On the day of the Emperor’s triumphant return to the capital, spring rain had been drizzling for several days, but this couldn’t dampen the people’s enthusiasm at all.

Three days in advance, the route was already crowded with people. The court had to deploy troops to clear the way; otherwise, the officials would have had nowhere to set foot.

In the capital, positions in teahouses and restaurants along the main streets where the Emperor would pass were impossible to secure, even for a thousand gold pieces.

Qi Leyun didn’t spend any money, yet sat in the best position. She didn’t need to wake up early and travel far to stand outdoors. Holding a cup of tea and leaning against the window, she could not only see the street below but also gaze at the city gate in the distance. As soon as the Emperor’s procession entered the city, she would be able to see it.

This spot had been reserved by a young lady surnamed Ning.

The Ning family wasn’t considered a prominent noble house in the capital. Their family members held ordinary official positions, but they were very wealthy merchants.

However, no matter how wealthy the family was, one rarely heard of young ladies spending money so lavishly.

“A-Zhi, you’re usually so quiet, but it turns out you know how to spend money,” Qi Leyun said. “There’s a rumor that in your Ning family, even newborn children immediately receive a shop, and can earn a bucket of gold daily while still drinking milk in their swaddling clothes. It seems it’s true.”

She looked back into the room, which was filled with girls chatting and laughing.

“There are just too many people!” Qi Leyun tapped the windowsill unhappily. “Why did everyone come here? You all could have booked separate rooms.”

A girl who was peeling pine nuts glared at Qi Leyun: “That’s easy for you to say. Each of us is contributing money here. A-Zhi persuaded her family, but we can’t let A-Qi use her own money entirely.”

No matter how wealthy this young lady was, without the approval of her family elders, she couldn’t possibly spend so much money at once just to watch the excitement.

It wasn’t just for entertainment that she needed her family’s approval, the Ning young lady thought as she sat among the girls. The Ning family’s legitimate daughter was wealthy, but that was her dowry money, meant to be used to impress potential in-laws and to marry into a family with better status than the Ning family. Though this money was said to be her own, at home it was controlled by her father, and after marriage, it would be controlled by her husband—

This was the first time she had made her own decision.

She didn’t know why, but that day when she heard the post riders shouting about the Empress’s great victory in the streets, she became extremely excited. When she heard that the Emperor would return triumphantly to the capital and everyone would go to welcome him, she suddenly wanted to spend lavishly.

“The Empress has achieved a great victory, the Crown Prince of Zhongshan has admitted his guilt, and His Majesty is returning to the capital. I want to go see it with my own eyes and celebrate for the Empress,” she had told her father. “I want to book the highest and largest room.”

Her loving mother was so surprised by these words that she thought her daughter had lost her mind, but her usually ill-tempered father had smiled.

“Celebrating for the Empress, you can spend your money however you wish,” he had said with a wave of his hand. “Go ahead.”

Even now, sitting in this private room, while the other girls were excited, she was also extremely excited.

But she didn’t show it on her face. The Ning young lady smiled faintly and thanked her sisters for their thoughtfulness.

“No need for thanks,” she said. “It’s my wish, and also my father’s wish—the Ning family’s wish—to celebrate His Majesty and the Empress pacifying the rebellion, bringing peace to the dynasty and the people.”

The girls all praised the Ning young lady. Among them, Qi Leyun spread her hands: “Anyway, I have neither money nor influence. I can’t give her any celebration.”

“But our Miss Qi has attended the Empress’s literary gathering at Chu Garden and even stayed there,” another girl teased, linking arms with Qi Leyun.

Indeed, how many people could stay at Chu Garden? Qi Leyun straightened her back: “Not just that, the Empress and I, we’ve argued and fought.”

The laughter in the room grew louder, mixed with the girls’ voices: “—What are you so proud of? Who among us hasn’t had some unpleasantness with the Empress?”

That was true. Initially, everyone had treated Chu Zhao as a source of amusement. Back then, they hadn’t imagined today.

That fierce girl who hit people and cursed had always been fierce. She competed with scholars, protected the young Emperor, and fought her way out through rebel soldiers, and now she was leading troops against Western Liang and fighting the Prince of Zhongshan—

Although they were the same age, that girl had step by step become someone they looked up to and admired—

“His Majesty is entering the city,” a girl by the window called out.

The girls sitting in the room all immediately stood up and rushed to the window. Qi Leyun even had half her body leaning out.

The entire capital was boiling with excitement, or rather, the excitement spread from outside the city to inside. The Emperor’s carriage, the welcoming officials, the protective troops—it was as if they were surrounded by endless colorful clouds. With the citizens kneeling in respect, it looked like waves rising in the sea.

However, the Emperor wasn’t riding a horse but sitting in a carriage. A thin gauze curtain obscured his face, only his childlike figure could be seen.

