Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C314. Whoever It Is.

Chapter 314: Whoever It Is

The guards brushed past Wu Yong, stepping into the room to deliver a handful of letters to the leader.

Gu Yanxi picked one up, scanned it briefly, and tossed it back with a razor-sharp smirk, his silence louder than any words.

Hua Pingyu’s worried eyes darted to his father. Wu Yong addressing Lu Yanxi as "elder brother" made one thing clear: this man wasn’t just anyone. His presence carried weight—an aura of power that didn’t belong to the ordinary.

Yet, how was it possible?

If this man was someone of significance in the capital, Hua Pingyu should’ve recognized him instantly. The pieces didn’t fit, and the gaps gnawed at him. Who the hell was this man?

Hua Yizheng, however, sat calm, unshaken, his face a mask of unreadable composure. His sharp gaze locked on the figure lounging at the bed’s edge, and with deliberate coolness, he asked, "Yanxi, do you have any clue who’s pulling the strings here?"

"There are only a few people who can reach out so far."

Gu Yanxi’s gaze settled on the old man—a figure bursting with vitality just yesterday, now hollowed out and worn like he'd aged a decade overnight. Words hung in his throat, useless and heavy. The truth was clawing to break free, but Gu Yanxi knew once it did, it would shred everything. The last thing he wanted was for the Hua family to drown further in disappointment or for Ah Zhi’s trust in him to sour because of the royal family's rot.

Yet, no matter how much he resisted, the reality was carved into his veins—he and the Gu family were bound by blood and fate, rising and crumbling together.

He watched the old man’s face darken with defeat, and for all his cunning, Gu Yanxi couldn’t find a single word to ease the blow. The founding emperor had shackled the Gu family with rules to avoid repeating history’s failures, yet here they were, circling the same drain.

And Gu Yanxi? Helpless.

For all his might and sharpness, he wasn’t the emperor. One misstep over that sacred line, and he’d face the sword. The Seven Stars Bureau, a legacy forged over generations, would vanish like smoke. That price? Unthinkable. Unforgivable. He couldn’t let it happen—not on his watch.

The Great Daqing Dynasty leaned heavily on the Seven Stars Bureau, a shadow empire that had practically become a court within the court. Its leader seemed to bask in greater glory than his predecessors, but let’s not kid ourselves—he was skating on razor-thin ice.

And the Hua family?

Hua Jingyan and the founding emperor were a power duo, ruling side by side for decades, conquering kingdoms, and laying down the law. When the founding emperor drew his last breath, it was Hua Jingyan by his side—the only man trusted to safeguard the young ruler's future.

Whispers of betrayal followed the Hua family, fear gripping many that power would corrupt them. But Hua Jingyan? He shattered expectations. Once the new emperor had firm control, he vanished from the spotlight, emerging only in crises, embodying the true meaning of a loyal subject.

He had the rare privilege of witnessing the Hua family’s rules—meticulously crafted to the point of obsession—laying out every nuance, down to their preference for classical texts among the revered 'Six Arts of a Gentleman.'

With razor-sharp precision, he ensured the Hua family remained scholarly purists for generations, banning them outright from the six ministries and confining their influence to the Hanlin Academy. It was a calculated move to choke off any chance of the Hua family amassing real power, killing ambition at its root.