Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C263. The Storm is Coming.

Chapter 263: The Storm is Coming

Having drunk two cups of water, the sound of the cup being placed on the table startled the Sixth Prince. He looked at Shao Yao. The carefree Shao Yao who used to sneak into the kitchen for food and forget to wipe her mouth back at home was so different from the tyrannical and arbitrary Shao Yao of the Seven Stars Bureau today, yet he was not surprised.

He already knew Shao Yao’s identity. How could the Gu family raise such a carefree person? Only the Hua family would be possible.

“Does the Seven Stars Bureau have the power to appoint officials?”

"Scared? Or do you find it hard to believe?" Shao Yao propped her chin up and lazily looked at him, her lips slightly curled in a mocking manner.

The Sixth Prince shook his head, "The Seven Stars Bureau has always been trusted by the Emperor for its reasons, but I just can't figure it out."

Shao Yao thought about how Yan Ge and Huahua treated Xiao Liu, and was willing to explain more, "The Seven Stars Bureau often does things on behalf of the Emperor, traveling to various places. If they didn't have any power, they couldn't ask for instructions from the capital every time something happened. Trivial matters can wait, but what falls into the hands of the Seven Stars Bureau would not be trivial matters. Therefore, the Seven Stars Bureau has always had the power to act first and report later, but the decision-making power does not lie with the Seven Stars Bureau. Understand?"

So although the Seven Stars Bureau often acted first and reported later, the relevant departments would eventually verify the matter, and the emperor would make the final decision. If the Seven Stars Bureau really had the power to appoint officials, it would not have been able to exist peacefully until now.

The Sixth Prince nodded, feeling slightly reassured. Earlier, he was a little worried that Shao Yao would cause trouble by making such a big fuss, and if it was investigated, Hua Jiejie would also be implicated, and no one would benefit.

Fortunately, the Seven Stars Bureau had this power, and Shao Yao's actions were not considered overstepping her authority.

"If you've rested well, get ready to go back to the boat. Huahua is probably waiting anxiously." Shao Yao got up, took two steps, then stopped and turned to look at the child who was following her, "Xiao Liu, be serious. Think about your brothers. Who has the luck to be taken out by the Seven Stars Bureau, and who has such a good teacher like Huahua who doesn't hide anything and teaches everything? If one day you are still bullied by your brothers, I won't help you. I don't recognize such an incompetent brother, and you must never tell anyone that you are Huahua's student. She doesn't expect you to bring her wealth and honor, and you don't have to embarrass her."

The Sixth Prince bit his lip, "I won't let you down."

He understood better than anyone that he had no right to be negligent, and he also understood better than anyone his own luck.

*

In the twilight, Hua Zhi stood at the bow of the ship and watched as the group appeared at the dock, her hanging heart finally settled. She asked the captain to dock the ship.

On the dock, Shao Yao jumped up and waved to Huahua. During the time waiting for the ship to dock, she asked Xiao Liu, "Do you understand Huahua's intention?"

"Sister Hua has made two preparations. If the other party finds out our identity, Sister Hua can retreat to the middle of the river to prevent them from being captured. If we fail and retreat to the dock, the ship is close to the shore, and they can also pick us up as quickly as possible."

Shao Yao patted his shoulder with satisfaction, his brain was still usable.

After boarding the ship, Shao Yao told them what had happened, and Hua Zhi frowned, "You shouldn't have done it. If the other party uses this to make a fuss, you're in the wrong."

"Hmph, who's afraid of him? If he can take a few lashes from me and doesn't fight back, then he can win this lawsuit. But the problem is that he fought back, and even if he's right, he'll become wrong." Shao Yao almost said that she deliberately provoked Li Shiren to fight back.

Yan Ge had previously submitted a memorial, suggesting that local commanders be rotated every three years, which could both prevent collusion between the Governor and the commander, and also train the ability of the garrison commanders. The emperor had approved it, but it was extremely difficult to implement, and the most active one among them was this Li Shiren.

With such a golden opportunity right before her, she naturally couldn't let it slip away. If things escalated to this point, even if Li Shiren wasn't completely ousted, he would never be able to return to lead the Yixin Camp.

Hua Zhi tapped her forehead lightly, choosing not to say more. Shao Yao was no longer a child; she must have made this decision with careful consideration.

"Let's rest for a night and continue our journey tomorrow."

However, the next day turned out to be rainy. Fortunately, the rain wasn't heavy, and the wind was calm. The captain came to seek instructions, but Hua Zhi didn't give unnecessary orders. She simply told him to make a decision based on his experience.

After consulting with the sailors, the captain decided to set sail as usual. They had encountered such weather many times before, and if they couldn't sail in weather like this, they would likely be idle for half the year.

But the rain didn't stop as they had expected. Instead, it continued relentlessly. By the time they reached Xiangyang the following night, the rain had become heavier, and the waves were noticeably larger.

Hua Zhi immediately decided, "Let's find an inn to stay tonight. Xu Ying, go tell the captain to have everyone disembark. I'll cover all the expenses."

"Yes."

Bao Xia quickly gathered the things they needed to take off the boat, while Hua Zhi found oil paper to carefully wrap her military strategy books and keep them close to her body. Seeing Xiao Liu taking the chess set, she didn't stop him.

The boat swayed, and the wind and rain seemed to have intensified. Bao Xia, lacking in strength, was afraid of her mistress falling. She thoughtfully held up an umbrella and handed it to Shao Yao. Seeing Shaoyao supporting her mistress with one hand and holding the umbrella with the other while remaining steady, Bao Xia felt reassured. She took the umbrella and stopped the captain who was about to approach, thanked him, and then, with the umbrella held out for her mistress, walked towards the bow of the boat. Watching the planks move, her heart trembled.

"Miss Bao Xia, the young miss has sent me to pick you up. My apologies for any disturbance."

Bao Xia raised the umbrella slightly. The man wearing a raincoat extended his hand, and it was Yu Tao. Her heart warmed, and she extended her hand.

Yu Tao grasped her wrist through the sleeve of his coat and led her slowly off the boat. In such stormy weather, through the point of contact, both of them felt a strange warmth towards each other. When they let go after disembarking, they both looked at each other silently. Bao Xia curtsied to him and turned to leave.

The distance from the dock to the nearest inn wasn't far, but even with an umbrella, they were still quite wet. Only Hua Zhi, who had an extra outer garment, was slightly drier.

They paid more than usual for a room and asked for hot water. Everyone went to tidy themselves up.

Hua Zhi, as always, was the quickest. Behind the screen, Bao Xia was cleaning herself with water. Hua Zhi stood by the window. It was pitch black outside, and the sound of rain pattering on the roof made her heart feel uneasy.

There were faint rumbles of thunder, growing louder and then fading away. In just a short while, even though she had just finished bathing, she felt sticky again.

This was the rain of the south, damp and stuffy, and it seemed to never end. Unlike in the north, the temperature would drop immediately after rain.

This feeling was so familiar, deeply ingrained in her bones. However, the south was also prone to floods. She hoped this heavy rain wouldn't last long, or else...