Chu Zhao looked at the young man running in, feeling quite emotional.

Uncle Chu Lan had one wife and two concubines, who had borne him three sons and one daughter—far more flourishing than Father’s branch of the family.

But before she died, Uncle’s entire family had already been decimated—some dead, some injured, utterly scattered.

Eldest Cousin Chu Ke was the first to die.

Uncle desperately wanted to become an official and enter government service, but because he was (as he saw it) implicated by Father and couldn’t, so after Xiao Xun became Emperor, he immediately had his eldest son enter service. But not knowing who instigated it, instead of accepting a stable Hanlin Academy position, he sent his eldest son to an outer prefecture to build his reputation. The result was that he became embroiled in a major disaster relief corruption case.

Uncle begged Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun helplessly said that Chu Ke was the Empress’s elder brother—if he let this pass, the people’s anger would be impossible to quell.

In the end, to calm public sentiment, Chu Ke was thrown into prison. The claim was he would stay a few years, and once the storm blew over, he would be released.

But Chu Ke, pampered and indulged since childhood, had never suffered such hardship. He fell ill and never recovered, dying in prison.

Uncle’s family hated her to death, saying she was stepping on her relatives to become a virtuous Empress.

But how could she be a virtuous Empress? The court and common people still mocked her, saying that if not for the Empress’s tyrannical power, how would Chu Ke have dared to act so boldly?

The only one who gained a reputation for virtue was Xiao Xun. Especially in stark contrast to the arrogant and power-grabbing maternal relatives during the previous Emperor’s time, he was immediately hailed as enlightened by the masses, which also caused the rebelling Xie clan to suffer defeat after defeat.

Uncle’s family hated her, and she resented Uncle’s family for causing her trouble. From then on, she was determined to truly be a virtuous Empress and simply didn’t allow them to enter government service. She had Uncle go to the provinces to open an academy and made their entire family leave the capital.

Later, Uncle used the academy as a front to seize many fields, becoming enormously wealthy. The two cousins socialized widely, drinking and making merry all day long. Cousin had married, but was then divorced because she relied on being the Empress’s elder sister to act arrogantly and disrespect her parents-in-law—

All this was news brought by noble ladies during their audiences. She was both ashamed and angry, telling Xiao Xun not to let local officials indulge Uncle’s family.

Later, she heard that Uncle had fallen ill, and that the two cousins had actually fought with weapons over the family property, resulting in one death and one injury. The younger cousin who had injured someone fled, and Uncle’s condition worsened from the stress until he died of anger.

Later still, she saw her cousin.

Cousin Chu Tang was brought into the palace by a noble lady. Although the family had been at odds, she was ultimately the only remaining relative, so being able to see her again still made her very happy.

But before she could express her joy, Chu Tang grabbed her throat, saying she had caused the death of the entire family and would fight her to the death.

“If not for my father, how could you have married Xiao Xun? How could it be your turn to become Empress?” Chu Tang, looking aged like someone in her forties, shouted like a madwoman. “Why do you enjoy wealth and honor while we suffer fates worse than death?”

She was strangled unconscious. When she woke, Chu Tang had already been killed by the Imperial Guards for treason.

She had suffered a terrible fright, and a few days later miscarried again. This was the second time she had lost a child. Heartbroken, she hated Chu Tang to death and never thought carefully about Chu Tang’s crazed words again.

Chu Tang loved vanity and had once secretly expressed her admiration to Xiao Xun, so she must have been jealous of her becoming Empress.

Having died once and lived again, looking back, she always felt many things weren’t quite right. What she had once thought was a clear life was like being covered with a veil. She had lived in confusion and died in confusion.

Chu Ke was just as she remembered—the moment he opened his mouth, he was hateful. Uncle’s family had three sons and one daughter. Because they hadn’t grown up together, there was no affection, and because they had heard so much about her father since childhood, they all resented her father, were at odds with her, and bullied and mocked her.

Having grown up in the border prefecture, hearing so many complaints about Father for the first time, and from relatives no less, she had been both shocked and at a loss. Combined with being looked down upon by the capital’s young ladies who mocked her crude speech and behavior, she inevitably became dissatisfied with Father as well. So she swallowed her anger at the cousins’ bullying and tried every means to please them.

That was impossible now, of course.

“What am I being audacious about?” Chu Zhao said coldly. “How is going to visit my own father being audacious? That’s filial piety moving heaven! You’re supposed to be a scholar—don’t you even know about loyalty and filial piety?”

Chu Ke was stunned speechless. This dead girl actually dared to talk back to him? In the past, didn’t she always keep her head down without making a sound?

