Chapter 82: Center of the Storm

The quarters where the Third Stewards lived were the same as those for the laborers, all located in the rear courtyard; the only difference was that the Third Stewards occupied two-person rooms situated slightly closer to the kitchen.

The ten Third Stewards were divided among five rooms.

The Steward Zhou whom Hua Changxi replaced had fallen ill and returned home to recuperate, leaving her belongings behind, and coincidentally, she had shared a room with Du Ruo.

Seeing Hua Changxi waiting outside the room with her bundle, Du Ruo could only step forward to open the door and tidy up Steward Zhou's things, moving them to her own side.

The work of a steward was naturally less arduous than that of the laborers; knowing that Hua Changxi had taken over Steward Zhou's position, everyone stood nearby watching the spectacle.

Everyone knew Hua Changxi was someone willing to use force, so no one dared to make any sarcastic remarks.

After spreading out her bedding and storing her bundle in the cabinet, Hua Changxi paused for a moment before stepping out to inspect the ten members under her command.

Upon reaching the canal bank, those ten individuals ignored her, seemingly engaging in a silent protest against her replacement of Steward Zhou.

Hua Changxi memorized the faces of the ten people, said nothing, and left.

The other stewards were all watching this side; seeing that she lacked support, they were all waiting to laugh at her misfortune.

"Sister Zhou is truly unlucky; she fell ill and immediately lost her steward position. When she returns and learns she has been replaced, I wonder how heartbroken she will be."

They dared not complain in front of Hua Changxi, but behind her back, the stewards had no qualms.

"This Hua Changxi is truly extraordinary; she actually managed to get Eunuch Jia to personally issue an order appointing her as a Third Steward."

"Extraordinary doesn't even begin to cover it. Think about it: since she entered the Labor Hall, first she was entangled with Eunuch Yu from the storeroom, then with Eunuch Lu, and now she has gone even further, having connections with Eunuch Jia himself. This young lady's methods are truly formidable."

"Du Ruo, Hua Changxi was previously under your command; what is her background exactly?"

"Hua Changxi speaks little and has never mentioned her family affairs, but presumably, she comes from an ordinary household; otherwise, why would she have come to work as a laborer?"

"I don't think she looks like an ordinary person at all. Did you know? The reason she was able to return from the Medicine Manor seems to be due to a direct order from Eunuch Jia. Would an ordinary person warrant such attention from Eunuch Jia?"

"Hua Changxi must have some powerful backing; it would be best for us not to provoke her."

On the other side, Hua Changxi returned to her new quarters and was organizing her things when she heard a knock at the door; thinking it was Du Ruo returning, she was surprised to find an eighteen or nineteen-year-old young lady entering instead.

"Greetings, Steward Hua; my name is Zhou Qiuyu."

Hua Changxi looked at the visitor, recognizing her as one of the ten members under her command, and smiled as she asked, "Do you need something from me?"

Zhou Qiuyu appeared somewhat nervous: "I just wanted to ask Steward Hua if there is anything you need me to do?"

Hua Changxi realized the other party was coming to show goodwill; after a moment of contemplation, noticing a bench in the room, she invited her to sit: "Tell me about the situation within our group."

Seeing that Hua Changxi was willing to ask her questions, the worry in Zhou Qiuyu's heart finally settled, and she immediately began introducing the circumstances of the other nine members.

"Rest assured, Steward Hua; the people in our group work very efficiently, do not like to cause trouble or stir up incidents, and are all very good people."

Hua Changxi looked at her: "I observe that you are quite united; why did you decide to come see me?"

Zhou Qiuyu paused for a moment, then straightened her posture and said: "I am united with everyone because they are good people; I came to see you because you are the steward, and as your subordinate, it is my duty to report the situation to you."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi raised her estimation of the person before her; most people cannot separate personal emotions from work, and mixing the two only turns simple matters into complex ones.

"You also bear the surname Zhou; are you related to the former Steward Zhou?"

Zhou Qiuyu replied: "...The former Steward Zhou was my aunt."

Hua Changxi raised an eyebrow: "I have taken over your aunt's position; shouldn't you be the one most resistant to me?"

Zhou Qiuyu shook her head: "Steward Hua, I hold no resentment toward you, because I know the decision to replace my aunt was not made by you; you were merely following orders."

