Suffered hardship?

Zhong Changrong was stunned for a moment, thought it over, then nodded. That’s right—the young miss had indeed suffered hardship in the capital.

The dispute with Miss Liang—she must have been bullied and retaliated.

The young miss had made a fuss about returning to the border commandery, which showed how difficult her days in the capital had been.

And after he arrived in the capital, he heard the young miss had risen to fame, but upon inquiry, he learned this fame had come from resisting humiliation.

“The Third Prince bullied the young miss,” Zhong Changrong counted on his fingers. “Those scholars bullied the young miss. Even the Grand Master’s family all bullied the young miss.”

He pounded his hand heavily on the table.

The young miss had truly suffered great hardship.

“Last time I shouldn’t have stopped the young miss. I should have brought her back. Then the young miss wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

After saying this, Zhong Changrong looked at Chu Ling with some trepidation. Last time, not letting the young miss return was the General’s order—he wasn’t criticizing the General. Of course he knew the General had made that decision out of necessity.

General, don’t blame yourself.

Chu Ling showed no remorse, his expression thoughtful as he shook his head: “For A’Zhao, this hardship doesn’t count as hardship.”

He nodded again, looking toward Zhong Changrong.

“I understand now. This is why she absolutely had to return last time.”

What what? Zhong Changrong was confused. Did the General understand or not understand?

“What else did she say?” Chu Ling looked up and asked.

Zhong Changrong tried hard to remember, then shook his head. Time had been tight—he had only wanted to return quickly, then even more quickly bring people back to protect the young miss. The young miss hadn’t said much more to him.

“Is this matter bad for the young miss?” he asked. “His Majesty—was he harming the young miss and you?”

Zhong Changrong looked ahead: “Those kinds of days aren’t really good days. As for His Majesty—” He withdrew his gaze and looked toward Zhong Changrong. “His Majesty—”

Zhong Changrong quickly said: “His Majesty should still be thinking of you, General.” Speaking of this, he stepped back and knelt on one knee. “Before dying, His Majesty wanted to see the Fire Order fireworks. This subordinate lit two of them, violating military orders. I request the General’s punishment.”

Chu Ling’s expression was complex, his gaze distant. He smiled: “If I punish you now, when I see His Majesty in the future, His Majesty will surely be waiting to punish me. I won’t fall for that trap.”

These words made one want to laugh yet also felt inexplicably poignant. Zhong Changrong lifted his head and grinned: “Yes, His Majesty said if you punished me, he would punish you then.”

Chu Ling raised his hand to gesture: “Stand up. The Fire Order belonged to His Majesty to begin with. However he said to use it, that’s how it should be used.”

Zhong Changrong stood, saying in a low voice: “His Majesty was quite pitiable—”

“What’s pitiable about him? He’s not pitiable,” Chu Ling said flatly. “Today’s situation is the result of his own indulgence. He thinks himself pitiable because he doesn’t know the people’s suffering, doesn’t know what true pity in this world is. If we’re talking about pitiable, other people are pitiable. Everyone is pitiable. A’Zhao is even more pitiable.”

His hand clenched. The medicinal liquid in the teacup rippled.

He had devoted himself to having his A’Zhao avoid worldly troubles and live peacefully. He hadn’t expected her to be pulled into such a quagmire and abyss.

“Changrong, perhaps I truly was wrong. I shouldn’t have let her return to the capital.”

Zhong Changrong was somewhat at a loss, not knowing how to comfort him. He could only say: “A’Zhao was worried you’d think this way, which is why she urgently sent me back. She didn’t trust anyone else—she only wanted me to come back and see you.”

Chu Ling looked up at him: “She’s alone in the capital. At this time, surrounded by wolves—she’s alone—”

After asking this, he saw Zhong Changrong’s expression suddenly become somewhat awkward.

“She’s not exactly alone,” Zhong Changrong said. “That is, there are also her people.”

Chu Ling looked at him, as if not understanding.

“Mu Mianhong,” Zhong Changrong said, lowering his head as if not daring to look at Chu Ling’s face.

A period of silence in the room.

