The feast was just talk. Xie Yanlai curled his lip and stood up. How could there be any feast at a time like this?

“Why not at this time?” Chu Zhao pulled off the cloak and pointed toward the city ahead. “Prince Zhongshan has bowed his head in confession. The great army should celebrate. This palace, as Empress, will hold a feast in the open fields under the full sky. Who would dare say no?”

Xie Yanlai looked at the girl holding the cloak with her head held high and chest out. Although he knew from their first meeting that this girl was not to be trifled with, every time they met again there were new changes. She became increasingly—dazzling.

That’s right, she was the Empress. She had made Prince Zhongshan bow his head. No one could oppose her holding a feast.

Xie Yanlai also looked toward the city ahead: “The Empress has achieved great victory and can hold a feast, but this subject’s feast should wait a bit longer. After the King of Xi Liang is defeated, it won’t be too late to bestow it then.”

“A feast isn’t necessarily a reward,” Chu Zhao said. “It can be encouragement. After eating this feast, Captain Xie will achieve great merit.”

Xie Yanlai laughed twice: “Forget it. I can achieve greater merit by returning quickly, lest your Uncle Zhong gets confused and is persuaded by someone to advance rashly—then I won’t need to eat any feast at all.”

Chu Zhao muttered: “I knew that if I woke you, you’d definitely leave immediately.”

So when he fell asleep from exhaustion, she’d rather let him sleep on the ground than wake him to sleep in a warm, soft bed in the tent, because she knew that once awake, he wouldn’t be willing to sleep.

He had rushed here urgently to see her, and would also leave immediately in a hurry.

Xie Yanlai didn’t hear clearly and looked down to ask: “What did you say?”

Chu Zhao smiled: “I didn’t say anything.”

“Definitely nothing good.” Xie Yanlai scoffed.

Chu Zhao smiled: “I know the border army can’t do without you. You worried about me and rushed here to see me. I’m fine, rest assured.” As she spoke, she took out two letters.

“Before you came, I had already written letters to you and Uncle Zhong. Now that you’re here, I don’t need to have someone specially deliver them.”

Xie Yanlai made a sound and reached out to grab one: “Mine isn’t necessary, is it? Just tell me whatever you want to say now.”

Chu Zhao pressed them into his hand: “I’ve already written it, so I’m too lazy to say it again. Read it yourself.”

Xie Yanlai didn’t try to return it but put it away, then corrected her: “It’s not that I was worried about you—it was Zhong Changrong. He forced me to come.”

Chu Zhao walked forward holding the cloak, nodding: “I know, I know.”

What did she know with that attitude? So perfunctory. Xie Yanlai followed her to explain: “Your situation here is of great importance. Do you know that your life and death relates to our life and death? You—”

He didn’t finish speaking before Chu Zhao called out loudly for A’Le.

As her voice fell, A’Le came running from the nearest campfire, carrying a food box. She stopped before Chu Zhao and opened it. Chu Zhao lifted out a covered bowl.

“Captain Xie,” she said. “You don’t need to say more, I understand everything. Please drink this bowl of spirit-nourishing, qi-supplementing soup and return with my heartfelt wishes.”

Xie Yanlai glanced at her and reached out to take it, about to drain it in one gulp—

“It’s scalding!” Xie Yanlai nearly bit off his tongue. “Chu Zhao, are you doing this on purpose?”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily, standing on tiptoe and reaching up to fan him: “No, no.”

A’Le pursed her lips and said: “We didn’t know when you’d wake up, so we kept it simmering. We didn’t dare let it get cold. This is for your own good.”

“You master and servant are just ill-intentioned,” Xie Yanlai raised an eyebrow. “First you nearly choked me to death with big medicinal pills, then nearly killed me with bitter medicine, and now you want to scald me to death.”

As he spoke, he slowly drank all the soup.

Chu Zhao took out two more pastries from the food box and held them up to him: “Apricot blossom cakes—the specialty of Prince Zhongshan’s residence cook. When I was confined there, I ate so many. You can’t get these at the border regions. Quickly taste something fresh.”

Despite his humble origins, Xie Yanlai was a descendant of the Xie family, Xie Yanfang’s younger brother. The Xie clan wouldn’t shortchange him in food and drink. He surely lived in fine clothes and ate fine food, and she had personally seen the maids in the Xie household treasuring him like a jewel.

The night concealed the weathering and roughness on the young man’s face.