“You’re lecturing me?” He became even more furious. “Chu Zhao, all these things you’ve done—”

“I know what I’ve done myself. You don’t need to repeat it,” Chu Zhao interrupted him. “Aren’t you tired? If you’re not tired, let’s set out to return to the capital.” She frowned at him. “Why did you come so slowly?”

Chu Ke nearly choked on his own breath.

“You, you—” He pointed at Chu Zhao. She still had the nerve to blame him for coming slowly? “You even know to ask if I’m tired? I nearly died on the road, all right? If I had died, it would have been because of you.”

He did indeed die because of her, but—Chu Zhao’s expression darkened. “That’s because you’re useless. I walked the same road—why was I fine?”

Chu Ke was rebuked again and couldn’t help but size up this cousin. How had this cousin become so fierce?

“What’s already happened, don’t talk about it,” Chu Zhao said, looking at him. “If you’re tired, go rest and eat. Then we’ll return to the capital. Whatever needs to be said, we’ll say it when we get home. Making a scene here will only let outsiders laugh at us.”

Chu Ke snorted. “You still know that others will laugh at us? Let me tell you, we’ve long been the laughingstock of the capital—no, with all your antics on the road, we’ve become the laughingstock of the entire realm.” As he walked into the main hall, he complained again, “Why did you come to the postal station? Wasn’t it Prince Zhongshan who brought you here? Why didn’t you go to the Prince’s manor?”

“Men and women should maintain proper distance,” Chu Zhao said casually. “Going to the Prince’s manor with His Highness would damage my reputation.”

Chu Ke nearly tripped over the threshold. Why did everything Chu Zhao said today sound so bizarre?

“Are you all right?” He looked Chu Zhao over. “What nonsense are you talking?”

Worried about damaging her reputation by traveling with Prince Zhongshan? Good heavens, being able to have any connection with His Highness was Chu Zhao’s enormous good fortune!

Chu Zhao said coldly, “This is what my father said—he told me not to associate with the Prince’s manor. You shouldn’t go either.”

Chu Ke had no great respect for this uncle and didn’t feel his words had to be obeyed.

“Your father should avoid such things since he’s under suspicion, so as not to cause trouble for others,” he said mockingly. “But I’m different from you. Besides, Lord Deng and I owe our lives to Prince Zhongshan’s assistance. Not going to express our thanks would be truly inhuman.”

Chu Zhao was angry. Everyone said her father was guilty. Before she became Empress, they said her father was guilty. After she became Empress, her father was still guilty.

But Father had clearly endured hardship guarding the border prefecture for over a decade. The border where Father was stationed was solid as rock, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and there wasn’t even a single bandit to be seen.

After Xiao Xun ascended the throne, Father dragged his ailing body to guard the border prefecture and repelled the Western Liang people’s opportunistic attacks.

Father personally led troops to meet the Western Liang King’s forces. After the great battle was won, everyone discovered that Father had already died.

Uncle Zhong said that Father sat upright on his horse, gripping his long blade in his hand, and even several people working together with all their strength couldn’t pry it from his grasp.

The Xie clan cursing Father was understandable—after all, Father was loyal to Xiao Xun.

The court also cursed Father, saying he harbored wolfish ambitions, insisting that her position as Empress was forced upon Xiao Xun by Father.

It was she herself who wanted to marry Xiao Xun. It was Xiao Xun who wanted to marry her. When they married, Xiao Xun wasn’t even Emperor yet—he wasn’t even Crown Prince!

“What nonsense are you spouting!” Chu Zhao could no longer contain her anger and kicked at Chu Ke. “If my father were truly guilty, you all would have long been implicated and thrown in prison, exiled to hard labor! Would you still be able to read books? Still be called Young Master? Still be able to shout at me?”

Chu Ke hadn’t expected she would actually strike him—kick him—and this girl had tremendous strength. His exhausted, weak legs felt like they were breaking.

He cried out and grabbed the doorframe to avoid falling.

“What madness has possessed you!” he shouted furiously. “You’ve become addicted to hitting people!”

As the siblings fought, a cough came from behind them.

“Young Master Chu, why don’t you two continue your family reunion while I go pay my respects to Prince Zhongshan first?”

Chu Ke immediately suppressed his anger, supported himself on the doorframe, and turned around with elegant grace. “Lord Deng, my apologies for the spectacle. No matter, no matter—I’ll of course go together to thank Prince Zhongshan.”

Chu Zhao also looked over. The anger on her face vanished, replaced by shock.

“Deng Yi?” she asked in astonishment. “Why are you here too?”