Chu Zhao stood atop Yuxiu Pavilion. A gust of wind came, and flower petals scattered all over her.

“Time passes so quickly,” she said, reaching out to catch falling petals. “Spring goes and spring comes again.”

Since returning to the capital last spring, she’d been busy yet somehow leisurely. In the blink of an eye, another year had passed.

“Is Uncle doing well at the academy?” she turned her head to ask.

Chu Tang stood behind her, playing with a parrot that A’Le held up, and nodded with a smile. “Very well. A letter just came saying that since spring began this year, many more students have come to study at the academy. My father is very satisfied, and my mother is very satisfied too.”

Chu Lan was satisfied because there were many students and great prestige. Mother Chu was satisfied because with many students came many tuition fees. Moreover, the academy had expanded somewhat and acquired a plot of land—

Long ago, Chu Lan had wanted to acquire that land. He’d asked through many connections, but how would the local government pay him any attention?

Now Chu Lan didn’t need to speak. With just a hint, the local government immediately delivered the land deed to his door.

Saying this, Chu Tang felt somewhat uneasy and added, “If it’s inappropriate, I’ll have Father return it.”

In that previous life, Chu Lan had done the same—occupying much farmland, stirring up public resentment, his reputation in ruins. Chu Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, “Keeping this land is not impossible, but Uncle must teach a hundred students for free.”

Chu Tang was stunned, then immediately understood. “Have Father use the income from this land to teach and impart knowledge.”

Teaching students for free meant not requiring tuition, with all food, drink, and necessities borne by the academy. This was no small expense.

Chu Zhao nodded. “Taking from the people and using it for the people—wouldn’t Uncle have even greater prestige?”

Chu Tang laughed helplessly. Father would be willing—he didn’t manage the household and didn’t know the cost of daily necessities. Mother would definitely be unwilling. Calculated this way, acquiring this land would mean losing money. But that was good—this way it could restrain Mother and Father’s greed.

“I know Uncle and Aunt want many things. After all, I’m the Empress,” Chu Zhao said with a smile. “But because I’m the Empress, I want even more. I want Uncle to become a great Confucian scholar, teaching and imparting knowledge. I want Aunt to be virtuous, benevolent, compassionate, and helping the people. I want my three cousins to become my support, charging into battle for me. I want my relatives all to bring glory to me as Empress—tell Uncle and Aunt these words.”

Chu Tang nodded with a smile, yet helplessly said, “Your words will frighten Father and Mother again. After fleeing the capital, they’ve only just settled down.”

Last year, Chu Lan, with the status of a meritorious official who’d captured Prince Zhongshan’s heir Xiao Xun, returned to the capital with His Majesty. Afterward, the court deliberated on rewards. Chu Lan entered the Hanlin Academy, Jiang Shi was enfeoffed as National Lady, and Chu Tang was enfeoffed as a princess of commandery rank.

However, after Chu Zhao returned to the capital, she suggested that Chu Lan refuse the official position and leave the capital to continue teaching at the academy.

At that time, Chu Lan had just brought back Chu Ke, who’d been sheltering at the academy, along with his two other sons and two concubines. The whole family was prepared to share in wealth and prosperity together.

When Chu Zhao said this, Chu Lan immediately wanted to rush to the imperial palace to reason with her.

“Come then,” Chu Zhao had A’Le relay the message. “Others don’t know what you’ve done, but does His Majesty know or not? How did this merit reward come about? Others may not know, but are you clear in your heart or not?”

Chu Lan was doused with a basin of cold water. His anger completely extinguished, he sighed and pleaded for mercy. “No matter what, we’re family. Can’t this matter be let go?”

“It can be let go,” A’Le conveyed Chu Zhao’s words, her face beaming with a bright smile, even reaching out to support Jiang Shi. “After this incident, the young mistress has also realized that the Grand Master and Grand Madam are her relatives. Everyone is family. Some things are most suitable and best when you do them. Look at this time—in front of the world, we’ve cleared our old affair with Prince Zhongshan. In the future there will be many more matters requiring Master and Madam to step forward and help—”

In the future?

Still need to help?

The Chu Lan couple knew very clearly how they’d cleared things this time. Was that helping? That was risking their lives!

And when Chu Tang visited Chu Zhao in the palace and returned, she was completely lost, muttering, “I was truly too foolish” and “I was truly in such danger.”

