Power Up, Artist Yang!

Hearing this news of how withdrawn Bo Zhizhong had been with the shop, along with his distant behavior this morning, Yujia admitted that she felt like something was certainly off.

She really couldn't understand why Zhizhong was behaving so erratically. The last exchange they had before he started distancing himself was incredibly normal. It wasn't like they had a fight or anything of that sort. So, what really happened to him? Could exhaustion from being overworked really explain it?

Biting the inside of her cheek, Yujia thought about Zixu.

The past few months, hadn't Zixu also been overworked? He had been open in sharing his struggles with her, describing all kinds of new tasks his father had left him to handle. Except, despite all that, Zixu still maintained his usual warmth when around her, even when their time together was limited. Zhizhong, on the other hand… 

Thinking about it again, Yujia recalled the two polar opposite personalities Zhizhong and Zixu had. She knew essentially since she first met both of them that Zhizhong was like a child, while Zixu was much more m.a.t.u.r.e.

That probably explained a lot.

Regardless, Yujia planned to have a serious talk with Bo Zhizhong sometime later. A talk could sort things out, hopefully. Right now, she had the matters of a cloak to sew at hand, and worrying her mind over things she didn't have time to take care of wasn't in her top priorities.

After she made sure Gao Yi understood that the decorations absolutely had to be changed, and that he would take care of it all, she stored her purchases in the back storage room. Then, she went off to finish her shopping.

…

The old woman at the fabric store hadn't given bad advice to Yujia. When she went over to the shop that sold furs— run by a hunter and his family— on the opposite side of the capital, as the granny had advised, Yujia indeed found excellent quality furs at a good price.

She didn't know much about furs herself, though she could tell by the meticulous care the hunter put into his goods that they likely weren't poor in quality. Each one was well maintained and cleaned, allowing Yujia the relief of not having to deal with strong smells, blood, or any stains. 

Following the recommendation of that hunter, she also found herself a shop that sold goose down. Contrary to the fur, which she spent quite a decent amount of taels on, the goose down was at an insanely cheap price. She bought a large bag, more than enough to fill up the cloak, and it only took a few taels. It seemed like goose down truly wasn't a popular choice of stuffing in this time and age. In fact, the farmer who sold it to her was even surprised that someone that looked to be at her stature wanted to buy something that "only commoners used". 

At comments like these, Yujia merely smiled to herself.

Who cared about if something was for commoner or noble use, as long as it kept one warm during the chilliest winter days?

…

On her way back to Lingxin, carrying her newly bought supplies, Yujia came across a crowd. They were gathered around a notice, excitedly chattering amongst themselves. 

As Yujia passed through, she caught a few words.

So it seemed, after much battling with various nomadic groups in Xiyu— the Western Regions— the Xiang empire earned key victories in a chain of battles. 

Yujia had briefly heard about the news of her country, though she was never one to be too involved in politics. Xiyu were lands often fought over, especially because of all the valuable trade routes that crossed over there. The Xiang Empire had always held campaigns in attempts to secure political, military, and economical control over the region. Coupled with wars held against Northern Zhou— which had somewhat ended at a peace treaty a few years before Yujia transmigrated— the empire was never truly able to gain solid control in Xiyu.

But now, considering how the Xiang Empire was able to focus resources into the west, it seemed like they made some landslide victories. 

Passing by, Yujia heard one woman remark, "With the end of this war, my son will finally come home."

"Which division is your son fighting in?" another woman replied in a question.

"The one under General Wu, I heard. When I first heard about it, it was truly relieving news. Not that war can ever be relieving, but General Wu is one of the best at ensuring the least casualties, you know?"

"Yes, I did in fact hear about that! Isn't he also the one with the female lieutenant as an adopted daughter?"

"Certainly— I heard she also led a major victory. She's sure to be awarded a higher rank upon returning." 

At this gossip that she managed to catch, Yujia thought of Wu Yichen, her technical sister by blood which she had never met. She was the Second Miss of the Yang Family, before she changed her name after her adoptive father's. 

Ever since she heard Hui'er explain Wu Yichen's story the first time, Yujia was intrigued by this lieutenant sister of hers. It was even more interesting to hear from Yang Xiaoyi, the Fifth Miss, on her long-lasting friendship with the Second Miss. A woman in this day and age making a title and name for herself in the military was always admirable.

It would likely take months for the army to make a return. When they did, however, Yujia wondered if she would be able to see and perhaps meet Wu Yichen for herself. 

If she could, though, it was just another distant thought. 

Carrying her bag of goose down, Yujia smiled at the idea and went on her way. It was time to get home and start creating.