After washing her hands, Hua Zhi made tea for her grandfather and fourth uncle, then sat down and waited for them to speak.
She didn't say that she would come at least once a year. Since she thought it would be difficult to see her grandfather in the future, he must have something to tell her.
Hua Pingyang glanced at his father, took out a letter from his bosom and handed it to him, "I told your fourth aunt to let the concubines go. They don't have children to burden them and don't have to stay in the Hua family. You know everything. Advise your fourth aunt not to embarrass them. I don't need them to stay."
"When Fugui and I shared the hardship together, she let them off the hook. Fourth Aunt may not be so magnanimous."
"That's why I asked you to persuade them more." Hua Pingyang smiled bitterly. He knew his wife. She was tolerant but not a clay figure without temper. She would not allow the four rooms to run away when disaster struck. But after all, they had not let themselves down. It was right for them to part ways in peace.
Hua Zhi lowered her head and looked at the thick letter in her hand. "Who is Fourth Uncle biased towards, Fourth Aunt or your concubine? Why do I see that the concubine is the one who gets it?"
"How can wives and concubines be compared? Your fourth aunt is the mother of my child and will be buried in the same tomb in the future. She cannot escape, and I will not allow her to do so."
Hua Zhi knew that these words, which seemed both overbearing and affectionate, would definitely be what Fourth Aunt would love to hear. Women of this era never expected their husbands to have only them for their entire lives. Having fewer concubines was the greatest respect for them. People like Fourth Uncle who only let their wives give birth to children were even rarer.
Hua Zhi smiled and nodded, "I will bring this sentence along."
Hua Pingyang also smiled, "I couldn't ask for more."
"Ahem." Hua Yizheng coughed lightly and handed over a letter. "This is for your grandmother. Zhi'er, tell me honestly, how is your grandmother's health?"
"Why would Grandfather ask that?"
"The handwriting on your grandmother's letter is obviously weak, and the letter was written in several parts. If she was in good health, this would not be the case."
Hua Zhi put the two letters aside neatly, her tone unchanged, "I can't hide anything from you. Grandmother did catch a cold in the winter. Doctor Chu saw her, and I also asked Shaoyao to check her pulse. They both said that she was fine. She was almost recovered when I came out."
Hua Yi was staring at her closely, "Really?"
"Zhi'er wouldn't dare lie to you."
"That's good." Hua Yizhen's expression was obviously relieved. "She has always been in good health. I was overthinking it."
Hua Zhi felt a sudden pang of sadness inexplicably. Although it was a marriage arranged by their parents and matchmakers, they had been together for decades and their blood had already blended together and were inseparable. A young couple will be companions in old age, and no amount of beauty can compare to that.
There was a knock on the door, Hua Pingyang strode over and opened the door, "Brother?"
Hua Pingyu curled his fingers, looking a little embarrassed, but he still stood up straight in front of his brother and said, "I want to tell Zhi'er a few words..."
Hua Yizheng knew his eldest son very well. He smiled when he heard his voice, winked at his granddaughter mischievously, and said loudly, "Come in."
Hua Zhi lowered her head and hid her smile. She had never realized that her father, who was full of literary air, was so simple, even cute.
Standing up and greeting, Hua Zhi made tea for her father. "I was planning to go and beat you later. Do you have a letter for mother?"
"Yes." Hua Pingyu took out the letter and felt that his reason was more than sufficient. He suppressed his embarrassment and said, "Take care of her. Tell her I'm fine and don't worry about me."
"yes."
He said he had something to say, but in fact, he could only say a few words. He didn't know how other fathers and daughters got along, but he felt that any words he said to his daughter were redundant.
His daughter is so capable. Zhier has done everything he could think of and even things he couldn't think of, and has prepared everything perfectly. She doesn't need him to give her any instructions at all.
But he also wanted to be close to his daughter.
Seeing his brother's uneasiness, Hua Pingyang took over the conversation considerately, "What is the overall situation at home now? Are you staying at home and not going out?"
"Yes, my grandmother also asked all the wives and concubines to cut off contact with their natal families."
Hua Yizheng nodded thoughtfully, "What's your suggestion?"
"Yes, this is good for everyone." Hua Zhi looked innocent, "And I only said that married daughters should cut off contact with their parents' home, but I didn't say that their parents' home couldn't contact them. It all depends on whether you mean it or not."
But there are not many caring people in the world, otherwise there wouldn't be so many sad people. Hua Yizheng asked again, "What is the recent trend in Beijing? Is anyone giving you trouble?"
"Everyone in the capital knows that the Queen Mother has saved us, and no one has risked offending us yet." But as long as the Queen Mother does not provide more help to the Hua family in the next period of time, this shocking effect will gradually disappear. Those who have a feud with the Hua family may not necessarily remain peaceful. Everyone in the room knows this very well.
Hua Zhi took a sip of the cold tea and continued, "It's just a stepping on the Hua family, and adding insult to injury. No one dares to kill the Hua family. It's one thing to anger the emperor and get mad at him, but if someone else wants to do something to the Hua family, the scholars in the world will not agree to it. The Hua family has been established for a hundred years, so it's not like they don't have this little blessing."
With checks and balances from all sides, the Hua family will always have a foothold.
"There have been no major changes in the capital. The eldest and third princes were both reprimanded by the emperor and have been confined to reflect on their mistakes for a month. Now they are back to court. The fourth prince turned out to be a blessing in disguise and was favored by the emperor, who often keeps him by his side."
Hua Yizheng was still able to remain calm, but Hua Pingyu's face was red with anger. Hua Pingyang, who had never been in the court, could not help but feel angry. "Our Hua family suffered such a disaster and was exiled to the north without knowing when they will return. The two princes who caused all this only had to reflect on their mistakes for a month?"
"What else do you think you can do?" Hua Yizheng said calmly, "Is the source of the information accurate?"
"Yes, almost everyone in Beijing knows about this." Her sources of information were Mr. Mu and Mr. Lu. Each of them had his own way of doing things. She knew about this earlier than most people, and she felt very upset, but so what? This was a monarchical society where people learned literary and martial arts and sold them to the imperial family.
"The Emperor must be dissatisfied with the First and Third Princes, otherwise he would not bring up the Fourth Prince to compete with them. Is he going to use the Fourth Prince as a whetstone?"
Hua Zhi did not agree with Fourth Uncle's argument. "I think the Fourth Prince may have joined the game on his own initiative. As a member of the Heavenly Family, he cannot refuse the temptation of that position. Even if he does not want to, someone will force him to do so. His brothers want his life, and if he does not fight for it, he will die."
"Be careful with your words." Hua Yizheng said lightly, but he didn't say she was wrong. In fact, he was very surprised. It was normal for a woman to know everything about the inner house. It was her nature to be bold and resolute, but she was so perceptive about the government...
"Don't talk about this with anyone casually."
"Yes, my granddaughter will talk about it here."
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