The Xie family estate glowed with lamplight in the autumn night.

After bathing, Xie Yanfang sat indoors with his hair loose, wearing casual home clothes, looking at the documents before him. Behind him, silent maids gently dried his hair.

The room was filled with the fragrance of green tangerines.

The documents before him hadn’t been turned in a long time. As the lamplight flickered, Steward Cai hurried in.

“Young Master,” he said, “the Empress has left the capital.”

Xie Yanfang raised his head to glance at the sky outside. “Just as expected of her temperament—saying she’d go and leaving immediately.”

Steward Cai’s expression was complex. “I truly cannot understand this Miss Chu.”

She had kept her abilities hidden, risen suddenly like a dark horse, seized the position of Empress, ascended the throne alongside His Majesty and attended court with him. At such a young age, she played the role of Empress convincingly, even skillfully. Yet at the most critical moment, she suddenly abandoned everything in the capital to go see her father.

“What is she really thinking?”

Xie Yanfang said, “What she does is what she thinks. Miss Zhao has a pure and true heart.”

She neither concealed her depths nor was she naive. She simply did what she wanted to do, and what she did, she would certainly accomplish.

Just like him.

Xie Yanfang reached out to turn a page of the book, his gaze on the text as he continued speaking.

“Moreover, she didn’t leave in a moment of hot-headedness. She made preparations.”

She had held a banquet, letting the female relatives of the great aristocratic families see her, and had deliberately walked to the great hall to sit alongside the Emperor, making an even deeper impression on everyone.

What’s more—

Xie Yanfang smiled faintly.

“With me in the capital, she can go wherever she wishes.”

Steward Cai also smiled, adjusting the lamp on the desk to make it brighter. “Yes, with the Third Young Master as her support, what does she have to worry about?”

He paused at this point.

“Since Miss Chu isn’t in the palace, let’s have Seventh Madam go look after His Majesty.”

Xie Yanfang shook his head. “That won’t do.” Then he added, “It’s inappropriate.”

“How is it inappropriate?” Steward Cai was displeased. “She’s not in the palace now. A Yu is still young and has no more family in the palace. As his aunt, it’s perfectly reasonable for Seventh Madam to look after him.”

Xie Yanfang smiled and nodded. “To us it seems perfectly reasonable, but not to others.”

“What? Will Miss Chu say it’s not acceptable?” Steward Cai bristled, his voice cold. “When she was in the palace, we said nothing, raised no issues. Apart from you, no one from the family went to visit His Majesty. Going this far is already showing her enough respect. Now she’s left the palace of her own accord. She’s not in the palace—as His Majesty’s only family, can we not even look after him?”

Xie Yanfang looked at the angry old servant, knowing this wasn’t just Steward Cai’s anger but the accumulated frustration of the entire Dongyang Xie clan.

Since the incident, the clan elders had already tried to come to the capital three times—once when the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, and Late Emperor died, once when Xiao Yu ascended the throne, and once more a month after Xiao Yu’s enthronement—

All three times, he had stopped them.

Though the clan elders had complied, they were certainly dissatisfied.

“What did Grandfather write to you about this time?” He smiled. “Tell the old gentleman to speak to me directly. I’m not the type of unfilial descendant who doesn’t listen to his elders.”

Steward Cai snorted. “You listen to your elders? Every time, you make the elders listen to you. Who would dare speak to you anymore?”

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily. Before Steward Cai could speak again, he said first, “Grand Tutor Deng won’t agree to it.”

Steward Cai froze, then bristled again. “What right does he have to disagree!”

“By virtue of being the Grand Tutor, by virtue of being regent,” Xie Yanfang said leisurely. “The Grand Tutor flew into a rage over the Empress leaving precisely because her departure from the palace will cause him trouble.”

“That trouble is that we Xie clan will take the opportunity to dominate the inner palace.”

“We are A Yu’s maternal family, his only close relatives. But the Xiao Imperial Dynasty doesn’t have only us Xie as imperial relatives. Believe me or not, the moment we send someone in—no, at this very moment, Grand Tutor Deng is already selecting people.”

“Even if he can’t stop us from sending someone in, he certainly won’t let us have our way.”

Steward Cai slowly sat back down.