Hua Changxi looked at her deeply: "You see things quite clearly."

Zhou Qiuyu looked at her: "Steward Hua, please do not believe the words of others. While my aunt treated everyone well previously, absolutely no one among us intends to disobey you because of it. We all cherish our positions, will work diligently, and will not cause you any trouble."

Hua Changxi smiled; this Zhou Qiuyu was truly a smart person. Compared to her, the words Du Ruo had spoken to her earlier really amounted to good intentions producing bad results.

"Very well, I understand."

"Go tell the others in the group to continue working exactly as they did before; as long as you complete the tasks assigned from above, I have no additional requirements."

Hearing Hua Changxi say this, joy appeared on Zhou Qiuyu's face: "Rest assured, Steward Hua; I will return immediately to inform the others to work hard."

Watching her leave, Hua Changxi thought to herself that smart people could be found everywhere; seeing that her new quarters were rather spacious and recalling that she needed to cultivate frequently, she prepared to go out and find a screen to use as a partition.

Du Ruo was not a bad person, but she lacked propriety in her conduct and dealings; Hua Changxi actually did not wish to have too much interaction with such a person.

After Hua Changxi left the Sixth Bureau, many people were watching Zhou Qiuyu.

"This Zhou Qiuyu does not seek justice for her aunt but instead curries favor with that Hua Changxi; she is truly an ungrateful wretch."

Listening to the not-so-quiet discussions of the crowd, Zhou Qiuyu kept her head down washing medicinal herbs and paid them no mind; on the contrary, when others in the group tried to speak up for her, she would stop them.

"Mouths belong to others; this is something we cannot control, but we can control our own hearts, ensuring our hearts are not influenced by the words of others."

"We know everyone feels unjustly treated on behalf of our aunt, but you have targeted the wrong person; Steward Hua has done nothing wrong, she is merely someone following orders."

"Our positions belong to us; if we become slack in our work due to dissatisfaction with Steward Hua, or if we cause incidents, once those above investigate, the ones who will lose their positions will only be us."

Some members of the same group expressed worry: "Qiuyu, what will we do when Steward Zhou returns?"

Zhou Qiuyu paused: "Those above have not ordered my aunt's dismissal; when she returns, at worst, she will become a laborer just like the rest of us."

"Steward Zhou is truly unlucky."

"Enough, stop complaining and get back to work."

Hua Changxi first went to the Internal Affairs Office to collect her monthly allowance for working at the Medicine Manor, then used that silver to purchase a simple second-hand screen at a shop near the Medical Bureau.

"Sister Changxi, is it really you? I just saw you and didn't dare to recognize you; when did you return?"

While carrying the screen back to her quarters, Hua Changxi encountered Yu Gui: "I just returned today."

Yu Gui approached, looked Hua Changxi up and down, and smiled: "It seems you are indeed as the rumors say, having lived very well at the Medicine Manor."

Hua Changxi asked: "Rumors?"

Yu Gui lowered his voice: "After the laborers returned from the Medicine Manor, my godfather wanted to continue cooperating with you on refining pills, but discovered you hadn't returned with them, so he sent someone to inquire and only then learned that you had caught the eye of a Grandmaster."

A look of realization appeared on Hua Changxi's face; seeing that there was no one around, she took the opportunity to probe: "Brother Yu, I find the atmosphere in the Labor Hall extremely tense; has something happened?"

Yu Gui said: "Sister, you are sharp enough." Then, glancing around, he lowered his voice further: "Someone within the palace has set their sights on the Labor Hall; everyone is trying to plant their own people here."

"Eunuch Sun of the First Department was killed simply because he blocked their path."

Hua Changxi was puzzled: "What is there about the Labor Hall worth the palace's attention?"

Yu Gui shook his head. "I don't know about that. All I know is that starting two months ago, around October, many nobles began placing people in the Medical Bureau. Even an Imperial Prince condescended to take a pharmacist from Second Street as his master."

After hearing this, Hua Changxi's eyes flickered.

Gu Jinfan was already in the Medical Bureau; now Imperial Princes and nobles were flooding in as well. Judging by the situation, the Medical Bureau was about to become the center of the storm.