investigate thoroughly to uncover the connection between the Empress Dowager and the Hua family. Since Gu Chengtai was not born of the Empress Dowager, he was constantly suspicious. On his way back to the residence, Gu Yanxi spotted Hua Zhi waiting by the roadside.

He changed into plain clothes and got off the carriage. After finishing their porridge, as he was about to leave, Hua Zhi called out to him and personally tied a colored cord around his wrist. To facilitate finding that young servant and investigating the secret letters, Gu Yanxi volunteered to apply as the Hua family's martial arts teacher, and Hua Zhi readily agreed.

Yingchun informed Hua Zhi that she had recruited several young women from outside to assist at the residence. Seeing Yingchun so capable, Hua Zhi felt very gratified. Li Gui’s son, Li Jizong, provoked Gu Yanxi, but Hua Zhi intervened in time to stop him. Gu Yanxi was deeply moved, feeling it was the first time someone had stood in front of him and asked whether he had been wronged.

Zheng Hu informed Chen Qing that the secret letters were being transmitted through Shan Hua Temple, one letter every half month. To uncover the truth, Gu Yanxi personally infiltrated the Hua family.

At night, while Lin Wan was asleep, Gu Yanxi quietly entered her room. Li Jizong had been drinking and was unhappy after being scolded by Li Gui. As he wandered around the residence, he saw Miss Zhang, who was still doing needlework. Taking advantage of the fact that Li Gui was the head of the guards, Li Jizong locked the door and attempted to assault Miss Zhang. She resisted desperately, and her cries alerted Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi.

Hua Zhi rushed over to protect Miss Zhang. Li Jizong turned the accusation around, claiming Miss Zhang seduced him. Li Gui threatened Hua Zhi to silence her. With someone backing him, Li Jizong grew even more arrogant and tried to attack Hua Zhi as well. In panic, Hua Zhi shot her sleeve arrow, but only managed to injure Li Jizong.

He punched toward Hua Zhi, and at the critical moment, Gu Yanxi blocked the blow and subdued both Li Jizong and Li Gui. Hearing the commotion, the other guards arrived. Hua Zhi quickly reassured them that the guilty ones were Li Gui and his son, and their own treatment would remain unchanged. Hua Zhi felt sorry for Miss Zhang, but she did not wish to leave the Hua residence.

Instead, she asked Hua Zhi to give her a name—she was named Nianqiu. Gu Yanxi scolded Hua Zhi for being too impulsive, saying that the sleeve arrow he gave her was not meant to make her feel invincible and take on everything alone. Hua Zhi said she was no longer who she used to be—now she had to protect an entire household, and the responsibility on her shoulders left no room for fear.

Hearing this, Gu Yanxi apologized and promised to teach her how to properly use the sleeve arrow, and also to re-establish the rules among the guards. Watching Hua Zhi’s departing figure, Gu Yanxi silently thought: “You protect them—then I’ll protect you. ”The First and Second Madams were delighted to learn that Gu Yanxi had taken on the role of head guard. Bao Xia took Nianqiu to see Lin Wan.

Lin Wan asked Shao Yao about Gu Yanxi, and Shao Yao said her brother liked Sister Hua the most. Gu Yanxi personally taught Hua Zhi how to use the sleeve arrow, and her accuracy improved steadily. During a break, Gu Yanxi peeled a pear that Hua Zhi had brought and handed it to her, reminding her to keep practicing diligently. Hua Zhi asked Gu Yanxi to teach her horseback riding.

At first, she rode well, but when she imitated Gu Yanxi and whistled, the once-docile horse suddenly took off. Startled, Gu Yanxi quickly leapt up behind her to grab the reins. Lin Wan came to the training ground and happened to see them riding together on the same horse. The two felt a bit awkward. As Gu Yanxi was about to leave, Lin Wan called him back to walk in a circle.

Lin Wan told Hua Zhi that taming a horse was like handling people—one must go with the flow, with the right balance of tension and relaxation. She recalled her youth, when she once rode her favorite horse out to travel. Taking shelter in a rundown house during a storm, she unexpectedly met Hua Yizheng. From then on, the two developed feelings for each other.

Lin Wan came from a prestigious family, and her mother was a commandery princess, while Hua Yizheng at that time was a nobody, which caused a great stir. Fortunately, Hua Yizheng later passed the imperial exam as the top scholar. Still, Lin Wan believed that compared to love at first sight, family status and fame meant little. In the end, Lin Wan directly asked Hua Zhi if she liked Gu Yanxi. Judging from her feelings, she did.

So Lin Wan reminded Hua Zhi not to waste her youth. Lin Wan then called Gu Yanxi over to ask how he felt about Hua Zhi. Gu Yanxi didn’t give a direct answer. Lin Wan warned him not to deceive Hua Zhi. When he returned to the training ground, Hua Zhi was already waiting. After a few playful remarks, Hua Zhi asked Gu Yanxi what he thought of her.

Thinking of his mission and Lin Wan’s words, Gu Yanxi told Hua Zhi that he saw her as a confidante. Upon hearing this, the light in Hua Zhi’s eyes dimmed instantly. Miss Zhang was very grateful to Hua Zhi and stayed up at night sewing clothes for her by lamplight. Hua Zhi noticed how focused, careful, and patient she was, so she planned to teach her bookkeeping. Shao Yao was taken out shopping by Fudong and Bao Xia. Shen Huan mistook Shao Yao for Hua Zhi and, egged on by others, prepared to cause trouble.

As soon as Shao Yao heard Bao Xia say that Shen Huan and the others were trying to bully Sister Hua, she turned around and pulled out a few needles, stabbing Shen Huan’s arm fiercely. Shen Huan fled in pain. Hua Zhi saw that Yingchun had already negotiated the lowest prices with the three shops they had looked at earlier, so she told her to rent all three and open the shops together. Life went on.