“If we send Seventh Aunt and Deng Yi also sends someone in, and others take the opportunity to fan the flames—what will the rear palace look like?”

“With so many people competing in the rear palace, it would be most disadvantageous for A Yu. He’s still small, just a child. We cannot afford even the slightest mishap.”

The anger in Steward Cai’s eyes dissipated, his expression becoming somewhat uneasy.

“What we need to do now is not compete with anyone for A Yu,” Xie Yanfang said softly. “But rather let A Yu grow up safely, come of age and assume personal rule. That will be enough.”

Steward Cai let out a long sigh and bowed to Xie Yanfang. “Young Master, this old servant was impulsive.”

Xie Yanfang smiled. “It’s because they’re family that we become impulsive. No blame, no blame.”

Steward Cai raised his head and snorted again. “See? Even when the Old Master writes to me, it’s useless. Don’t I still end up persuaded by you, Young Master, and listening to your words?”

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily. “Then what are you waiting for? Steward Cai, quickly go write a reply to Grandfather.”

Steward Cai smiled helplessly as he stood and walked out. At the door, he stopped and turned back to look at the young master seated inside.

“What are you looking at?” Du Qi, leaning against the wall with his long sword and eyes half-closed, said. “Old Cai, no matter how much you look, you won’t see as clearly as the Young Master.”

Steward Cai scoffed. “Not only do I not see as clearly as the Young Master, I don’t see as clearly as that Miss Chu either. With the Young Master here, she truly has nothing to worry about.”

That Miss Chu truly had good fortune to have the Young Master’s protection.

Steward Cai paused again. Or rather, to have the Young Master unable not to protect her. Lost in thought, the night outside grew somewhat noisy, the night wind carrying faint sounds of women’s laughter.

Steward Cai frowned. “Which courtyard is that? Making such a racket in the middle of the night?”

Du Qi remained with eyes half-closed, only moving his ears. “Who else but our Young Master Yanlai?”

Besides Miss Chu, there was also this Xie Yanlai who made the Young Master unable not to protect him. Steward Cai furrowed his brow—

Unlike other members of the Xie family who weren’t allowed to enter the palace, he followed the Third Young Master in and out and had personally witnessed how warmly the young Emperor treated Xie Yanlai.

The young Emperor had smiled broadly several times upon seeing Xie Yanlai, tilting his head up to call him uncle.

Who could have imagined the Xie family would gain another person the Emperor called uncle?

Of course he also knew why. At that critical moment, with Xie Yanlai defending the Imperial Palace appearing before the child’s eyes, for a child who had suddenly lost his parents like a bird separated from its flock, he was a lifeline, a towering tree. The child had latched onto him from that moment.

Miss Chu was the same.

Fate and destiny—these two unremarkable people had soared to the heavens in one leap.

And that Deng Yi too, who happened upon the Late Emperor going mad and trusting no one, tossing the burden of the entire nation onto this palace gate officer.

Steward Cai exhaled a long breath, his eyes growing cold and hard.

A person’s life isn’t built on luck alone. Let’s see how long these few people’s good fortune lasts.

Because of the national mourning, the nightly revelry of the Xie family’s deep mansion young masters was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the usually quiet area where Xie Yanlai resided was occasionally lively.

Xie Yanlai strode outward, surrounded by maids.

Someone held up tea. “Young Master Yanlai, have another sip of tea.”

Someone offered a piece of fruit. “Young Master Yanlai, have a bite of pear.”

Someone held up a brocade belt. “Young Master, change to this one instead—it’s newly made.”

Xie Yanlai refused nothing. He drank a sip of tea, held the pear in his hand eating it as he walked, and at the same time didn’t forget to extend both arms to let the maids change his belt—

Add to that the maids carrying lanterns all around, bustling and lively like a ball of flame, blocking the winding path through the Xie estate.

The young masters approaching from the opposite side of the path looked very displeased.

“Xie Yanlai,” the leader Xie Xiao called out. “In the middle of the night you—”

Before he could finish, Xie Yanlai looked at him and rebuked sharply, “How dare you! Is that any way to speak to me!”

Xie Xiao’s expression grew even uglier, his remaining words cut off.

But Xie Yanlai didn’t let him off, saying coldly, “Say it again properly!”

Xie Xiao’s face turned iron-blue as he squeezed out words from between his teeth: “Ninth Uncle.”

