Shaoyao sat on the doorstep, holding a bag and shaking it from side to side, gnawing on some beef jerky.
Xiaoliu heard that Sister Hua had returned but hadn't shown up for a long time, so how could he not know where she had gone? He went over and saw Shaoyao was about to speak, but she made a gesture for silence, moved her butt to the side, and pointed to the seat next to her for him to come and sit.
"..." Xiaoliu felt his buttocks getting cold before he even sat down, but he still sat down. However, he was careful and folded the back of his cloak a little more to cushion the feeling, which at least alleviated the pain a little.
Seeing that he was obedient, Shaoyao took out some beef jerky from the bag and gave it to him as a compliment. In the cold wind, the two of them chewed the beef jerky in the same posture, waiting for the two people inside to have enough intimacy and remember them.
Obviously, this was impossible in the short term, as Gu Yanxi had never told Azhi that Xiaoliu had left the palace.
"I'm afraid we'll have to contact the Lu and Sun families in the next few days. Grandfather said that the shipping of the imperial seal will be finalized after the festival." Hua Zhi rolled up a strand of the man's hair. Even with the scar on his face, the man was not as cold and fierce as usual. "In the past, it would be fine as long as it didn't fall into the hands of the enemy. But now I think it's better to keep it in the hands of someone we trust. We need to prepare a way out for ourselves."
Gu Yanxi raised her hand and smoothed her brows, "I have made some arrangements before, don't worry, I don't plan to hand this path over to others."
Hua Zhi didn't say much, Yan Xi was still better at this than her. "You need to send more people to protect Xiao Liu. Hao Yue knows that he is in the same group with us. Now she is pregnant. I am afraid that she will use the rules to detain Xiao Liu in the palace. We can't let Xiao Liu go to the palace to be bullied."
Yan Xi was well-informed. They knew about it as soon as the palace diagnosed that Haoyue was pregnant. But there was nothing to say about it. It was natural for a man and a woman to give birth to a child. If there was anything to say, it could only be that Haoyue had a good body. After all, no prince or princess had been born in the palace for many years, and she had only been in the palace for a few months.
"There is a way."
Hua Zhi pulled his ear, but it was useless. "Don't keep me in suspense. Tell me now."
Gu Yanxi grabbed her hand and looked up to meet her gaze. "Let Xiaoliu formally worship you as his master. Then he can legitimately stay in the Hua family and be taught by you. It will be good for both you and him."
Hua Zhi frowned. Whether he was a gentleman or not was another matter. He would just be a gentleman verbally. However, "The Emperor would not agree."
"Behead first and report later. As long as you don't make any mistakes, he has no reason to embarrass the prince's teacher. He can't stop the gossip. He can make excuses for other things, but the prince's teacher is not someone else. If you are convicted for this." Gu Yanxi smiled, but his eyes were cold. "There are many old ministers in the court who were or are the prince's teachers. If they arbitrarily execute you today and set this precedent, who knows if they will be the next one. Even for self-protection, they will not let such a thing happen."
Hua Zhi frowned slightly and did not agree immediately. She needed to think about it again.
Gu Yanxi smiled and did not urge her. This was not the only way, but it was the best way for Azhi. With this identity, Azhi would have an extra layer of protection. If things went well in the future, Azhi would be the emperor's teacher, and she would have a foothold after leaving the Hua family.
Moreover, he didn't think there was anyone more suitable to teach Xiaoliu than Azhi.
Hua Zhi bent down and kissed the man's forehead, then sighed, "Last year's New Year was a mess because my grandmother passed away not long ago. I thought I could have a good New Year this year, but it's even more lively. I don't dare to think about what next year will be like."
“Maybe by this time next year everything will be settled.”
"I dare not think it is so beautiful." Hua Zhi lowered her head and kissed him again, this time on the lips. The two of them rubbed their lips and tongues together for a moment, warm as two tired people comforting each other.
Gu Yanxi couldn't help laughing. Among the aristocratic families, Azhi was probably the only girl who was so proactive in disregarding the so-called rules.
"I don't know how Xiaoliu is doing in the palace."
"You can ask him yourself."
Hua Zhi was stunned, "Xiao Liu is here?"
"I came in the afternoon."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Hua Zhi glared at him and helped him lie back on the bed. "I'll go find him."
"She's outside. Just call her in."
The door was opened from the inside, and the two people, who were almost frozen into popsicles, almost rolled in. They supported each other to stand up. Shaoyao shivered and immediately pulled Xiaoliu into the house. She closed the door with a snap, and the sound of teeth chattering could be heard as soon as they opened their mouths.
"It's been so long, Huahua, I hope you guys won't do anything bad."
Hua Zhi knocked her on the head. What bad things could Yan Xi do like this? He wanted her to sit on it and not move. Even if she had the courage, she was still worried about blood splattering on the bed!
Shaoyao knew she had said something wrong and was afraid of getting beaten again, so she stuck out her tongue and went around to Xiaoliu's side.
Xiaoliu was also shocked by her words. He glared at her with a dark face and wanted to hit her with his hands.
"Why did you leave the palace? Are you in trouble in the palace? When will you return?"
Three questions in one go. Xiao Liu didn't think Sister Hua asked too many questions. Instead, she felt warmer. "Today is the second day of the Chinese New Year. According to the rules, concubines can bring their families into the palace for a chat. My mother is not here, so I asked my grandmother to visit my grandmother. I accompanied my grandmother for dinner and then came here and returned to the palace..."
Xiaoliu looked at the person on the bed and said, "I don't want to go back."
"No problem?"
"I just stayed in the palace in a quiet and lonely manner. My father was so focused on Concubine Yue that he probably didn't even remember the others. I informed my grandmother when I came out, and she didn't stop me."
Xiao Liu smiled faintly. In the past, he might have felt aggrieved and upset, but now he has already let it go.
"Then I won't go back. I'd be worried if I really left you in the palace." Hua Zhi thought about her current situation and said, "When the festival is over, you go to Berlin and you must bring back the first handful of salt of success in person."
"But… "
Hua Zhi interrupted him, "No buts. You can't help me in any way if you stay in the capital. If you can bring back the salt, my contribution will be indelible. Even if there is no title or reward, everyone will know it. This knowledge is what I want."
What he said made sense, but Xiaoliu knew very well that the real reason was that the current situation was unclear, and Sister Hua wanted to send him away from this place of trouble. If they were still convicted in the end, she would save him.
But, “I want to face it with you.”
Hua Zhi looked at him solemnly, "I'm not letting you go because I look down on you. I'm not driving you away because I think you can't help me. In fact, you're the most important one. If anything happens to me, you'll have to take care of the whole Hua family. Xiao Liu, I only trust you."