Blossom in Adversity

C170. Unspoken Resentment.

Chapter 170: Unspoken Resentment

Hua Zhi smiled faintly, her head bowed. "It's this man, who has nothing, that has separated me from my family indefinitely. Mr. Lu pities his family, and so do I."

Gu Yanxi was rendered speechless.

Hua Zhi walked past him and gazed at the dark red hue on the horizon. "Your uncle, the emperor, freely shifts blame relying on his imperial authority. Similarly, I rely on Mr. Lu's lack of malice towards me and act without reservation. I wonder if Mr. Lu has ever heard the saying: 'Pity the person, but there must be something despicable about them.'"

Turning back with a serene smile, Hua Zhi inadvertently displayed a hint of defiance to Gu Yanxi. "I won't allow the Hua family to be pitied. Throughout the generations, the Hua family has never done anything despicable. They are scholars, raised on the wisdom of sages since childhood. They have bound themselves to those strict principles their entire lives, bearing the responsibility of upholding the dignity of scholars and becoming role models for the literati."

Recalling the sight of frozen hands and cracked skin on those who once held pens during their visit to Yingshan Pass, Hua Zhi felt a lump forming in her throat. "Mr. Lu once said that the Fourth Master of the Hua family was the most outstanding in his generation, but he did not end up serving because he was born later. It's not just that. He didn't solely pursue the path of the sages like my father, my third uncle, and even my second uncle did. Even though they all adhered to the standards expected of Hua family men, but my Fourth Uncle, lived a much more colorful and indulgent life than they did."

Hua Zhi took a step closer, her tone light yet resolute, "I don't think what my father did is right, or what my fourth uncle did is wrong. But I cannot deny the greatness of those uncles and ancestors who dedicated their whole lives to the success of the Hua family legacy. As someone with supreme power, you have no right to disapprove of a family that has worked generations to contribute to his empire, just because of the incompetence of his son. So, I do not sympathize with how pitiful he is."

The sudden gust of wind blew Hua Zhi's cloak, calming her down. She turned her back to tighten her cloak, knowing that her decision was the right one.

With such differing values, how could she even have a relationship?

She was used to a sense of equality, where actions led to rewards. But here, no matter how much good one did, a word from the emperor could end it all, even going as far as taking the lives of their innocent family members.

In such a hostile environment, she could only accept, but not without resentment. If doing good could still result in death at a whim, then why bother?

Wouldn't it be more blissful to live a carefree life?

If her grandfather knew her thoughts, he would surely scold her. She wasn't a proper member of the Hua family, lacking the noble sentiments of prioritizing the world's worries over her own happiness. Such saintly virtues were too distant for her, and she would rather focus on producing delicious food.

Despite her myriad of discontent, she still had to instruct according to the norms. She could live her way, but the men of the Hua family had to uphold the family's integrity, a principle she deeply respected.

At times, she realized she wasn't suited to be a teacher, as a single misstep could lead people astray.

With this in mind, Hua Zhi turned around, "Now that you know how I feel, are you still certain you want to entrust Ah Jian to me?"

Gu Yanxi nodded without hesitation, "No pain, no gain."

"I hope the result is what you want to see."

It couldn't get any worse than the current situation. Gu Yanxi tasted bitterness in his mouth, not even his uncle had foreseen this far.

He knew the Hua family was wronged, yet he saw nothing wrong in his uncle's actions. As a loyal subject of the Great Daqing Dynasty, hadn't they always lived under the emperor's mercy?

But had they ever imagined that the loyal Hua family, faithful for generations, would be punished because of the emperor's wrath?

Wouldn't that chill their hearts?

Would other noble families feel the same?

Would the scholars and students who looked up to the Hua family still remain loyal to the emperor?

If they couldn't, who would be at fault?

Once the younger generations of the Hua family grew up, would they still be as devoted to the emperor as their ancestors?

If not, who would be to blame?

Without self-sacrificing generals or patriotic ministers, how long could the Gu family's rule last peacefully?

The posthumous fate of a fallen royal family was too gruesome to imagine. The princes and princesses turning into playthings was a common occurrence. He couldn't bear the thought of such humiliation falling on future generations of the Gu family. If a new neighboring nation rose to power, like the Chaoli tribe in the past, how disastrous would that be?

The cold wind blew, and yet Gu Yanxi's back was drenched with sweat. The decline of a dynasty is never an overnight affair. Could the exile of the Hua family mark the beginning of the Great Daqing Dynasty's downfall?

Watching Ah Zhi as she tucked her wind-tousled hair behind her ear, Gu Yanxi thought to himself that perhaps the fate of the Great Qing Dynasty had not yet run its course, which led to the emergence of descendants like Ah Zhi, his encounter with her, and even Little Liu finding refuge on Ah Zhi's carriage when he had nowhere else to go.

Therefore, their meeting was nothing short of fate.

Gu Yanxi took off his cloak and draped it over Ah Zhi's shoulders. "The Hua family will reunite, I promise."

It was his vow, and Ah Zhi understood. She gently nodded as she watched the man mount his horse and ride off with a resounding cry, vanishing before her eyes in an instant.

"Miss," Ying Chun hurried over. "It's getting late, we should head back."

Ah Zhi adjusted the cloak that now trailed behind her and retraced her steps, heading back the way they came. "Fu Dong, starting tomorrow, prepare two sets of meals for Dong Zi to deliver to the city."

"Yes."

As the sky darkened, the group hastened into the courtyard. Suyun Mama watched her mistress's retreating figure, pondering for a moment. She decided not to say anything but reminded herself to be more vigilant in the future.

"Dong Zi, come with me."

Dismissing the others, Ah Zhi led Dong Zi to the main house. After sipping on the scalding tea to warm up, she looked up and said, "There will be someone coming to collect the food boxes once you're in the city. Hand them over directly."

"Yes."

Ah Zhi played with the rim of her tea cup. "Keep a close eye on the situation in the city. If anything seems out of the ordinary, come back and report to me."

Dong Zi hesitated before asking, "Miss, by 'out of the ordinary,' do you mean..."

"Anything that strikes you as suspicious, like rumors or unusual activities."

"Understood, I will be vigilant."

"You may go."

Alone in the room, Ah Zhi pondered for a while. She believed in Mr. Lu's words, but she wasn't one to place all her hopes in others. She preferred to take the initiative into her own hands.

She also wanted to see if there were any consequences in the capital after Gu Yanxi heard her words. She didn't fancy the monarchy system, but she was even less inclined to be part of a turbulent era.