Xie Yanlai smiled faintly. “Good, my nephew.” As he spoke, his hand loosened and the half-eaten pear dropped, landing on his shoe. He looked down and frowned. “My shoe is dirty. Xie Xiao, wipe it for your uncle.”

Xie Xiao leaped up in fury. “Xie Yanlai, just because you’re riding high now doesn’t mean you can bully people—”

He didn’t finish leaping. Xie Yanlai kicked out, and the rest of his words became a shriek as Xie Xiao tumbled to the ground.

The young masters beside him were caught off guard, nearly getting struck themselves. Amid the chaos, they all shouted, “Xie Yanlai, what are you doing!”

Xie Yanlai walked toward them one step, two steps, a smile on his face, his form leisurely, but somehow the young men felt a piercing cold light—

This fellow had fought his way out of the Imperial Palace that night of chaos, his hands stained with who knows how much blood, probably more than even Xie Yanfang.

He had killed many people. Now he was Commander of the Imperial Palace Guards, with all the troops in the capital under his command—

Xie Yanlai lifted his foot to step on Xie Xiao, bending down with curved lips and phoenix eyes smiling. “What nonsense are you talking about? Even when I wasn’t riding high, I bullied people.”

With that, he twisted his foot, grinding it on Xie Xiao’s clothes, wiping his shoe clean, then withdrew his foot and stepped over him, striding away.

“Now that I’m riding high, of course I’ll bully people even more viciously!”

The maids passed by these young masters, continuing their chirping voices as they surrounded Xie Yanlai.

The young masters helped Xie Xiao up. Xie Xiao cursed in a string: “That scoundrel, that bastard, that rogue, that wretch—let’s see how long he stays pleased with himself!”

……

……

At the main gate, whether night watchmen or household guards, all bowed and stepped aside upon seeing Xie Yanlai, not daring to ask a single question.

The gatekeeper ran to open the door and lead out a horse. Seven or eight attendants gathered to wait upon him, while outside the gate twenty or thirty soldiers already stood at attention.

The maids watched Xie Yanlai mount his horse, reluctant to part. “Young Master, you can’t even rest this late at night.”

Xie Yanlai laughed heartily. “Rest? While I’m riding high, of course I’ll show off my power to the fullest!” With that, he cracked his whip and rode into the night streets.

Attendants and soldiers holding torches followed close behind, rolling like thunder. The entire street trembled, the tremors spreading through half the city—

Households sleeping deeply in the night were all awakened. Houses filled with commotion, some frightened, some angry, but when they glimpsed the identity of the person racing through the streets, they immediately fell quiet again.

“Ninth Young Master Xie.”

“Xie Yanfang’s younger brother.”

“That Xie Yanlai.”

“Now that the Yang and Zhao clans are gone, his family has the Emperor’s only uncle.”

“Two impressive figures from one family—”

“A few days ago, some official blocked this Ninth Master Xie’s path in the street, and Ninth Master Xie just struck him with his hand—”

The gatekeepers stood by their doors, feeling the ground tremble beneath their feet, their ears seeming to catch the whispered conversations in the night. They exchanged glances with helpless expressions. The Xie clan, whether in Dongyang or the capital, had never displayed such an arrogant attitude.

This Xie Yanlai—

But there was no help for it. The Third Young Master Xie had ordered that Xie Yanlai could act as he pleased, and no one was permitted to question or obstruct him.

So be it. Let him go. As long as the Third Young Master Xie was there, everything was under control.

The gatekeepers closed the door. Inside and out, the Xie estate fell silent.

……

……

Outside the city at the capital military camp, torches burned bright as flames, pushing back the night. Here people moved about and horses neighed, no different from daytime.

A group of military officers passed by. The soldiers they encountered all saluted. “General Zhang.”

Zhang Gu, wearing an officer’s armor, maintained a calm expression and kept his gaze straight ahead, walking directly into a barracks surrounded by his soldiers.

The barracks was spacious, brightly lit with lamps, furnished with desks and hung with maps. To one side were even food tables, cushions, and soft couches—truly heaven and earth compared to their courier soldiers’ huts.