The Chu Lan couple were startled and asked what had happened. Chu Tang told them that the matter of capturing Xiao Xun was indeed arranged by Chu Zhao, but when she’d curiously asked what the plan had been after the capture, Chu Zhao had frankly admitted there was no plan—it was just taking a chance.

“If we’re lucky, we win. If we’re not lucky, it’s nothing—we’ll just all die together.”

So they really could have died.

So this was gambling.

The Chu Lan couple broke out in a cold sweat.

“Don’t worry. Master and Madam have been enfeoffed. In the future you’ll need to remain at home. Have all the young masters returned? In the future, when there are matters, just have them do it.” A’Le said with a beaming smile.

The young masters! She wanted to send his sons to their deaths!

If their sons died, how could they as parents continue living!

“I’ve seen through it all. Chu Zhao is simply ruthless and cold-blooded. Can’t rely on her,” Chu Lan said to Jiang Shi. “Second Brother is gone, her family background is thin. To secure her position as Empress, she can only rely on us—rely on us to exert effort, shed blood, and sacrifice our lives for her.”

Understanding this principle, Chu Lan no longer hesitated and immediately took his whole family to leave the capital for the academy. Chu Tang argued that the family couldn’t all leave—she was just a daughter, so she’d remain in the capital to avoid truly angering Chu Zhao.

After arriving at Qiaoshan Academy, Chu Lan breathed a sigh of relief. Not only could he stay far from Chu Zhao and the Emperor, he could also enjoy treatment he couldn’t enjoy in the capital. Both the local prominent families and officials treated him with utmost respect, knowing he was the Empress’s uncle, knowing he’d bravely and selflessly captured Xiao Xun, knowing he was erudite and talented with profound learning—

Chu Lan was like a fish in water. His days were much more comfortable than in the capital. He no longer wanted to be an official, nor did he let Chu Ke and his three other sons become officials—becoming officials meant being controlled by Chu Zhao, charging into battle for her, breaking their heads and shedding blood, losing their lives for her.

With comfortable days, Chu Lan became increasingly inflated. Now he was starting to acquire land. If not stopped, he would become more and more greedy.

As long as there was greed, he would fall into others’ traps.

Chu Tang leaned against the railing and sighed. “When will we be able to stop living so cautiously?”

Chu Zhao smiled. “People must always live cautiously.”

However, she added:

“Perhaps seven or eight years from now, things will be a bit easier.”

Seven or eight years from now? Chu Tang had only asked casually. She’d always known one had to live cautiously. She hadn’t expected Chu Zhao to actually give a timeframe.

“Why seven or eight years from now?” she asked curiously.

Because in that life, she’d died eight years later. If in this life she could still be alive at that time, only then would she have truly changed her fate.

Chu Zhao smiled. “Because by then, we’ll have grown up, matured, and become steady.”

Chu Tang laughed. “I feel I’m already very mature and steady. After all, I’m a princess of commandery rank.”

She knew Chu Zhao wasn’t telling the truth, but she wouldn’t press further. Cautious, mature, and steady people knew what boundaries meant.

“Your Majesty,” a palace maid said from behind. “The noble ladies have all arrived.”

Today Chu Zhao was hosting a grand flower-viewing banquet in the palace.

Chu Zhao and Chu Tang descended from Yuxiu Pavilion together, though they didn’t go directly to see the noble ladies.

“Ah Tang, you receive the ladies for me first,” she said. “I’ll go see His Majesty and bring him over. I promised him that today there’s a banquet, so he can finish class early.”

Chu Tang acknowledged this. After becoming a princess of commandery rank, she was even more adept at receiving noble ladies on behalf of the Empress. Surrounded by palace maids, she departed gracefully.

Chu Zhao crossed through the Imperial Garden toward the rear palace. Just turning through a corridor, she saw a young man standing under the wisteria tree by the palace gate.

Wearing official robes, tall and jade-like in bearing.

Just from seeing his back, Chu Zhao recognized him and called out with delighted surprise, “Third Young Master, you’ve returned!”

Hearing the voice, Xie Yanfang turned around. Sunlight filtered through the blooming wisteria flowers, falling on him and enveloping him in a halo of light.

“Your Majesty the Empress,” he said with a smile, bowing in salute.