Blossom in Adversity

C175. A Connection to the Lu Family.

Chapter 175: A Connection to the Lu Family

After a cup of tea, Gu Yanxi broke the comfortable silence, “Xiao Liu is fine now.”

Hua Zhi continued to pour tea, her head lowered, “When Mr. Lu said he was fine, did he mean he could go home or stay?”

“Stay. The Emperor has assigned Xiao Liu to follow me. He won’t interfere anymore.”

“Even if it’s for protecting Ah Jian, I still think it’s heartless,” Hua Zhi finished off the tea in her cup and looked up at Gu Yanxi, “For Ah Jian, this is a kind of exile.”

Gu Yanxi smiled. So, she was protective of Ah Jian now. Xiao Liu, who had come from the palace, must have seen this weakness of hers and used it well, “The Emperor’s intention is for Xiao Liu to succeed me in the future.”

Hua Zhi raised an eyebrow, “That’s quite different from Mr. Lu’s decision.”

“I’m the head of the Seven Stars, but I can also manage the affairs of the court. As long as I learn what I need to, I can sit firmly in any position.”

That made sense. Hua Zhi found herself unable to argue. What could she say? The example was right in front of her.

“I heard you’re planning to install underfloor heating in the clan school?”

Hua Zhi wasn’t surprised he knew. Every little thing that happened in the Hua family, he seemed to be well-informed. In the past, she would have resented it, feeling like she was being watched, but today was different. Now, this kind of protection was exactly what she needed.

“It gets so cold in the winter that the children’s fingers stiffen, and they can’t even hold a pen. Their concentration is affected.”

“Have you found someone to do it?”

Seeing Hua Zhi look at him, Gu Yanxi smiled, “I’ll have someone do it. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

“That would be great.” With a house full of women, Hua Zhi was afraid that her family would be offended, and she was also wary of the other wives and concubines in the family developing other ideas when they saw a young man. She had originally planned to wait until Wu Da and the others finished building the cellar on the manor and then have him learn how to do this as well.

Hua Zhi remembered something, got up, and went to the desk. She took a few silver notes from a drawer and placed them in front of Gu Yanxi, “I should have returned this to Mr. Lu long ago, but I bought another shop this year and only recently had some spare money. Here’s some to pay back first.”

Each silver note was worth a thousand taels, and there were five of them. This was only enough to pay off the gold bars. Hua Zhi didn’t plan to pay for the two large cloaks with money. She knew they were priceless, and she planned to return them with some fine furs when she collected them. She didn’t want to owe him too much.

Gu Yanxi didn’t dwell on the matter. He knew Hua Zhi wasn’t short of money.

“There’s a business deal I’d like to ask for Mr. Lu’s protection.”

"Is it the workshop at Zhuangzi?"

"Yes."

Gui Yanxi played with the warm tea in his hands. "I can introduce you to the Lu family."

"For this deal, I hope to have Mr. Lu's protection." Hua Zhi's expression remained unchanged, but her tone was firm, surprising Gui Yanxi. "This deal is very profitable, and I don't trust anyone else."

Trustworthiness was something Gui Yanxi valued, and he immediately agreed without hesitation. He had originally intended to connect the Hua and Lu families, at no cost to Hua Zhi. Whatever she needed, he would provide, and by associating with the Lu family, the Hua family would have an extra layer of security.

Gui Yanxi knew the situation of the Lu family well. After his mother passed away, his Uncle Emperor provided generous compensation, even promoting his maternal uncle by two ranks. While the position was mostly ceremonial, the rank was significant and, with the Duke of Dingguo's backing, nobody would dare underestimate them.

In the Great Qing Dynasty, there were six dukes, but only the Duke of Dingguo, surnamed Gu, held real power.

The Lu family had not been good at business for generations, focusing only on managing their estate. They were hesitant to engage in business dealings in the capital, but living there was expensive, with numerous social connections that required expenditure. Their household was starting to feel the financial strain, with Grandfather only accepting more lavish gifts during festivals. If Hua Zhi wanted to offer anything more, his Grandfather would refuse.

"As for the Lu family, if Mr. Lu is trustworthy, I am willing to give up a twenty percent share in the workshop on Zhengyuan Street for their protection."

"No need..."

Hua Zhi shook her head. "In the capital, every household is entangled in complex relationships. If not the Lu family, I would approach another."

With the current situation of the Hua family, they couldn't afford to oversee a highly profitable deal. As for Hua Zhi, she has always been involved in major business ventures.

Gui Yanxi understood her reasoning and took out the five thousand taels of silver he had put away. "Consider this as an investment for the Lu family. You can share the profits with them later."

After a moment of consideration, Hua Zhi took out three bills. "I can only offer a twenty percent share of the profits. Mr. Lu must have confidence in the deal."

"Of course. I will have someone from the Lu family speak with you."

"I believe Mr. Lu can represent the Lu family well."

Gui Yanxi suddenly understood her meaning. If Hua Zhi had been willing to forge connections herself, her reputation would not have remained obscure for so many years.

"Alright, I will take charge."

Hua Zhi expressed her gratitude with a slight bow before refilling his cup.

Gui Yanxi looked at the row of tea canisters and remarked meaningfully, "Even the tea leaves here are part of a lucrative deal."

"If Mr. Lu likes, I can teach you the art of tea roasting."

"Ah Zhi should know this deal is lucrative."

"My grandfather once bought me a small tea plantation. These tea leaves all come from there. After the plantation was confiscated, the remaining tea leaves were stored here." Hua Zhi raised her head with a faint smile. "While I have many ways to make money, I don't plan on tainting this opportunity with greed. But I won't stop others from seizing it."

Feeling angered, Gui Yanxi felt uneasy. "I will retrieve that tea plantation."

Hua Zhi shook her head. "Only with peace of mind can you indulge in spiritual pursuits. The tea I would roast in my current state of mind would turn out poorly. Why waste it? I'm not joking. If Mr. Lu wants to make money from this, I can teach you."

Seeing her earnestness, Gui Yanxi thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I can't focus on that right now. Let's leave it for later."

Hua Zhi didn't insist and, after repaying the money, settled some emotional debts as well, putting her in a good mood.

"Who is outside? Go fetch Ah Jian."

Suyun Mama's voice called out, "Yes, I will go."

The Sixth Prince, dressed in new clothes, came in and obediently called by someone. Being pampered daily by Fu Dong, his complexion was healthy, and he seemed quite content living at the Hua residence.

Observing him, Gui Yanxi felt increasingly optimistic about his future.

"Uncle Emperor has allowed you to follow me, Chengqian. If you don't want to return to the palace, you don't have to."

Upon hearing this, the Sixth Prince's heart raced. He was happy not to return, but also sad that it wasn't his fault, yet he was the one unable to go back.

He didn't miss the heartless place at all. What he was sad about was that no one cared where he was. In the palace, his absence didn't matter much, but leaving it diminished his presence. Like the precious but insignificant decorations in the palace, he looked valuable but was ultimately inconsequential.