Du Qi carried a food box in one hand and a tea stove in the other.

The grass was soft and spongy, and the ground wasn’t level either. As soon as the tea stove was set down, it tilted to one side.

“Alright, alright, Du Qi,” Xie Yanfang said. “I’ll do it.”

Du Qi acknowledged and stood up to move away.

Xie Yanfang straightened the tea stove and said: “My guard has never done this kind of work.” He looked at Chu Zhao with a smile. “In the past when I came to enjoy flowers and scenery, everything was prepared by others and I was invited.”

Chu Zhao smiled. “Then I’m truly honored this time.” She reached out. “Let me help too—”

Xie Yanfang waved his hand. “No need, no need. I’ll do it. I’m hosting a welcome banquet for Her Majesty the Empress. Your Majesty, please sit comfortably.”

Chu Zhao indeed sat properly, watching the young master before her in plain robes with clear features first light the tea stove, place the water kettle, arrange the tea cups, then set out plate after plate of pastries, dried fruits, and drinking snacks on the coarse cloth.

“Why hasn’t Third Young Master returned to the capital all this time?” she asked.

Xie Yanfang said: “Prince Zhongshan’s one hundred thousand troops are confined in place, being escorted to the frontier in batches. I’m keeping watch here. Moreover, Xiao Xun caused such misery along the route that people couldn’t survive. Now that it’s spring plowing season, I’m helping His Majesty stabilize the people’s hearts.”

Chu Zhao nodded. “With Third Young Master here, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Xie Yanfang smiled, lifting the boiling water to brew tea. “I must thank Your Ladyship for relieving the people’s worries. Otherwise, at this very moment, how could we sit here watching the splendid blossoms?”

He looked ahead. Chu Zhao also followed his gaze. Sitting on the hillside, the view of the peach grove was even more beautiful than what she’d seen from the road earlier. She could even hear laughter and conversation coming from within the peach grove.

“The common people wouldn’t be able to enjoy spring outings and scenery either.”

“Even this peach grove would have been burned to the ground.”

“Therefore, I’m here to specially welcome Your Ladyship, using tea in place of wine, asking Your Ladyship to look upon your achievements.”

He held the tea in both hands and presented it to Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao hurriedly straightened her posture to receive it, giving Xie Yanfang a radiant smile as she raised the tea—

“It’s not wine, it’s hot,” Xie Yanfang said with a laugh, reaching out to stop the girl’s rising arm. “Don’t drink it all in one gulp.”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily and brought the tea cup to her lips to sip slowly.

“When I heard Third Young Master was still in this area,” she said, “I was thinking of going to see you. Third Young Master beat me to it.”

She traveled light and simple, only without the imperial entourage, concealing her movements to avoid alerting officials and common people, but she had Ding Dachui accompanying her with the Dragon Might Army, with advance scouts and rear guards—very tight security.

She’d already received the scout report that Xie Yanfang was waiting on the road.

Of course, Xie Yanfang had naturally also discovered her whereabouts.

A chance encounter was impossible between them.

Xie Yanfang poured tea again, but only for himself. Raising it, he said: “This cup of tea is my apology to Miss A Zhao.”

An apology? And changing the form of address from Her Majesty the Empress to Miss A Zhao. Chu Zhao turned her gaze to him, looking at Xie Yanfang with a smile.

“Revealing the past between your uncle and Xiao Xun was my arrangement,” Xie Yanfang said. “Miss A Zhao originally shared this personal secret with me candidly, but I used it to harm Miss A Zhao’s reputation. What Xie Yanfang did in this matter was dishonorable.”

Chu Zhao said: “I know, but I can understand. If it were me, I probably would have made the same choice.” She smiled again. “Moreover, Third Young Master’s actions also benefited me. If the court hadn’t investigated my uncle, he and the others wouldn’t have been able to approach Xiao Xun so smoothly.”

If it were someone else saying this, Xie Yanfang might still think it was sarcasm, but this girl—

Xie Yanfang looked at this girl. Though they hadn’t seen each other for several months and her face seemed somewhat unfamiliar, at this moment she was very familiar again.

When she first came to see him, she was like this too.

Before she first saw him, he was like this too—in order to embarrass the Third Prince, he’d casually pushed her.

Then he was also candid with her. She waved her hand saying she didn’t mind, saying she was also happy to see the Third Prince frustrated.

Xie Yanfang looked at the tea cup in his hand.