Hua Zhi still rode horses with Gu Yanxi. Bao Xia and Nianqiu learned to write their own names, while Fudong kept researching new pastries. Gu Yanxi wanted to slow down the investigation into the secret letter. He had already let Hua Zhi down and didn’t want to hit her when she was down. The grand opening of the Hua family’s shops drew everyone's attention. All the collaborating shopkeepers came to offer their congratulations.

Customers came in a steady stream, the maids each performed their duties, and everything looked very promising. Xia Jin’e thought Hua Zhi was too slow at bookkeeping and it affected her ability to manage the shop, so she brought out her treasured abacus. Hua Zhi was delighted and instructed Nianqiu to learn to use the abacus from Xia Jin’e. Zheng Zhi, carrying his bookcase, fainted from hunger next to the Hua family’s shop.

Hua Zhi quickly told someone to bring him food, and Shao Yao treated him with needles. Zheng Zhi was full of talent but had no place to apply it. Hua Zhi offered to bring him to the residence to serve as a tutor. Zheng Zhi refused at first, but when he found out her surname was Hua, he immediately bowed and agreed. While playing on the street, Shao Yao unexpectedly saw Shen Huan coming to the shop.

Taking advantage of his distraction, she slipped some drug into the pastries he chose and also let his horse go. Hua Zhi had learned to ride and even galloped through the woods with Gu Yanxi for a while. When they got tired, they rested by the river. Gu Yanxi sensed Hua Zhi’s curiosity about him, but he didn’t reveal everything—only mentioned parts about his mother.

Back at the training ground, Gu Yanxi saw Uncle Zhong alone and asked him about the boy servant who used to be with Hua Yizheng. Uncle Zhong was cautious and said nothing. The next day, he reminded Hua Zhi, who replied that she knew Gu Yanxi very well. During class, the students were joking and laughing.

Seeing this, Zheng Zhi started sharing his own experiences—how he had faced many hardships in his studies but never gave up, and how the Hua family boys had such favorable conditions yet didn’t make any effort. After hearing this, Bo Lin let go of his favorite cricket. The transformation of Bo Li and Bo Lin made the Second Madam very pleased. But when they were helping at the shop, they were mocked by former classmates.

On their way home, they were ambushed, and Bo Lin and Bo Li couldn’t hold back and started fighting. Hua Zhi was constantly out in public, busy with business. At that time, merchants were looked down upon. So the Second Madam advised Hua Zhi to hire a manager and a bookkeeper to handle the business. Hua Zhi didn’t respond directly. Hua Ling, once a celebrated woman of letters in the capital, had always held herself in high regard.

Now, being mocked alongside Hua Zhi made her furious and resentful toward Hua Zhi. Nianqiu’s bookkeeping was full of errors. Xia Jin’e got angry and scolded her. Seeing Nianqiu’s swollen hands and her overwhelmed third sister-in-law, Hua Zhi sighed and walked out of the room helplessly. Just when Xia Jin’e didn’t know what to do, she suddenly thought of her family's old servant Xia Ming. She wanted to find someone to help. Hua Zhi went to the training ground, feeling lost.

Just then, Gu Yanxi returned. The two of them sat under a tree, looking at the stars. Hua Zhi leaned on Gu Yanxi’s shoulder on her own. Under the bright moonlight, time flowed gently. Looking at Hua Zhi beside him, Gu Yanxi felt that although he had nothing to offer her, he still tightened his grip on her shoulder, wanting to give her a moment of warmth.

Xia Jin’e had Xia Ming take on part-time bookkeeping work for the Hua family and specifically instructed him to avoid others to prevent unnecessary suspicion within the household. Hua Zhi invited Hua Ling to serve as a female instructor at the residence. As a greeting gift, she presented the “Early Spring Creek Walk” painting that Hua Ling had once treasured the most—she had angrily thrown it into a charcoal brazier during a quarrel with Xia Jin’e.

Unexpectedly, Hua Zhi had found someone to restore it. Touched by Hua Zhi’s sincerity, Hua Ling agreed. To prevent the Hua family’s children from ending up as mere merchants or craftsmen, Hua Zhi decided to move the classroom to the training ground and add vocational courses, inviting professionals from various trades to teach. She also invited Gu Yanxi to be the first instructor, to speak about the northern regions.

The madams were skeptical of Hua Zhi’s vocational classes, but Lin Wan advised them to observe first before making judgments. The northern region was also where the Hua family’s men had gone, which brought a heavy mood to everyone. To ease the tension, Gu Yanxi emphasized the advantages and benefits of the northern region, giving everyone a comprehensive understanding. Hua Zhi had put great effort into these vocational classes to cultivate the students’ character.

So Gu Yanxi arranged for the students to run laps around the city at dawn to encourage them to lift their heads high. Through these classes, the Hua family boys broadened their horizons and gained new knowledge. Hua Zhi’s second sister, Hua Xian, returned to visit the family with her son, leaving him to study at the Hua family school. Although she was back at her maternal home, Hua Xian left shortly after arriving, not even visiting her mother.

During Hua Ling’s first lesson, the children couldn’t understand a word she said, and her harsh demeanor frightened Hua Duo to tears. Just as Bo Lin and Bo Li were about to stir up trouble, Zheng Zhi warned them from outside the window. Realizing Zheng Zhi had helped her, Hua Ling sought him out for advice.

Shao Yao came to help at the shop and was playing near the entrance when Shen Huan’s classmates tricked her, claiming that after she drugged Shen Huan, his face broke out in sores and he was on the verge of death. Shao Yao panicked and followed them. Just as they were bullying her, Shen Huan arrived in time to save her.

