Episode 2 recap: Gu Yan Xi was ordered to lead the team to raid the Hua family.
Qi Ru Hai said that Gu Yan Xi had been managing the Northern Army for many years, and now he had a strong force under his command. He coveted the capital and plotted to seize the position of the heir. He also presented the secret correspondence between Gu Yan Xi and the rebels as evidence. After Gu Cheng Tao read the secret correspondence, he asked about the mastermind behind the private minting case. Qi Ru Hai said it was Gu Yan Xi. With a command from Gu Cheng Tao, Qi Ru Hai was unexpectedly beaten.
After Hua Zhi returned home, she was summoned by Lin Wan in front of the four madams. She was scolded for her lack of discipline since childhood and for sneaking out like a crow on New Year's Eve. She never read the rules for women and spent her days studying astrology and the ways of merchants, which made Lin Wan very dissatisfied. So she punished Hua Zhi to copy the rules for women a hundred times in the ancestral hall. The four madams handed the bronze crow to Hua Zhi, and Fourth Prince Hua Ping Yang even specially gave her food and knee pads.
They fought until dawn, until Qi Ru Hai took his last breath. Gu Cheng Tao lamented that there was no one reliable in the Seven Constellations Department anymore. Gu Yan Xi's handwriting was taught personally by him, so he could tell from the handwriting that Qi Ru Hai was framing Gu Yan Xi. Gu Yan Xi had been cherished by the late emperor and the empress dowager since childhood, and even Prince Hui Xian couldn't compare to him. In order to dispel Gu Cheng Tao's doubts, Gu Yan Xi disfigured his own face and picked up Qi Ru Hai's mask, saying that he was willing to leave the northern lands forever and join the Seven Constellations Department to serve Gu Cheng Tao.
Early in the morning, Gu Yan Xi, wearing a mask, led his men to raid the Hua family as ordered. The Empress Dowager granted amnesty and pardoned the women and children. The mansion was in chaos, and a maid bumped into Vice Commander Yuan Qi of the Seven Constellations Department. He drew his sword to kill her, but Gu Yan Xi intervened just in time.
Facing the changes in her family, Hua Zhi ran to the library to gather her own drawings and bronze artifacts. Gu Yan Xi discovered her and looked at her drawings. Unexpectedly, a drop of blood from his face fell onto the paper. Hua Zhi handed him a handkerchief to wipe the wound.
After raiding the Hua family, the Seven Constellations Department took away all the male members above the age of ten. The female relatives were allowed to leave on their own. Before they departed, Gu Yan Xi specifically left them two carriages and two horses.
The maids and servants scrambled to grab belongings for their survival. Third Madam brought an abacus and silver notes to sell herself as a servant. Second Madam searched for a longevity lock for her son. Fourth Madam caressed the kite given by Fourth Prince, tears streaming down her face. The main madam, as if lost soul, locked herself in an empty room. Hua Zhi returned to the library and took Hua Yi Zheng's manuscripts, instructing Ying Chun, Bao Xia, Fu Dong, and Mi Qiu, four maids, to tidy up the scattered books.
The main madam thought her husband had met with an accident and tried to hang herself. However, she couldn't even tie the knot properly. Hua Zhi scolded her, waking her up and urging her to live for herself, not always relying on others. Second Madam advised the main madam to think more about the children and not to act foolishly. One carriage was loaded with books, and the other carried the unmarried young ladies. Lin Wan led the other female relatives on foot. Although there were many onlookers mocking them, Lin Wan remained dignified and held her head high.
Shen Qi was excitedly counting the betrothal gifts at home, completely unaware of the events unfolding in the court. After Shen Zhong Xing returned home trembling, he threw the marriage contract into the brazier and warned Shen Qi never to mention the Hua family again. He ordered that anyone who dared to disclose a word about Shen Qi's engagement with Hua Zhi would be killed.
Before they reached the outskirts of the city, it started raining. Lin Wan led her family with dignity, leaving the city under the gaze of the onlookers. Shen Qi saw Hua Zhi in the crowd but couldn't bring himself to shout out. The residence outside the city was bestowed by the Empress Dowager and named Zihuang Residence. The old madam used to come here for summer retreats when she was young. However, due to being uninhabited for many years, cobwebs covered the place, which made the other madams reluctant.
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