After Deng Yi bid farewell, he left with the Chu siblings.

Prince Zhongshan didn’t try to detain them further. He had the steward see them out and stood at the hall entrance supporting himself on Xiao Xun, watching them off. Even after their figures disappeared from view, he remained standing motionless.

“Father, was it a good view?” Xiao Xun asked with a smile.

Prince Zhongshan laughed and nodded. “Beautiful, captivating, truly excellent. If her mother was like her, I can understand why Chu Ling was so devoted.”

Xiao Xun hadn’t expected his father to make such an assessment. It sounded more than just joking. He glanced toward the gate—he didn’t find that girl captivating at all.

Prince Zhongshan shook his head again. “Such a pity.”

What was a pity now? Xiao Xun was even more puzzled.

“It’s a pity she doesn’t seem to like us,” Prince Zhongshan said with a smile, looking at Xiao Xun.

Xiao Xun smiled. “It’s all your son’s fault for capturing Miss Chu.”

Prince Zhongshan said, “If we hadn’t captured her, we’d have had no way to make her acquaintance. Even her dislike counts as a form of connection.”

From Father’s tone, he truly did want some connection with Miss Chu? Xiao Xun asked, “Father, were you truly enchanted by that Miss Chu?”

Prince Zhongshan laughed heartily, patted his shoulder, pushed hard to turn around, and said, “How long has it been since our manor had a joyous occasion? If you don’t marry soon, I’ll have to take another consort myself so everyone can enjoy a wedding banquet and have some excitement.”

Xiao Xun said “wonderful” with a smile, supporting his father as the two walked inside talking and laughing.

Whether that Miss Chu was unruly or arrogant, whether she deliberately provoked them—they, father and son, wouldn’t mind. So what? They were the ones who could control that young lady’s emotions and attitude, not the other way around.

Just like watching a small child rage—adults only found it amusing.

……

……

Chu Ke was very angry now.

“Are you satisfied now?” he shouted furiously. “Wasn’t causing trouble in the capital enough for you? You have to offend everyone along the entire journey?”

Chu Zhao paid no attention to his anger, didn’t even glance at him, and only said, “What do you know? Offending people isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

In her previous life, she hadn’t offended Xiao Xun, yet Xiao Xun still brought calamity upon her entire family.

Now she spoke disrespectfully, yet Prince Zhongshan didn’t do anything to her.

Ultimately, it wasn’t a matter of words or attitude, but a matter of capability and necessity.

Although she wished she could kill Xiao Xun and be done with it, she had come to change her fate, not to perish together with him.

If she killed Xiao Xun, Prince Zhongshan still had other sons. She couldn’t possibly kill all of Prince Zhongshan’s sons by herself.

She just needed to prevent Xiao Xun from becoming Emperor.

But that wasn’t something she could control either.

It would be a storm that engulfed many people, and in this storm, she was truly insignificant.

What she could do now was stay far away from Xiao Xun, and stay close to those who could control Xiao Xun—for instance, Deng Yi.

She glanced at Deng Yi walking behind them. Deng Yi was saying something to two guards, but the moment she looked over, Deng Yi immediately noticed, raised his eyes to look back. That sinister gaze instantly reminded her of memories from her previous life.

She forced out a smile and quickly withdrew her gaze.

……

……

Having come to this, unable to reach the border prefecture, Chu Zhao could only return to the capital first.

Chu Ke was in a terrible mood—eager to return home yet dreading the hardships of the journey. He had a belly full of complaints to hurl at Chu Zhao, but every time he opened his mouth, he was scolded by Chu Zhao instead. Moreover, Chu Zhao even wanted to hit him, and her maid A’Le was also flexing her fists eagerly. Chu Ke could only lie down furiously to sleep.

When night fell, the postal station became somewhat quieter than during the day, but people still came and went with their carriages from time to time.

After eating, Deng Yi stood in the corridor talking with his subordinates. He watched several carriages enter, their occupants enthusiastically greeting the postal station master before heading toward the rear courtyard stables. The station master walked over to Deng Yi with a smile and bowed. “Lord Deng, the carriages and horses you need for tomorrow are all prepared. Would you like to inspect them?”

Deng Yi nodded. The station master quickly led the way, taking him toward the rear courtyard.

As soon as he left, A’Le, who had been hiding around the corner, withdrew her gaze and ran swiftly toward the room.

“Miss,” she said in a low voice, “Lord Deng went to inspect the carriages and horses.”

Chu Zhao was brushing her hair before the mirror. She asked, “Who did he go with?”

“With the station master, of course,” A’Le said. “And his guards.”

What a strange question for Miss to ask.

Chu Zhao turned to explain to her, “Were there any other people, outsiders—for instance, from Prince Zhongshan’s manor?”

Prince Zhongshan’s manor? A’Le understood a bit. “Miss is worried that people from Prince Zhongshan’s manor will come to retaliate against you?”

Of course not. However, this was somewhat difficult to explain. Chu Zhao nodded. “Yes, so I’m worried whether they might be in private contact.”

A’Le nodded. “I understand.” She turned to leave.

“A’Le,” Chu Zhao quickly called her back. “Be careful. Don’t be discovered. Compared to getting things done, I care more about your safety.”

A’Le found this both amusing and heartwarming. “Don’t worry, Miss.” With that, she waved her hand and ran out with light steps.

Miss not only knew how to deceive people now, she also knew how to say such nice things.

Chu Zhao watched A’Le’s figure disappear beyond the doorway. Actually, she was only speculating. She had always believed that Deng Yi had no dealings with Prince Zhongshan’s manor. When Xiao Xun was chosen as Crown Prince, it was the Emperor’s decision, and Deng Yi was merely the executor. But encountering both Xiao Xun and Deng Yi here in succession—she always felt it was too coincidental.

Moreover, thinking back to how Deng Yi had dared to slap Xiao Xun’s face when he was already Emperor—

Why could he be so arrogant? And why did Xiao Xun endure such humiliation?

Could Xiao Xun becoming Emperor be related to Deng Yi?

So today when Deng Yi said he would go to Prince Zhongshan’s manor, she immediately insisted on going too, just to see if there was something between them. Moreover, when Prince Zhongshan wanted to send her and Chu Ke away—well, she didn’t know why, but instinctively she recognized that as sending them away so he could be alone with Deng Yi, so she immediately refused—

Perhaps she was overthinking it.

But given her current situation, she had to overthink things.

……

……

The postal station’s stables were even livelier than the front courtyard. There were more people tending the horses than there were horses themselves—after all, horses were the main force for traveling at postal stations.

Several carriages entered the stable, and the horses were led away.

“Lord Deng,” the station master stopped and said respectfully to Deng Yi, “Please inspect this carriage.”

Deng Yi walked to the front of the carriage. The driver standing beside it opened the carriage door, and the dim stable seemed to suddenly brighten.

Inside the carriage were piled several chests, now all open, their gold, silver, and jewels glittering dazzlingly under the torchlight.

“This is the Prince’s expression of gratitude to you,” the station master said softly.

Deng Yi examined and scrutinized them. Light and shadow intersected on his face in brightness and darkness, then the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

“Truly generous,” he said, looking at the station master. “Please convey to the Prince that I’m very satisfied. Many thanks.”