Shao Yao accidentally let it slip while speaking, and only then did Shen Huan realize the red rash on his face was caused by the drug she had given him. Yingchun came looking for Shao Yao, and Shen Huan left silently without saying a word. Yingchun didn’t recognize Shen Huan but had seen him buying things at the Hua family shop. Without thinking, Shao Yao blurted out his name was Shen Er.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yanxi flew into a rage. Chen Qing received the order and dealt with Shen Huan’s three classmates, while Gu Yanxi personally went to confront Shen Huan. Later, Chen Qing came to the training ground to inform Gu Yanxi that Granny Wei, who served the Empress Dowager, had left the palace that day to offer incense and oil money at the Shanhua Temple. Gu Yanxi instructed him to follow her.

Following Gu Yanxi’s instructions, Chen Qing took the secret letters from the box. When Lin Wan received the box and found it empty, she summoned Hua Zhi for help in copying the original letters. While transcribing them, Hua Zhi thought of Gu Yanxi and went to the training ground, just in time to see Chen Qing reporting to him. Gu Yanxi invited Hua Zhi inside. Without hesitation, she entered.

Gu Yanxi locked the door, pressed his arm against Hua Zhi’s neck, and forced her into a corner. Hua Zhi wasn’t afraid; she even aimed a sleeve arrow at Gu Yanxi. As he glanced at the weapon and lowered his head, Hua Zhi had already drawn his short blade and held it to his neck. As expected, it was just a bluff. Gu Yanxi let go of Hua Zhi and explained the purpose of his visit.

Hua Zhi gave him the secret letters. After reading them, Gu Yanxi found that not only were they harmless, but even a bit endearing. Lin Wan and the Empress Dowager had shared a deep bond and kept in touch all these years. The letters spoke only of poetry and personal sentiments. Gu Yanxi wanted to take the letters to prove the Hua family’s innocence, so Hua Zhi spent the whole night copying them.

Early the next morning, Gu Yanxi left with the transcriptions. After reading the letters, Gu Chengtao reminded Gu Yanxi not to become sentimental like the Empress Dowager. Gu Yanxi replied that his visit to the Hua family wasn’t just about investigating the secret letters—it was also to search for clues about the fire from years ago.

Gu Yanxi requested to quietly return the Hua family’s secret letters, and Gu Chengtao agreed. Gu Yanxi returned them exactly as they were. Hua Zhi asked him why he came to the Hua residence, and Gu Yanxi replied it was because of Shao Yao and her. As for why he stayed at the Qisusi, Gu Yanxi said it was because the person he served had shown him deep kindness and was the one closest to him.

Besides that, he also admitted he came to the Hua family for another purpose—to investigate the old case of the Prince Ling’s residence. Hua Zhi said her grandfather didn’t have a young page; the one who had always stayed by Hua Yizheng’s side was her. Gu Yanxi was both surprised and pleased, and quickly asked if Hua Zhi remembered the old woman who led her out back then. After so many years, Hua Zhi no longer remembered.

Gu Yanxi thanked her, and as Hua Zhi turned her head away, it was as if he had returned to his childhood—when he was standing vigil for his mother, and Hua Zhi quietly accompanied him by the side. Shao Yao brought medicine to Shen Huan. Seeing him hanging out again with those three classmates, she was a bit angry.

On her way home, she found the entrance blocked by a group of injured people shouting and demanding that Hua Zhi pay them compensation. It turned out Xia Ming had falsified the accounts and stolen the money. Xia Jin’e deeply regretted it. Hua Zhi originally planned to use saltpeter to make ice for chilled fruit in the summer, but the workers were injured in the process, and in the extreme heat, their bodies ended up covered with frost.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yanxi recalled what Elder Dong had once told him—after the fire at the royal residence, a layer of white frost had appeared on the scorched bricks and tiles. Gu Yanxi then deduced that the fire must have been caused by saltpeter, which would explain the explosive nature of the blaze.

Gu Yanxi instructed Chen Qing to investigate a manor under the Prince Ling's residence known for crafting lanterns, which led them to capture the Chen family’s old woman. Xia Jin’e apprehended Xia Ming to get the money back, but it had already been gambled away. With a mountain of unsettled accounts, Xia Jin’e was overwhelmed—only to be surprised when she saw Nian Qiu helping her.

Xia Jin’e told Nian Qiu that if she miscalculated, she’d get beaten—that’s how she had learned. Despite causing such a huge mess, Xia Jin’e felt extremely guilty, but Hua Zhi didn’t blame her. Gu Yanxi interrogated the Chen family’s old woman about the fire at Lanyuan. She finally confessed that on that day, she had delivered lanterns to the princess. Hua Zhi had accidentally wandered into Lanyuan, so the princess asked the old woman to take her out.

The lanterns for the princess had already been packed with saltpeter and charcoal, and the candles were laced with benzoin resin. After identifying the mastermind behind it all, Gu Yanxi led his men to confront Madam Xiao. She said she didn’t hate the princess—the princess had treated her well. But it was a pity they had married the same man. The princess’s father and brother had planned a rebellion, and if implicated, the Prince Ling would have been doomed.

She loved the prince and would never allow such a thing to happen. Gu Yanxi knew Madam Xiao had been kind to him and his sister, and that during the fire she had even saved Shao Yao’s life. So instead of killing her, he imprisoned her for life. The eldest daughter of the Hua family, Hua Jing, arrived and went straight to Lin Wan’s room. She wanted to arrange a concubine for her husband and specifically requested Fudong.

Lin Wan refused outright. Enraged, Hua Jing accused her of favoring Hua Zhi and not caring about her. Although Lin Wan had given Hua Jing quite a bit of personal money in the past, Hua Jing was still not content. On top of that, her husband Song Chengzu was abusive, so she quarreled with Lin Wan, claiming that her current plight was entirely the Hua family’s fault.