The attendants who had been standing quietly and solemnly at the back seemed to unload a thousand pounds of burden as the door curtain dropped. They surged toward various parts of the room, touching this, examining that. Xin Ding even sat down at the food table, looking at what was on it in disbelief—

“In the middle of the night, there’s even roast pig’s head!”

A soldier squeezed over beside him, reaching out to take a knife and cut off a piece of meat, stuffing it in his mouth and wolfing it down. His voice was muffled. “Country bumpkin, showing your ignorance. As a general, forget having meat to eat at night—once the national mourning is over, there’ll even be wine to drink. When that time comes, as one of General Zhang’s personal attendants, you little rascal will get to have a sip too.”

Xin Ding was so excited he sat frozen, forgetting to eat the meat. What wonderful days these were! He clearly remembered that not long ago, he’d thought he was going to lose his head. Who would have imagined he’d be promoted instead—though he was still a soldier.

But as a personal guard to the Commander of the Courier Soldier Battalion, his status was completely different!

Zhang Gu watched all these people looking around and making a commotion throughout the room, clearing his throat lightly. “Everyone, be more composed.”

The soldiers all quieted down, though they weren’t afraid. They chuckled. “Boss, you’re really composed. All the way here, such an impressive bearing—more steady than the previous commander.”

Zhang Gu’s face reddened slightly. Of course it was an act. Under his armor, his legs had been shaking a bit. Sigh, he’d lived half his life already, originally thinking he’d continue this way until old age. When he could no longer run, he’d go to some mountain village or rural courier station to be a courier soldier. Who would have imagined he’d be promoted, taking charge of the capital’s courier soldier battalion?

This was all because—

“This is all because we had good luck meeting A Fu on the road—”

“Shh, don’t call her that. You have to address her as the Empress—”

“Keep your voice down. Don’t mention what happened before. It’s disrespectful to the Empress—”

The others had already started chattering away in a jumble of voices.

Zhang Gu came back to himself, smiled, then grew solemn again. Though they’d met by chance, A Fu valued them so highly—he would never let her down! Especially since this child had again—

“She’s acted willfully again. Last time she climbed over the wall from home. This time, even in the Imperial Palace, she still climbed over the wall and ran off.”

Earlier, A Jiu had stood before him, saying coldly.

“But unlike before, no need for trickery and deception. She has troops protecting her. No need to worry.”

No need to worry? Zhang Gu thought. Then A Jiu made him a commander.

“The courier soldier battalion is in your hands. You must personally control the flow of news about her along this route.”

A Jiu mounted his horse and turned it around, but the horse pawed the ground in the night as if unwilling to go, so the youth on horseback tossed down one more line.

“—If anything seems wrong, tell me immediately.”

Having said this, the youth spurred his horse and departed, disappearing into the night.

Zhang Gu sighed softly. A Fu had once again fled the capital and set out on the road to the border commandery. But this time, A Fu was no longer just A Fu, and A Jiu was no longer a courier soldier. Even with their worries, they could no longer accompany each other.

These two had met and formed a bond on the road, but they could no longer travel the road together. How pitiful.

He would certainly guard A Fu well, so that these two who cared for each other—even if they couldn’t end up together, would both live well in this world, able to see each other, able to remain connected.

Zhang Gu’s heart surged with emotion. He took a deep breath and called out solemnly, “Everyone, stay alert! This is a critical time. The courier dispatches cannot have the slightest error!”

Sure enough, with promotion came a different bearing. The attendants scattered throughout the room straightened their bodies and responded in unison.

The night reached its deepest point. Standing on the capital’s city wall, looking out into the distance revealed pitch darkness, heaven and earth seeming to merge into one, murky and indistinct.

Wind stirred the cloak, making it billow behind, occasionally striking against the person, as if trying to wake the youth who had stood motionless for so long.

Xie Yanlai gazed at the dense night in the distance, unmoving.

Would it work?

Before, when she was nothing, she’d been pursued and intercepted on all sides.

Now she’d become Empress, made an enemy of Prince Zhongshan, and played clever games maneuvering between Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang—instead of staying obediently in the Imperial Palace, she’d run out again. Wasn’t this giving people an opportunity?

Didn’t she know her luck had always been bad?

Otherwise she wouldn’t have met him at that time, recognized at a single glance, all her efforts wasted.

Otherwise, she would already be at her father’s side now, with no need to maneuver and worry, free and happy.