Xie Yanlai looked at the pastries held almost to his mouth and was impressed. He reached out to snatch them: “While I was asleep, you prepared all this food and drink.”

Chu Zhao smiled: “There wasn’t much else to do.”

Xie Yanlai swallowed the apricot blossom cakes in a few bites: “Then I’m leaving.”

Chu Zhao made a sound.

Xie Yanlai set down the foot he hadn’t yet lifted and asked impatiently: “What now?”

Chu Zhao looked at him and took out a paper package from the food box: “These are wrapped pastries to eat on the road.”

Xie Yanlai rolled his eyes. Really impressive. He raised his hand to grab them and stuffed them into his front garment, then lifted his foot to step forward.

“You and Uncle Zhong should also be careful,” Chu Zhao said, following him a couple steps with this reminder.

Xie Yanlai turned back with a smile: “Your Majesty the Empress, those words aren’t right. You yourself are fearless, yet you want us to greedily cling to life and fear death?”

Chu Zhao smiled: “I’m fearless also to stay alive. Everyone staying alive—how wonderful.”

Xie Yanlai laughed twice, turned, and strode forward again.

Chu Zhao watched him go, feeling she should say something but having nothing to say. Then she saw Xie Yanlai walk a few steps before turning back and beckoning to her.

Chu Zhao quickly ran over.

“What is it?” she asked happily.

In the night, the girl’s smile made her eyes shine brightly, like stars fallen to earth. Xie Yanlai looked away, feeling somewhat amused.

“What are you so happy about?” he muttered.

“Hurry up and tell me,” Chu Zhao urged. “What do you want? People? Weapons? Any trouble? People? I’m the Empress now. If there’s someone you can’t handle, I’ll deal with them.”

Xie Yanlai laughed heartily. This girl—when she was nothing at all, she still dared to beat this one and scold that one. Now that she’d become Empress, she was even more imposing, wasn’t she? Just listen to that tone—

“You’re so formidable, why is talking with her so difficult for you?” he said.

Chu Zhao was stunned. Her? Who?

Xie Yanlai looked at her: “Mu Mianhong.”

Oh, her. Chu Zhao made a sound and turned to look to the side. Things were fine—why bring her up?

“Where’s the difficulty?” she said. “When you interrupted us, she and I were talking quite well.”

Xie Yanlai scoffed.

Chu Zhao lowered her head and sighed: “I’m not finding it difficult. I wasn’t thinking anything. Everyone is just, well, a bit unfamiliar.”

Never having had a mother, then suddenly a mother appeared. The mother and daughter separated for such reasons. That she could now speak with Mu Mianhong at all was already very difficult. Xie Yanlai’s gaze softened somewhat.

He turned his head and cleared his throat lightly: “So what if you’re unfamiliar? Aren’t you best at dealing with all kinds of different people?”

Chu Zhao smiled again: “How am I good at that?”

Xie Yanlai pointed at himself: “Someone like me, and your cousin, and those messy men and women in the capital—you fought fiercely with them before, but now haven’t you charmed them all?”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily, tilting her head to look at him: “I’m really that formidable? So A’Jiu, you’ve also been charmed by me?”

Xie Yanlai spat: “You just keep being unreasonable with me.” Having said this, he strode away.

Chu Zhao quickly caught up with him, circling around to stand before him. She smiled: “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have teased Young Master A’Jiu.” Then she put away her smile and said seriously, “I understand what you mean. I do somewhat not know how to face her, and don’t really want to face her—”

She shook her head with a self-mocking smile.

“But I also can’t do without her.”

“When I was small, she gave up my life, but now, my life was saved by her.”

“Should I kneel and thank her for saving my life, or should I be confident that this is what she owes me?”

“If I thank her, I feel somewhat resentful in my heart.”

“If I resent her, I have no right to.”

“What’s even more ridiculous is that now when I face her, I can’t say, ‘Leave, I don’t want to see you,’ because I need her. I still have to use her.”

“It looks like she has no right to say she wants to see me, but actually it’s me—I have no right to say I won’t see her.”

“Should I disdain her as a mother, or be grateful to have such a mother?”

“How should I face her? With joy? With resentment? Or with exploitation?”

As she spoke, tears slid down. She lowered her head.

Xie Yanlai reached out his hand. He wanted to pat this girl’s head, but as his hand extended, it unconsciously fell on her shoulder. He pulled hard, gathering her into his embrace.

If she needed to cry, let her cry before him. Blocked from view, no one would see.