When Hua Zhi returned home and saw Hua Jing, she hadn’t yet grasped the situation and was immediately met with Hua Jing’s sarcastic ridicule. Lin Wan was furious. As soon as Shao Yao returned, she rushed over. Seeing her made Lin Wan feel much better. After learning of the matter, Fudong knelt and pleaded with Hua Zhi. Even if she were to become the legitimate wife of the Song family, she would not accept it.

Fudong cried and said she would rather work like a beast of burden at the Hua family her whole life than go to the Song family. Hua Zhi comforted her and told her to rest assured—she would take care of everything. Gu Yanxi was feeling extremely troubled when he was suddenly informed that Madam Xiao had committed suicide.

He took her final letter and went to confront Gu Yanxun, questioning him about the Zhou family assisting him in starting a rebellion. Thinking Madam Xiao had betrayed him, Gu Yanxun panicked. Back then, the Zhou family held great military power, so Gu Yanxun had married Princess Zhou in hopes of competing for the crown prince position. But later, when Gu Chengtao became emperor, Gu Yanxun urged the Zhou family to rebel.

Once they were defeated, the princess’s entire clan was wiped out. To clear himself of involvement, Gu Yanxun used Madam Xiao—who loved him to the point of madness—to kill the princess. Later, when Elder Dong tried to report the matter, Gu Yanxun had him silenced. Since he had suspected Gu Yanxi was the Qisusi commander and Shao Yao knew nothing, he decided to spare her life.

Gu Chengtao summoned Gu Yanxun to the palace for a discussion, and Gu Yanxi went with him. However, they knelt for a long time without being granted an audience and were instead sent to the Shen Pavilion for confinement and reflection. Gu Yanxun looked back at the heavily guarded palace. The turmoil back then was one of the royal family's most hidden scandals—a festering old wound.

Gu Yanxun wasn’t the only one who wanted it buried; Emperor Qing likely wanted it even less to be brought up again. Gu Chengtao told Gu Yanxi that he was being punished because he lacked the sense of duty between ruler and subject, father and son. Regarding the matter of Consort Xiao, Gu Chengtao ordered Gu Yanxi to drop it. A fruit farmer from Xishan gifted Hua Zhi an apple tree.

Inspired, she came up with an idea: have everyone cut out characters to paste on the apples for good luck, so when the apples ripen, the characters would naturally imprint onto them. Hua Zhi pasted the character "Yan" on one of the apples—she hadn’t seen Gu Yanxi in days. Shao Yao visited Shen Huan, and he taught her how to play xiangqi. Fudong had made some fresh snacks, and Hua Zhi asked Yingchun to send some to the Qisusi.

Hua Jing returned with Song Chengzu to demand Fudong again. Hua Zhi politely declined by offering a high bride price. The third madam said Fudong was now free and very firm in her stance. The second madam advised the Song family to reconsider for the sake of their reputation. Failing to get what he wanted, Song Chengzu stormed off in anger. Hua Jing cursed a few times, and when no one responded, she ran after him.

Although Hua Xian came back to visit, she still refused to see Lin Wan. However, she gave Xia Jin’e some money to buy supplements for Lin Wan. During their scuffle, Xia Jin’e saw the bruises on Hua Xian’s arm—her husband from the Yang family had beaten her again. Hua Zhi handed the money from Hua Xian to Bolin and told him to take Sui’an to make some new clothes and shoes. Song Chengzu was lecherous and had several concubines.

Hua Jing lived a miserable life—even the servants didn’t respect her. After throwing a tantrum, she blamed everything on Hua Zhi, believing all her misfortunes were Hua Zhi’s fault. Concubine Qin sneaked off with some items to visit Boli, but was caught by the second madam and driven out. Deeply upset, she cried to Shopkeeper Yang. He had feelings for her and invited her to drink. After a few rounds, he helped her to bed.

While the two of them were sleeping soundly, Hua Jing suddenly burst in and told Concubine Qin that if she wanted to survive, she had a way. Concubine Qin returned to the Hua residence with a bundle, saying she wanted to deliver something to Hua Zhi personally. Since Hua Zhi wasn’t home, Bao Xia didn’t suspect anything. Taking the chance, Concubine Qin tricked her way into Hua Zhi’s room and stole a dudou.

As she was about to leave, she saw Hua Zhi’s desk and recalled how Hua Zhi had once helped her. She hesitated, and just then, Bao Xia walked in and caught her red-handed.

Concubine Qin confessed that it was Hua Jing who had ordered her to steal Hua Zhi’s dudou, so that the person implicated in the affair would become Hua Zhi. Hua Zhi was baffled and asked Concubine Qin to explain everything in detail. Upon hearing the truth, Bao Xia became anxious and dragged Concubine Qin to see the matriarch. But Concubine Qin cried and refused—Shopkeeper Yang now had leverage over her, and she felt doomed no matter what.

In despair, she rushed out and threw herself into the well, attempting to take her life. Fortunately, she was rescued in time. Hua Qin clung to Concubine Qin and wept, and Bo Li ran up crying, grabbing her hand and calling her “Mother. ” Looking at Bo Li, Concubine Qin’s heart melted, and she gave up on dying. Hua Zhi didn’t hold her accountable and even ordered the servants to keep the incident quiet from the second madam.

Hua Zhi questioned Concubine Qin carefully and discovered that she had been set up. She then had Concubine Qin send a letter to Shopkeeper Yang, saying she wanted to elope with him and would bring money. Blinded by greed, Shopkeeper Yang was caught red-handed when he came to take the money. With a bit of pressure from Hua Zhi, he confessed everything. Song Chengzu’s family ran a pharmacy, and Hua Jing had taken aphrodisiacs from it.

The Qing Dynasty law strictly forbade such sales, so Hua Zhi reported it to the authorities, and the officials immediately shut down the Song family’s pharmacy. When Song Chengzu found out the Hua family had reported them, he flew into a rage and beat Hua Jing. Her son watched silently as she was struck, which made Hua Jing resent Hua Zhi even more. Hua Jing went to see Lin Wan again, causing a huge commotion and slandering Hua Zhi’s character.

