Chu Zhao wasn’t actually surprised by Vice General Zhong’s words, but hearing them still left her with complicated feelings.
“That’s not my home,” she shook her head and said.
Vice General Zhong was sworn brothers with Chu Ling. Facing Chu Zhao, he scolded her from an elder’s position: “Nonsense! How is it not? Your grandfather and grandmother’s souls rest there, your uncle guards the family home.” He then looked at A’Le. “How are you attending to the miss? Why don’t you advise her?”
A’Le had been silent and reticent both in the capital and on the road, fearful of saying the wrong thing and embarrassing the miss. But facing Vice General Zhong, she wasn’t timid at all, confidently retorting: “When have I ever advised the miss?”
Vice General Zhong was momentarily speechless. Yes, this girl had always followed the miss’s lead, charging ahead at a single command. How would she advise?
“I’ll discipline you later,” he could only verbally threaten.
Chu Zhao said: “Uncle Zhong, that place is only the Chu family, not my home. Where there are loved ones, where Father is—that’s my home.”
Vice General Zhong looked at the girl’s reddened eyes, his heart unable to help feeling sad. If it weren’t absolutely necessary—
He suppressed the thought in his heart and advised Chu Zhao again: “The General knows about the incident with Miss Liang. He’s already written to Lord Liang and the Court of Judicial Review. It’s resolved. You don’t need to be afraid. Go home with peace of mind.”
“I’m not afraid of the Liang family,” Chu Zhao looked at Vice General Zhong, saying tearfully, “I just want to go back to see Father because he’s ill.”
Vice General Zhong’s face turned pale, his eyes sharp, his scarred face instantly fierce.
“Who in the capital has been spreading lies?” he demanded. Without waiting for Chu Zhao to answer, he immediately said, “Miss, don’t believe rumors. The General is perfectly fine.”
It wasn’t at all. She wasn’t the thirteen-year-old Chu Zhao. She was Chu Zhao who had experienced her father’s death and returned through rebirth.
According to her calculations, at this time, Father was already gravely ill.
Chu Zhao shook her head tearfully: “This isn’t a rumor. Uncle Zhong, how can you bear it? What if Father and I never see each other again?”
Vice General Zhong’s hands at his sides clenched into fists, his heart wavering. First because of Chu Zhao’s sorrow, and thinking of when Chu Zhao and the General would never see each other again—actually, the General had also considered it. After much deliberation, he still decided—as long as the miss could avoid being drawn into the whirlpool and live in peace and happiness, even if father and daughter never met again in this life, it was worth it.
Second were other thoughts. What the miss said wasn’t actually wrong—the General was indeed gravely ill.
What was going on? Had it already spread throughout the capital? Indeed, various factions were spying on the border commandery, but it shouldn’t be. The news wouldn’t leak.
Was the miss’s conflict with Miss Liang an accident or deliberate?
Was the miss being used to probe for information?
Also, the message said that those from the capital pursuing the miss were from the Court of Imperial Attendants, a low-ranking assistant surnamed Deng—but when it came to figures in the capital, who could say what was hidden behind them?
Thoughts in chaos, various conspiracies weighing on his mind, Vice General Zhong had no heart to care about the girl’s sorrow.
“A’Zhao, don’t be sad,” he said. “The General is fine. You’ll be fine when you return to the capital. After some time, the General will personally come to the capital to see you.”
With that, he moved to leave.
“The General has already written to Prince Zhongshan, entrusting him to send people to escort you to rendezvous with the Young Master and the others.”
Chu Zhao called out: “Father won’t come to see me at all. If I don’t go back now, I’ll never see him again—”
Before she could finish, Vice General Zhong turned back and grabbed her, covering her mouth.
“A’Zhao!” His eyes were sharp, scolding in a low voice. “If you insist on going back now, you might never see the General! Do you want the court to know he’s ill?”
Chu Zhao froze, standing still.
Vice General Zhong also regretted his words somewhat.
“I don’t know where the miss heard this rumor, but this rumor is forcing you to go back to visit the General. Once you actually go back, it will confirm the rumor.” He said through gritted teeth, “The General has guarded the border commandery for decades, bearing His Majesty’s great responsibility. He absolutely won’t allow the slightest unrest in the border commandery.”
Chu Zhao stood stunned, yet seemed to understand.
Father concealed news of his illness to avoid unrest in the border commandery—or not just the border commandery, but also the court and the realm. After all, the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Third Imperial Prince hadn’t happened suddenly. Undercurrents had been surging for a long time, such as the visible conflict between the Empress’s Yang clan and Noble Consort Zhao’s family.
Uncle Zhong’s words further confirmed her suspicions.