This disappointed the onlookers, while those who had seen the Emperor leave the capital earlier were more excited. They had been fortunate enough to see the true imperial visage, a blessed event worth talking about for a lifetime.

Besides the Emperor not riding a horse, the Third Young Master Xie was also not accompanying him.

On the Emperor’s carriage was an official in a red robe, the Grand Tutor Deng Yi.

The people rarely saw Grand Tutor Deng Yi because, as the regent and important minister, he almost lived in the imperial palace. On the rare occasions when he went out, the streets were always cleared by troops.

This Grand Tutor came from humble origins and somehow had the good fortune to be promoted by the late Emperor, rising to prominence in one step.

Because of his lowly origins, the common people couldn’t find out about his past affairs, making him mysterious and unfathomable.

Now, in the daylight, this Grand Tutor appeared to be around thirty years old. He wasn’t as handsome as the young noble lords, but he had clear features. Only his thin lips drooped slightly, making him look somewhat ill-tempered—indeed, the Grand Tutor did have a bad temper. Since he had taken office, the prisons had been filled with condemned officials.

The common people dared not look at him for too long, preferring instead to discuss the Third Young Master Xie.

“Why isn’t the Third Young Master here?”

“His Majesty can’t stay away for long, so the Third Young Master remained behind to handle the aftermath.”

“It’s a pity you didn’t see the Third Young Master’s bearing that night.”

“I saw him. The Third Young Master wore plain clothes, held a long sword, just like the Erlang Deity descending to the mortal world.”

Although the Emperor couldn’t be seen clearly, people dared not look at the Grand Tutor, and the Third Young Master Xie wasn’t there, the common people still had other exciting things to see.

The carriage of the Crown Prince of Zhongshan was right behind the Emperor’s, surrounded by imperial guards, with curtains hanging low.

“I heard the Crown Prince of Zhongshan stripped naked at the front and carried a thorn branch on his back to plead guilty.”

“I never imagined the Crown Prince would do such a thing!”

“Pah, a beast with a human face, all appearance and no substance. How many people has he killed?”

“Look at the refugees in the capital recently—they were all harmed by him.”

“I heard that at the front, the civilians pelted him with stones!”

“Why let him ride in a carriage? Make him come down so we can stone him too.”

“Come down!”

“Xiao Xun, get down here!”

But no matter how much clamor there was, the heavy curtains didn’t move at all. When someone attempted to throw something, the surrounding guards immediately drew their swords—perhaps fearing they might accidentally harm His Majesty.

After all, the Emperor’s carriage was ahead.

Everyone abandoned their thoughts of throwing things and instead cursed Xiao Xun even more loudly.

Even from the high private rooms with the best views, they couldn’t see Xiao Xun inside the carriage.

One girl said: “I remember the first time I saw the Crown Prince of Zhongshan was at Chu Garden. He also came to watch Chu Zhao’s literary gathering and even rescued a maid.”

These words stirred the girls’ memories. Whether it was the prince who had emerged from the water or the prince who had changed his clothes, he was a handsome young man, no less in appearance and bearing than the Third Young Master Xie—

“I didn’t expect him to be this kind of person,” one girl said angrily.

Another girl said: “I felt at that time that he was two-faced. Don’t you remember? He was hanging around with the Third Prince then, coming to Chu Garden’s literary gathering. Who knows what his intentions were?”

Qi Leyun clapped her hands: “Whatever his intentions were, he couldn’t cause any waves in the Empress’s hands.” She leaned out to look, “Has the Empress arrived?”

Compared to the people’s excited wait for the Emperor, they were waiting for Chu Zhao. Qi Leyun even asserted that Chu Zhao would appear riding a horse and holding a sword, but her guess was wrong. They then thought she might be sitting with the Emperor, but seeing only one figure in the Emperor’s carriage—

Was she escorting Xiao Xun’s carriage from behind?

From their high vantage point with a broad view, they could see people riding horses behind Xiao Xun’s carriage. They were mixed among the guards, not particularly noticeable at first glance. Looking again, they were different from the guards—these were ordinary people, not wearing armor or carrying weapons, and there were women among them—

A woman wearing apricot-colored clothes, like a spring flower blooming among the dark mass of guards.

“It’s—” Qi Leyun’s eyes widened, “Chu Tang!”

……

……

“Chu Tang!”

Amidst the clamor, countless shrill female voices exploded overhead, startling the people on the street, who looked up.

Chu Tang also looked up, seeing a group of girls blooming like flowers at the windows of the building by the street. She could see the shock on their faces.

Chu Tang smiled, raising her hand to wave at the girls—

“Chu Tang!” Qi Leyun had already shouted, “Have you been captured and brought back?!”

What nonsense, Chu Tang’s raised hand froze.