Since Lin Wan had been unwell lately, Hua Zhi hadn’t reported the incident with Concubine Qin to her. But Hua Jing didn’t care about any of that and told Lin Wan everything—leaving out her own malicious role. Lin Wan, well aware of Hua Zhi’s character, didn’t believe her. Seeing this, Hua Jing began hurling curses, even wishing misfortune on Hua Yizheng and Lin Wan, causing Lin Wan to cough up blood and collapse.

After examining her, the doctor told Hua Zhi that Lin Wan’s fate had run its course and medicine could no longer help. Shao Yao tearfully apologized to Hua Zhi, saying she had done everything she could but couldn’t save her. In her final moments, Lin Wan met privately with Hua Zhi and handed her the Hua family’s seal.

Hua Zhi cried, saying that one day she would redeem her grandfather and the others, and bring them back to the old Hua residence. Lin Wan, heartbroken by the heavy burden on Hua Zhi’s shoulders, admitted she no longer had the strength to accompany her. Lin Wan passed away, and grief filled the Hua household.

Hua Zhi was in such pain she couldn’t even cry—there were still so many matters to handle after her grandmother’s death, and most importantly, she had to avenge their wrongs. That night, Shao Yao sat crying on the steps. Her sobs drew the attention of the second madam, who felt sorry upon noticing her icy fingers and hurried to wrap her in her own cloak. Shao Yao blamed herself for failing to cure Lin Wan.

In the mourning hall, everyone wore mourning clothes, staying by Lin Wan’s side with tear-streaked faces. Concubine Qin came too, crying as she apologized to Lin Wan. Shen Qi wanted to accompany Lin Wan’s funeral procession, and borrowed money for offerings from the accounts office. When Shen’s father found out, he flew into a rage and demanded that Shen Qi sever all ties with the Hua family. Shen Qi refused and broke off with his father.

Hua Zhi arranged every aspect of Lin Wan’s funeral meticulously, but not a single guest came to offer condolences. As Yingchun was stepping out of the mourning hall, she was informed that Shen Qi had arrived. Carrying funeral offerings, Shen Qi walked step by step into the Hua residence. After paying his respects, he told Hua Zhi that before the Hua family was raided, he had never imagined the world could be so cold and human nature so corrupt.

The Empress Dowager personally attended Lin Wan’s funeral. The Hua family all came out to greet her. She stepped into the mourning hall, choked with emotion, and called out, “Sister Wan”—after so many years, it was heart-wrenching to meet again under such circumstances.

The Empress Dowager cried as she leaned over the coffin, overwhelmed with sorrow that a forty-year friendship had come to such a sudden end. As they exited the mourning hall, Hua Zhi led the whole family to thank the Empress Dowager for her grace. The Empress Dowager was touched by how the Hua family stood together through thick and thin, and she admitted she envied such unity.

Originally, no one came to the funeral, but after the Empress Dowager sent her offering, many people quickly followed suit, eager to show respect at the Hua residence. Shao Yao hid off to the side crying. Shen Huan brought her a bag of puffed rice to comfort her. After taking a few bites, Shao Yao pulled Shen Huan into the mourning hall and placed the rice on the offering table. Hua Xian arrived, but Hua Jing was nowhere to be seen.

So Hua Zhi called Bo Lin and asked him to go to the eldest aunt’s home to deliver the news of Lin Wan’s passing. Bo Lin reported the death at the Song residence gate. Although Song Chengzu was extremely reluctant, since Lin Wan was Hua Jing’s biological mother, failing to observe filial rites could bring accusations of unfilial conduct and affect the future civil service exams of the Song family’s young master.

In the end, Song Chengzu pushed Hua Jing out. Hua Zhi blocked her at the door and made her keep vigil for Lin Wan at the gate. Hua Jing refused, so Hua Zhi exposed her vile deeds in public. When Hua Jing tried to throw a tantrum, Hua Zhi took out the aphrodisiacs from the Song family and shoved them in her face. Hua Jing was instantly speechless, and the onlookers began scolding her for being shameless.

In a fit of fury, Hua Jing spotted Concubine Qin and tried to shift the blame, cursing at her. But Concubine Qin had had enough and started fighting back. In the chaos, Hua Jing shoved Hua Qin, who was trying to mediate, to the ground. This pushed Concubine Qin over the edge—she tore Hua Jing’s outer garment, and Hua Jing fled, clutching her clothes to cover herself.

Hua Zhi turned to the onlookers and declared that from now on, Hua Jing and her children were completely severed from the Hua family and that their affairs would have nothing to do with the Hua family again. While Gu Yanxi was under house arrest at the Shen Pavilion, he refused to eat or drink. Gu Chengtao tried to coax him with his favorite chestnut cake, advising him that the bond between ruler and subject, father and son, was eternal.

He urged Gu Yanxi to let go of his obsession. When Gu Yanxi returned home, he questioned Gu Yanxun whether he had ever loved him. Gu Yanxun didn’t care. He believed that the ruler was the foundation of the subject, the father the foundation of the son, and that nothing could surpass this. Being born into the Gu family meant that true love was impossible.

At the Qisus Division, Chen Qing brought Gu Yanxi the honey cake that Hua Zhi had previously given him and informed him of Lin Wan’s passing. Upon hearing the news, Gu Yanxi rushed to the Hua residence on horseback. He found Hua Zhi at the training grounds. Gu Yanxi openly admitted his identity as the heir and didn’t hide that he was also the commander of the Qisus Division. With red-rimmed eyes, Hua Zhi asked him a series of questions.