Chu Ling didn’t speak. Zhong Changrong didn’t dare not speak, saying in a low voice: “She said out of worry, she had several people follow to the capital. However, fortunately we had them this time. At that time outside the Chu family gate, Prince Zhongshan had set an ambush. When A’Zhao escaped with the Imperial Grandson, they killed the enemies and protected them. Otherwise, when I arrived, I would have been too late.”

Chu Ling set down the teacup and said: “You came back to tell me the news. Should you also inform her side?”

Zhong Changrong hung his head even lower. This big, rough man’s voice became awkward: “There aren’t many people left in the capital. No matter what, her people will certainly do their utmost to protect A’Zhao. So I said, let them stay in the capital, and I’ll relay the message for them—”

Chu Ling made an acknowledging sound: “Go then.”

Huh? Zhong Changrong lifted his head, somewhat incredulous.

Chu Ling’s expression was calm, but his eyes held a trace of ice.

“Go tell her that although A’Zhao has no mother, A’Zhao knows she is a child her mother exchanged her life for. She still has parental love. She is a happy child.”

“Since she has the heart to protect A’Zhao, then have her remember what should and shouldn’t be said.”

“If she harms my A’Zhao in the slightest, before I, Chu Ling, die, I will ensure not a blade of grass remains at Qingmu Stronghold.”

Zhong Changrong solemnly responded: “General, rest assured. I’ll go personally!”

Chu Ling acknowledged with a sound, unwilling to say more.

Zhong Changrong also sensibly didn’t continue, instead talking about A’Zhao to make the General happy: “Elder Brother, can your body still hold on? A’Zhao is so worried about you. She especially wants to come back and see you.”

Hearing his daughter’s name, the coldness in Chu Ling’s eyes dispersed and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: “Go back quickly and tell her I’ll be waiting for her to come see me.”

Zhong Changrong happily responded affirmatively. Regardless of truth or falsehood, if the General could have such determination, he could hold on a bit longer.

“Elder Brother, rest well. I’ll go tell them about matters in the capital,” he said.

Chu Ling nodded. He also wouldn’t force himself to keep up appearances. Zhong Changrong was about to go help him up when a report came from outside the door.

“General, dispatches from the capital have been delivered.”

Recently capital dispatches were naturally numerous, but although Chu Ling was stationed in Yunzhong Commandery, not everything needed to be reported to him. Zhong Changrong frowned: “Just deliver it to the officials in charge.”

The voice outside acknowledged, but the person hadn’t left: “The one delivering the dispatch says he wants to see the General.”

Zhong Changrong was even more annoyed: “See what? Can just anyone see the General?”

Outside came another acknowledgment, but still the person didn’t leave. Instead came a cough: “The person says he’s Vice General Zhong’s old acquaintance—”

Oh, that phrase sounded somewhat familiar. Zhong Changrong was stunned.

Chu Ling smiled: “Then let’s meet him.”

“I’ll go meet him,” Zhong Changrong said, somewhat irritated. “I wasn’t in the capital long, yet I don’t know how so many people claiming to know me popped up. All along the road they pestered endlessly, and now they’ve followed here!”

He walked over angrily in large strides, pulled open the door, and at a glance saw a person standing at the bottom of the steps.

This was a station soldier who looked very nervous. Hearing the door open, he was startled and lifted his head.

Zhong Changrong was stunned for a moment. This person—he seemed to have seen him but also seemed to have no impression—however, a station soldier with this appearance gave him a bad premonition.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Vice General Zhong, I am—” Zhang Gu said happily, stepping forward. He was about to say his name, but thinking no one would recognize it, he changed his words: “A’Jiu sent me.”

A’Jiu! As expected, it was him again!

The scar on Zhong Changrong’s face twitched: “You—what’s he doing now? Instead of properly guarding the capital, what’s he doing now?”

This Vice General was even fiercer than before. Zhang Gu was startled. He had followed A’Jiu’s instructions to directly mention A’Jiu and say he was looking for Vice General Zhong, but it seemed A’Jiu’s relationship with this Vice General Zhong was not only not good, but even worse—

He was just about to explain when a voice came from inside the door.

“A’Jiu?” The male voice was mellow, seeming to hold a smile. “Come in quickly.”