“That Miss A Zhao doesn’t mind shows Miss A Zhao’s broad-mindedness,” he said. “It doesn’t mean I could act that way.”

He drank the tea in one gulp, looking at Chu Zhao as he spoke.

“I, Xie Yanfang, am not a good person.”

Chu Zhao smiled. This she certainly knew.

Xie Yanfang said: “Everyone says I never act arrogantly based on my status as an imperial relative, praising my noble character. Can you guess why?”

Chu Zhao said: “Because the young master isn’t that kind of person?”

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily. “No.” He shook his head. “It’s because what I seek isn’t to act arrogantly based on my status as an imperial relative.”

He looked toward the distant peach grove.

“Although it was I who had my sister become Crown Princess, I who made the Xie family into imperial relatives.”

“But when I did this, what I wanted wasn’t high office and generous salary, nor was it the status of imperial relative. Rather, I wanted to do this thing.”

He emphasized the last sentence to help people distinguish that the same words expressed different meanings.

Chu Zhao indeed understood, looking thoughtful.

“Does Miss A Zhao like mountain climbing?” Xie Yanfang asked.

Chu Zhao shook her head, then smiled. Mountain climbing was arduous and tiring, not what young ladies preferred. In that previous life she was confined to the deep palace, at most walking on the artificial hills in the imperial garden. In this life she’d had even less time and opportunity to discover what she liked.

“When you stand at the highest peak of a mountain, taking in this mortal world at a glance,” Xie Yanfang said, “you can experience the feeling of heaven and earth being yours to soar through.”

Chu Zhao thought about it and said: “I understand. What Third Young Master seeks is to tower above others, with all things under your control.”

Xie Yanfang looked at her with a smile, neither confirming nor denying. The smile gently faded. “But the sudden deaths of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were a great blow to me.”

Actually, originally even the young prince couldn’t have been saved—an even greater blow. Chu Zhao was silent. So for this proud young master, not letting anyone else sit on the Da Xia imperial throne was how he could counter failure, how he could grasp everything in his hands once more.

“To be honest, when I heard Prince Zhongshan had raised troops,” Xie Yanfang looked at Chu Zhao and said, “I was very happy.”

Happy to have an opportunity to make amends, to fight a battle avenging the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, to wash away past humiliation, to climb to the mountain peak again?

It was just a pity that she had interrupted this matter. Chu Zhao poured tea for herself, holding it up, saying: “Should the next cup of tea be me expressing my apology to Third Young Master?”

Xie Yanfang looked at the girl’s suddenly sharp eyes and smiled, shaking his head. “What the Empress did was for the nation and the people. There was no fault whatsoever, and no need to apologize to anyone.”

Chu Zhao set down the tea, nodding with a smile. “I’m relieved that Minister Xie can think this way.”

This was the first time since meeting that she’d addressed him as Minister Xie. Xie Yanfang looked at Chu Zhao. The girl’s aura was ultimately different from before—no longer like a tender willow, soft and yielding. Whether her gaze or her words, the spirit of weapons and war struck directly.

He was candid about his aims. She also didn’t hide her resolve.

The mountain wind seemed to become sharper. A gust passed, and several peach petals were carried over, falling among the tea and refreshments.

Xie Yanfang reached out to pick up the peach blossom petals, arranging them one by one on his blue brocade robe.

“Miss A Zhao, my candor about this matter isn’t dissatisfaction with you,” he said. “I’m curious—why did Miss A Zhao act this way?”

Chu Zhao made an acknowledging sound. “Naturally it’s as Third Young Master said earlier—for the nation and the people—”

Xie Yanfang smiled. “Of course I’m not questioning Miss A Zhao’s intentions. I mean, why did Miss A Zhao risk danger herself?”

He sighed softly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Why not consult him, ask him, unite with him, or even command him?

“I know Miss A Zhao doesn’t trust me as a person, but you should trust my heart to eliminate Prince Zhongshan for His Majesty.”

“Yet you would rather fight to the death with Prince Zhongshan than discuss it with me.”

“Could it be that in Miss A Zhao’s eyes, I, Xie Yanfang, am more frightening than Prince Zhongshan?”

He looked at the girl before him, his eyes clear as mirrors, reflecting straight into one’s heart.

In this instant, Chu Zhao felt her heart seen through.

Although in this life she and Xie Yanfang had become united because of the young prince, in truth at the bottom of her heart, a thought had always existed.

That Wolf Xie, whom even Xiao Xun occupying the legitimate imperial throne couldn’t eliminate—he was the most frightening.