Gu Yanxi answered every one of them, without a hint of evasion or deceit. Hua Zhi cried as she said she didn’t hate him—the people who exiled the men of the Hua family weren’t him, and the ones who kicked them while they were down, bullied, and extorted them weren’t him either. She wouldn’t blame him or vent her anger on him. But those ten strokes—she remembered.

Unless Gu Yanxi treated her better from now on, she would come to collect her due. After saying that, Hua Zhi hugged Gu Yanxi. Shao Yao saw Gu Yanxi coming out of Hua Zhi’s room and ran up to hug him in excitement. That night, a servant named Qing Xiang brought snacks to Gu Yanxun, saying they were sent by Gu Yanxi as an apology. Gu Yanxun took a piece and told him to eat it.

Only after confirming Qing Xiang was unharmed and checking his pulse did Gu Yanxun feel safe enough to take a bite himself. Su Momo, Lin Wan’s personal maid, insisted on leaving. Hua Zhi personally saw her off. Before departing, Su Momo gave Hua Zhi the hairpin that Lin Wan had gifted her.

Hua Zhi held the seal that her grandmother had managed for forty years and solemnly put on her grandmother’s hairpin. She made a silent vow that no matter what wealth or hardship the future held, she would always lead from the front, doing everything she could to carry the Hua family forward and protect them. The Hua family shop wrapped apples with words printed on them and sold them as mystery boxes.

The queue was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder. Chen Qing was among them and ended up picking an apple with a turtle design, which made Bao Xia burst into wild laughter. Hua Zhi personally picked an apple marked with the character “Yan” and was staring at it in a daze when Gu Yanxi arrived. He said he might not be able to attend morning lessons anymore and would come by later in the day.

Hua Jing hid under her quilt, not daring to come out. Song Chengzu kicked the door open and threw a divorce letter onto her, ordering her to get out of the Song residence. In despair, Hua Jing asked her son Hao’er to help mediate, but Hao’er also told her to pack up and leave so he wouldn’t be dragged down with her. That night, Hua Jing walked alone with a bundle to the gate of the Hua residence.

Looking up at the plaque, she cursed in rage, vowing she would never let the Hua family have peace. Uncle Zhong, worried that the Song family might cause more trouble, went to check if the main gate was secured. Gu Yanxi heard and went to check in his place, only to find Hua Jing hanging by the gate of the Hua residence. Gu Yanxi instructed Chen Qing to hang Hua Jing’s body at the gate of the Song residence.

When Song Chengzu saw it, he was so terrified he fell ill. At that moment, Hua Jing’s ancestral tablet was delivered. Hua Zhi formally severed ties with Hua Jing, declaring that from then on, both she and her children would have no connection to the Hua family in life or death, wealth or poverty, and were forbidden from ever setting foot in the Hua residence again. Hua Zhi felt that she might have been too heartless.

Gu Yanxi told her that if it were him, he would’ve gone even further. The Gu family, though it looked splendid on the outside, was actually a heap of bones beneath. Killing was commonplace in his home—his own father had even killed his mother. Hua Zhi said that Shao Yao already considered the Hua residence her home, and if Gu Yanxi didn’t mind, he could treat it as his home too.

Gu Yanxi looked at Hua Zhi and said, wherever you are, that is where my home is. Hua Zhi gathered everyone and explained the situation with Concubine Qin. As the head of the Hua family, she divorced Concubine Qin on behalf of Third Uncle. Concubine Qin resumed her original name, Qin Ergai. Hua Zhi then invited her to stay and help manage the shop. Because of the tension between the two mothers, Bo Li was quite distressed.

Shao Yao came up with an idea for him. The Second Madam couldn’t find Bo Li and went to Shao Yao, who remarked that Bo Li was so lucky to have two mothers doting on him—she didn’t even have one. The Second Madam was lost in thought after hearing that. Bo Li used his own money to buy a bracelet for Qin Ergai and made a chicken-hair brush by hand for the Second Madam.

The Second Madam personally helped Qin Ergai put on the bracelet, then placed Bo Li’s hand in Qin Ergai’s and gently pushed him toward her. Shao Yao played elephant chess with Hua Zhi. Seeing that Hua Zhi was deliberately letting her win, she went to play with Shen Huan instead and asked him to teach her everything he knew so that she could play with him in the future. Shen Huan readily agreed.

Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi went shopping together in the evening, and the two of them confessed their feelings for each other. Gu Yanxi held Hua Zhi’s hand and said they should spend more time together—practice makes perfect. The carp lanterns on Flower Street caught Hua Zhi’s attention. She pulled Gu Yanxi along into the crowd, and he kissed her on the forehead. Sui’an tearfully begged Xia Jin’e to save his mother.

His father was abusive, and his mother was on the verge of being beaten to death. Xia Jin’e followed him home, but they couldn’t even see Hua Xian’s husband, Yang Qi. Hua Xian also refused to return to the Hua family with them. When Hua Zhi found out, she wanted Hua Xian to get a divorce, but the three madams strongly opposed it. Gu Yanxi, upon learning this, fully supported Hua Zhi’s decision.

Gu Yanxi wanted to help Hua Zhi resolve the matter, but Hua Zhi said her aunt needed to come to terms with it herself. She planned to go to the Yang residence and instructed Gu Yanxi that if she didn’t return before nightfall, he should come look for her. Yang Qi made various excuses to prevent Hua Zhi from seeing Hua Xian, but Hua Zhi insisted on staying until she saw her.

Left with no choice, Yang Qi led Hua Zhi to Hua Xian’s room, where Sui’an was also present. Yang Qi issued a stern warning to Hua Xian before leaving. Hua Xian’s body was covered in bruises. Hua Zhi urged her to divorce, and Sui’an didn’t want his mother to suffer anymore either. After careful consideration, Hua Xian realized Hua Zhi was right. Yang Qi, who had been eavesdropping outside, locked them inside the room.