Originally, she thought Father was a disgraced, punished, and abandoned person. This identity made her looked down upon by other noble daughters in the capital. Her aunt complained in words and implications. After marrying Xiao Xun, she often blamed herself for her identity and family background, unable to help, only being a burden—she even resented her father’s improper conduct.
Before death, Noble Consort Liang said triumphantly, “Now, your father’s troops and horses all belong to our Liang clan. You’re useless now.”
Father had already been dead for nearly ten years then, yet Noble Consort Liang still mentioned him—
Now even Uncle Zhong said that news of Father’s illness would cause unrest in the border commandery.
Father was only a Guard General. In the border commandery, by seniority, Father had a commandery governor above him, four great generals—any random colonel could replace him. Whether he was there or not, what could cause unrest in the border commandery?
What great responsibility did Father bear?
Now Uncle Zhong’s words seemed to confirm that Father indeed wasn’t as ordinary in status as she thought—
Then, did Father really do that thing?
That thing which caused her, the Empress, to be cursed as an evil empress, which caused the Dongyang Xie clan to raise their banner in rebellion. In their slogan of “punishing wickedness and eliminating evil,” half of the wickedness and evil referred to her, this Chu clan member—
Seeing Chu Zhao in a daze, Vice General Zhong felt somewhat sympathetic: “A’Zhao, don’t worry. The General will be fine. Let me tell you some good news.”
Chu Zhao looked at him.
Vice General Zhong smiled gently and said in a low voice: “Once the General settles matters in the border commandery, he’ll resign his post and return to the capital to reunite with you, miss. From then on, you’ll never be separated again.”
Was this what Father originally planned?
Chu Zhao’s expression turned sorrowful, tears falling instantly.
But because she married Xiao Xun, and Xiao Xun became Emperor, for her sake and her husband’s, Father didn’t resign. He exhausted the last of his life in the border commandery?
If not for the matter between her and Xiao Xun, Father would have returned to the capital, lived peacefully in seclusion. Perhaps he would have lived several more years. The turmoil in Great Xia, the conflict between Xiao Xun and the Dongyang Xie clan—none of it would have concerned them.
“I don’t want ‘later,'” she grabbed Vice General Zhong’s arm. “I want to go back and see Father now. Uncle Zhong, I have many things, very important things to tell Father—”
They were talking in the hall. Zhang Gu and the other postal soldiers had gone out to avoid them. Xiao Xun and his people hadn’t entered either, standing in the courtyard waiting. But the inn wasn’t large, and their voices gradually rose. The people in the courtyard couldn’t help looking over.
Vice General Zhong saw the gazes from outside. He pressed down on Chu Zhao’s arm, scolding in a low voice: “Stop making a scene. You know the General’s temperament, don’t you? Once he makes a decision, no one can disobey. Don’t make things difficult for me. I won’t take you back.” He then called out, “A’Le.”
A’Le came forward somewhat nervously.
“Take good care of the miss,” Vice General Zhong said. “You’ve both grown up. You should act like adults.”
Saying this, he looked at Chu Zhao, speaking sternly, word by word.
“A’Zhao, you must believe the General is doing this for your own good.”
With that, he pushed away Chu Zhao’s hand. To avoid softening again, he turned and strode out.
A’Le muttered twice, quickly supporting Chu Zhao’s hand, feeling it ice cold.
Vice General Zhong came out and bowed to Xiao Xun: “This general greets Your Highness.”
Xiao Xun nodded.
General Zhong said: “Thank you, Prince and Your Highness, for looking after our miss. On behalf of the General, I thank the Prince.”
Xiao Xun said with a smile: “The General is too polite. Please rest assured, I will safely deliver Miss Chu to Young Master Chu. Tie Ying,” he turned to ask, “where are Young Master Chu and the others now?”
Tie Ying said: “They’ll arrive in another ten days.”
Xiao Xun said to General Zhong: “I’ll personally escort Miss Chu to rendezvous with Young Master Chu.”
General Zhong bowed again: “Many thanks, Your Highness.”
Things seemed irreversible now. Chu Zhao stood at the hall entrance, watching General Zhong talk with Xiao Xun, one bowing, the other amiable and kind, just like in her previous life—
Her eyes couldn’t help reddening.
“A’Jiu!” she suddenly shouted.
A’Jiu, who had been happily watching the excitement from the side, was startled. He immediately cursed inwardly—this little wretch was like a lingering ghost, dragging him into it again!
Indeed, following Chu Zhao’s shout, all eyes in the courtyard turned toward A’Jiu. General Zhong, not knowing who A’Jiu was, immediately located him by following everyone’s gazes.
General Zhong looked at this young man. Why was the miss calling his name? He was somewhat puzzled, but then immediately on guard.
This young man looked very dangerous.