Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C400. Following the Wind.

Chapter 400: Following the Wind

Hua Zhi couldn’t shake the feeling that the emperor kept Shao Yao close not simply because she was a physician. There was something about her—a warm, sunlit energy that radiated trust and sincerity. She had a way of making people feel at ease, and Hua Zhi couldn’t blame anyone for wanting someone like that around. Honestly, if she were in the emperor's shoes, she'd want someone like Shao Yao nearby too. Just the sight of her could lift a heavy mood.

She had half a mind to ask about the emperor’s health but quickly thought better of it. No, she couldn’t let her personal concerns be addressed through Shao Yao—it wasn’t fair.

Before she could dwell on it further, Shao Yao broke the silence, her words unexpectedly candid.
“He’s like a porcelain doll now,” she said with a sigh. “One wrong touch, and he might shatter. The attendants have to be ridiculously careful—he can’t so much as sneeze without it turning into a crisis. And heaven forbid he sneezes on his own! Then I’ll have to drag the imperial physicians over to examine him. Honestly, it’s exhausting—he’s constantly on the edge, and so am I.”

“Careful, Shao Yao,” Hua Zhi warned with a soft chuckle. “You shouldn’t say things like that to just anyone—it could land you in trouble.”

Shao Yao grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I know that! But you’re not ‘just anyone,’ are you?” She tilted her head playfully. “I wouldn’t say this to anyone else—I’m not that reckless.”

Hua Zhi couldn’t help but smile at her earnestness. She reached out and patted Shao Yao’s head, her hand met with a gentle nuzzle that made her heart swell. For a moment, the weight of the world felt a little lighter. Yes, Shao Yao was right—she wasn’t just anyone. Hua Zhi would never do anything to bring trouble to her.

"If one day he... would he blame you?"

"He won't, but others might. It depends on who is in that position and what kind of relationship they have with Yan-ge. Don't worry, Hua Hua, the emperor who is only recently in power and heavily relies on Yan-ge, will only flatter him, not risk offending him."

Hua Zhi sighed softly, "Ever since I found out about the Seven Stars Bureau, I have always felt that their situation is very dangerous. Their power is too great and their influence is too strong. If someone deliberately stirs things up and the emperor wavers, all the special things about the Seven Stars Bureau will become accusations."

"Yan-ge has said the same thing."

Hua Zhi's eyes lit up, "What does he plan to do?"

"Yan-ge said the previous leader, even the leader before that, have said the same things."

"... You will starved to death!"

Shao Yao laughed heartily, rubbed against Hua Hua, "That's what Yan-ge said, they all know that the sword is hanging over the head of the Seven Stars Bureau, once it falls, it cannot be filled with anything except human life. But the emperor's reliance on the Seven Stars Bureau has become a habit. Even if some methods were considered in the past, they either failed before they began or were forgotten in the end. Hua Hua, help Yan-ge think of a solution, I don't want him to risk his life for Daqing and still be feared and guarded against by others all the time, it's not a happy way to live."

"The issues that generations before them haven't been able to solve, how can I solve them?" Hua Zhi laughed, unless the person sitting on the throne is exceptionally capable and does not need to rely on the Seven Stars Bureau for everything, and strategically establishes a few government offices to divide the power of the Seven Stars Bureau, allowing the Seven Stars Bureau to break free and return to its original state, the chances of such an exceptionally capable person existing within the royal family are low.