He said the manager of Yuexiu Pavilion was his cousin, so he had seen Hua Zhi’s methods before. He had not wanted to make things difficult for her, but since she had come knocking, he might as well stage an “accident” to make her disappear. Worried Hua Zhi might suffer a loss, Xia Jin’e also came to the Yang residence, but Yang Qi blocked her at the door with the excuse that Hua Zhi had developed pustules.

Lady Wu Yuniang suggested seeking help from the Seven Lodges Bureau, and the other ladies quickly agreed. Gu Yanxi waited for a long time but Hua Zhi didn’t return home, and suspecting something had gone wrong, was about to head out when Zheng Zhi rushed over to inform him that Hua Zhi had been detained and that several ladies had gone to the Seven Lodges Bureau to raise a commotion.

Gu Yanxi stopped the ladies at the gate, assuring them he would go to the Yang residence to investigate. Worried that Gu Yanxi might not be strong enough, Xia Jin’e suggested he wear a mask and pose as an envoy from the Bureau to intimidate Yang Qi. The ladies all arrived together at the Yang residence. Yang Qi was about to brush them off when he was informed that an envoy from the Seven Lodges Bureau had arrived.

Gu Yanxi made a dramatic entrance wearing a mask. Hua Zhi took the opportunity to loudly bang on the door and call for help. Gu Yanxi opened the door, and although Hua Zhi recognized him, she didn’t say a word. Yang Qi fell to his knees and begged for mercy. Then, spotting a tear in Gu Yanxi’s clothing, he boldly demanded to see the Bureau’s command token. Gu Yanxi didn’t respond, so Yang Qi called the authorities.

Worried their plan would be exposed, Xia Jin’e and the others tried to leave, but Yang Qi trapped them. Believing Gu Yanxi to be an impostor, Yang Qi reached out to remove his mask. Gu Yanxi calmly said to Hua Zhi that he had seen many who didn’t know their limits, but this was the first time he had seen someone like her uncle by marriage.

When the magistrate’s men arrived at the Yang residence, none of them had ever seen the envoy’s real face and couldn’t identify him. At that moment, Bao Xia pulled Chen Qing to the Yang residence. Upon seeing Gu Yanxi, Chen Qing immediately knelt, and the magistrate’s men all bowed to Gu Yanxi as well. As they were leaving, Hua Xian told Yang Qi that the divorce papers had already been written.

Because of Hua Zhi’s fright, Wu Yuniang went into premature labor, and her condition was not good. Hua Zhi, despite being a woman, rushed straight into the birthing room. The other ladies had been praying outside, but upon hearing the midwife’s scream, they rushed in to cheer Wu Yuniang on. At last, the baby was safely born and Wu Yuniang escaped danger. Shao Yao and Shen Huan dug for earthworms under a tree to help treat Wu Yuniang’s post-traumatic seizures.

Gu Yanxi brought lactose snow cream to Hua Zhi. She tasted it and said it wasn’t very sweet, then extended her spoon for Gu Yanxi to try. He directly took a bite from her spoon. A servant by Gu Chengtai’s side once again delivered pastries to Gu Yanxun. Gu Yanxun had thought the last batch came from Gu Yanxi, but it turned out they were arranged by Gu Chengtai. Enraged, he knocked the pastries to the ground.

Upon learning that the little eunuch Qingxiang who had delivered the last batch had suddenly died of a strange illness, Gu Yanxun nearly broke down. After Yang Qi reported the incident to the authorities, the ladies accompanied Hua Xian to the magistrate’s office. Gu Yanxi paid a visit to Prince Xian.

Gu Yanxi visited Prince Xian. Gu Yanggong said someone had cried out for justice, and now it was up to him to act as a living embodiment of justice. So, when the magistrate was handling Hua Xian’s divorce case, Gu Yanggong personally attended the hearing. Hua Xian submitted her written statement, dowry list, and injury report as evidence. Yang Qi loudly protested his innocence. Gu Yanggong turned to ask the magistrate for his judgment.

The magistrate, referring to the laws of Daqing, believed no further action should be taken. Hua Zhi argued that the bond between Hua Xian and her husband was already broken and that a divorce should be granted, along with an additional compensation of two hundred guan. The magistrate felt the fine was inappropriate, so Hua Zhi cited precedents for Gu Yanggong’s reference.

Gu Yanggong issued an immediate ruling: the divorce was granted, Yang Qi was to pay the two hundred guan within a month and receive one hundred strokes of the cane. Gu Yanggong said Gu Yanxi owed him a favor this time. Gu Yanxi replied that he was just an idle man, but Gu Yanggong laughed and said Gu Yanxi was quite capable when it came to leading troops in battle.

Though the world was currently at peace, who could say when the next opportunity would arise? Prince Ling, Gu Yanxun, was knocked unconscious in his sleep, and the attacker set fire to his room. Gu Yanxi happened to return home and was greeted by a raging fire. Hua Zhi hosted a banquet to celebrate Hua Xian’s escape from her suffering and Wu Yuniang’s safe delivery of her daughter. After a few drinks, Hua Zhi was slightly tipsy.

She went to the training ground, admiring the moonlight and thinking of Gu Yanxi. Gu Yanxi embraced her from behind and recalled the moonlight during the Lantern Festival years ago. Hua Zhi sensed something was troubling him. Gu Yanxi confided that Prince Ling’s residence had burned down—with its master inside. Hua Zhi looked at Gu Yanxi and said he had missed the excellent wine of Fudong. Would he like to try it? Then, she leaned in and kissed him.

After listening to Changqing’s report, Gu Chengtai let out a long sigh and said, “It’s been twenty years. At last, this scar is uncovered, and the knot in Gu Yanxi’s heart can finally be undone. ”The Hua family held a naming ceremony for Wu Yuniang’s daughter. Hua Zhi and Gu Yanxi also attended, and Gu Yanxi brought a gift.

Hua Zhi told Wu Yuniang that she had also bought eighteen jars of Spring Stone Wine and buried them in the bamboo grove at Zihuang Residence as a gift for her daughter. Wu Yuniang was so serene, yet Hua Pingyang, the fourth young master of the Hua family, was the most unrestrained and carefree. Hua Zhi was curious about how the two had come to know and love each other. Wu Yuniang smiled and began to tell their story.

She had a beautiful singing voice, and one day, while singing in the garden, she was overheard by Hua Pingyang, who deeply admired her. From then on, he waited outside the Wu residence every day, sending messages via kites. Wu Yuniang was moved by his persistence and eventually agreed to meet him. Hua Pingyang had a great understanding of music and would critique each song with kite messages. Wu Yuniang was thrilled to have found a kindred spirit.

Hua Pingyang visited daily, using kites as a signal. After half a year of never seeing each other's faces, Wu Yuniang married into the Hua family. The Hua brothers were building dams and walls in Sanbaicheng in the northern region, living in extreme hardship. Thankfully, they looked out for each other and barely managed to get by. Qin Ergai and the second lady, Qi Huilan, were getting along better and better, and Bai Li was much happier.

The Hua family’s businesses were thriving, and the cashboxes grew heavier day by day. After Nianqiu triple-checked the household accounts, Hua Zhi told everyone that the family had saved up five hundred thousand coins. According to Daqing law, that was enough to pardon the punishment of exile—but only for one person. Hua Zhi believed they should redeem Hua Yizheng first, and no one objected. Gu Yanxi had not returned to the Hua residence for several days.

He had been busy arresting spies from the State of Zhao. Based on the intelligence gathered, General Wu Yong, who was stationed in the north, was suspected of colluding with the enemy. Gu Yanxi earnestly requested Gu Chengtai's permission to go to the northern region to investigate.

Gu Yanxi returned to the Hua residence to bid farewell to Hua Zhi. To his surprise, Hua Zhi was also heading north. He was delighted that both of them were going to the northern military camp. Gu Chengtai gave Gu Yanxi a thick cloak, and this scene was witnessed by the Sixth Prince, who knelt on the ground timidly, not daring to make a sound. Gu Chengtai brushed his sleeves and left.

From Changqing, it was learned that the Sixth Prince’s biological mother had been a palace maid who died many years ago. He had never been favored by Gu Chengtai, and when he was five or six years old, he mistakenly wandered into the imprisoned Crown Prince’s Jicui Palace, which only deepened Gu Chengtai’s dislike for him. Though a prince, he was dressed in rags, dirty and disheveled.

The mastermind behind the scenes was familiar with the operations of the Qixiu Division, so they arranged an ambush along the road to the north, intending to assassinate Gu Yanxi. Hua Zhi wanted to make a cotton robe for Gu Yanxi, but her sewing skills were limited. Shen Huan came to the Hua residence to find Shao Yao and gave her some dried toads he had prepared. Shao Yao was delighted.

As a meteor streaked across the sky, Shao Yao wished to become a little smarter, and Shen Huan made the same wish. Hua Zhi entrusted the household to Xia Jin’e, hired armed escorts for the journey, and brought along Uncle Zhong. They traveled under the guise of a merchant caravan. Gu Yanxi had Chen Qing and Li Hou accompany them, under the pretense that the Qixiu Division was monitoring the Hua family. Leaving home, the world felt vast and open.

Hua Zhi rode her horse at full gallop, with Gu Yanxi close behind. Hua Zhi said it was her first time leading everyone on a journey, and suddenly she felt like she could run faster and farther—this gave her a sense of freedom. Seeing her so joyful, Gu Yanxi was happy as well. The caravan moved in grand formation, while the assassins hid nearby, silently observing.

They had been ordered to kill the commissioner and believed Hua Zhi’s group was a merchant convoy, familiar with the hired escorts, so they held back. After setting up camp, Hua Zhi happily ran to the riverbank to catch fish. Gu Yanxi didn’t stop her and instead went to help. That night, the two sat by the river. Hua Zhi said she had truly been happy lately.

Though uncertain of what lay ahead, she was content to have journeyed this far with him. After hearing this, Gu Yanxi pulled Hua Zhi into his arms. The next day, strong winds blew, and the farther north they went, the colder it became. Gu Yanxi gave Hua Zhi the cloak to wear.

Hua Zhi said she had a way for them both to stay warm—she had Gu Yanxi put on the cloak, then slipped inside it with him, and they rode one horse together. Along the way, everyone worked together to overcome the hardships. As they neared Kunshan, they passed through a valley that was ideal for an ambush, but they had no choice but to go through.

Gu Yanxi had Hua Zhi return to the carriage while he led the way ahead. As expected, a group of bandits blocked the road. After Gu Yanxi captured the bandit leader Niu Heng, Hua Zhi got out of the carriage and said she was the head of the family and that Gu Yanxi was her live-in husband. The bandits had been forced into a life of crime, so after accepting Hua Zhi’s money and clothes, they were very grateful.

Hua Zhi told them that if they were interested in making an honest living, they could travel south with them when they returned. The snow grew heavier, and Hua Zhi developed chilblains on her hands, but fortunately, Shao Yao had ointment. The next day, they arrived in Sanbaicheng. Gu Yanxi parted from Hua Zhi in advance, saying he was heading to the yamen. Hua Zhi led the group into Sanbaicheng.

When Hua Pingyang heard, he rushed over but took a heavy fall. Hua Zhi helped her fourth uncle up. Seeing him in tattered clothes, she felt deeply distressed. She showed him portraits of Wu Yuniang and their daughter. Hua Pingyang burst into tears, overwhelmed with joy. When Hua Yizheng heard that someone from the Hua family had arrived, he hurriedly got out of bed.

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