Owe a meal.

Deng Yi looked at the girl below the city gate tower and smiled.

“Indeed, there’s no such thing as a free meal in this world,” he said. “I thought Miss Chu was very generous.”

Chu Zhao looked at him: “I am very generous. When I have a request, I don’t skimp on compensation. Lord Deng, you saw along the way—I haven’t shortchanged those who helped me.”

This girl had deceived and acted all along the way, and indeed her spending had been generous.

But—

“Miss Chu,” Deng Yi looked at her, “rather than compensation, it’s more accurate to call it bribery. Without that compensation, you couldn’t have driven them to act.”

At this, he smiled.

“Miss Chu is very generous, but one meal isn’t enough to bribe me, Deng Yi.”

He reached out and waved his hand lightly.

“Miss Chu, you were able to come here, and I won’t stop you from leaving either. So, go.”

Eunuch Qi was already very anxious and urged Chu Zhao: “Let’s go quickly.”

Deng Yi had made it very clear—he knew Chu Zhao had been able to come here relying on Chu Ling’s hidden capabilities, and because he was wary of Chu Ling, he wouldn’t make things difficult for them and would let them leave.

Go. As long as they lived, there would always be opportunities.

His Majesty still lived. General Chu had the Longwei Army. Although the Yang clan had fallen, the Xie clan still had foundations. The Young Highness still had chances.

Chu Zhao gripped the reins, watching Deng Yi on the gate tower about to turn and leave again. The horse, as if knowing her mood, snorted and turned in place.

She could indeed leave the imperial city smoothly, leave the capital, even return smoothly to the border commandery, return to her father’s side. But what then?

After Xiao Xun ascended the throne as Emperor?

Not to mention the Young Highness’s awkward status—how could Prince Zhongshan and his son possibly spare him?

If Xiao Xun was destined by fate to ascend the throne, then the Young Highness, and she herself—weren’t they also destined by fate to die?

She absolutely couldn’t leave!

“Lord Deng,” she called again. “My treating you to a meal wasn’t to bribe you—it was a gift. I knew you were born extraordinary, and I hoped that one day in the future, you might with a small effort help me find a way to survive.”

Eunuch Qi beside her was bewildered. This was flattery for Deng Yi? Wasn’t it a bit late now to say pleasant things?

On the city wall, Deng Yi, who had turned around, couldn’t help but laugh. He looked back again at the girl below the gate tower. So it wasn’t just a meal—it was a discerning eye recognizing a hero.

Seeing him turn back and even smile, Chu Zhao hurriedly looked at him eagerly: “Lord Deng, that one meal was just a few pieces of broken silver, hardly worth mentioning, but that was the greatest sincerity I, Chu Zhao, could offer at that time. Lord Deng, I, Chu Zhao, am never stingy. Even though on the road I bribed others, I still gave everything I could.”

Deng Yi looked at the girl below the gate tower, at the pleading in her eyes, and also, the determination.

The sincerity she could offer at that time was one meal.

But the sincerity she could offer in the future would be more than just one meal.

Deng Yi’s gaze finally glanced at the child leaning against her.

“You really want to come in?” he asked.

Eunuch Qi was startled, looking at Deng Yi in disbelief, various thoughts flying through his mind—

Chu Zhao had already nodded without hesitation: “Yes!”

Deng Yi said, “Only you and the Young Highness may enter. If you wish to come, approach.”

Having said this, without another word he turned and walked away.

This time, no shout came from the girl below the gate tower.

But after Deng Yi walked a few steps, a eunuch came forward and blocked his path.

“Grand Tutor,” he said in a low voice. “You’ve already promised Prince Zhongshan’s heir. At this time, to let others in…”

He raised his head, looking at Deng Yi.

“Surely the Grand Tutor doesn’t intend to break his word?”

……

……

Deng Yi looked at this eunuch and naturally recognized him as the one who asked questions on behalf of Prince Zhongshan.

He smiled slightly: “My letting someone else in doesn’t mean I’m not letting the heir in.”

But that “someone else” was no ordinary person—it was the Imperial Eldest Grandson!

A flash of annoyance crossed the eunuch’s eyes, then helplessness: “Lord Deng, now that the Young Highness has come, is there still any need for the heir to come?”

Deng Yi put away his smile: “What? The heir doesn’t fear the Crown Prince and Third Prince’s swords and spears in battle, yet would fear a small child? With such timidity, how can he speak of protecting His Majesty?”

He glanced at the eunuch.

“In that case, there’s no need for the heir to come either.”

About to leave, he thought of something and stopped.

“Also, if we’re talking about keeping one’s word, in this matter, Miss Chu gave me a gift one step earlier than Prince Zhongshan.”

Having finished this sentence, he paid no more attention to the eunuch and strode downstairs.

The eunuch stood in place, his face alternating between pale and flushed, somewhat annoyed. What did that mean? Miss Chu gave a gift one step earlier than the Prince? What gift? A meal?

But he wasn’t wrong either. The eunuch’s eyes regained their calm. A six-year-old child—even if he was the Imperial Eldest Grandson, so what? The Crown Prince was already dead, the Third Prince already deposed, the Emperor dying. This realm was destined to be the heir’s.

Just as Deng Yi was being stopped by the eunuch, outside the city gate Chu Zhao was also stopped by Eunuch Qi and Zhong Changrong.

“No, you can’t take the Young Highness in alone,” Eunuch Qi said urgently. “Who knows what the situation is inside the palace?”

Looking at Deng Yi’s attitude, the palace interior was truly perilous.

The Young Highness couldn’t face more danger.

Chu Zhao looked at Eunuch Qi: “Eunuch Qi, if we don’t take this risk, the Young Highness will be in danger every moment, forever.”

Eunuch Qi was stunned. He knew the logic in what Chu Zhao said, but—

Understanding was one thing, but if they could temporarily avoid danger, they should! This Miss Chu—he had seen clearly now—was just like her father, truly both brave and stubborn. Once she set her mind on something, even ten oxen couldn’t pull her back!

“Then please trouble Miss Chu to go see His Majesty. This old servant and the Young Highness will wait outside.” He simply reached out toward the child on horseback. “Young Highness, come—”

But the child on horseback remained motionless, only leaning against Chu Zhao, as if he couldn’t see Eunuch Qi or hear his words.

Zhong Changrong heard it and was displeased. This old eunuch actually wanted Miss to go risk danger alone! The people in this palace were all heartless and disloyal.

“Miss, I’ll go with you,” he said. “In the past, I’ve accompanied the General to see His Majesty.”

In the past, the General had brought him to see His Majesty. He had been through such occasions. Now he could bring Miss to see His Majesty.

Chu Zhao dismounted with a smile: “No need, Uncle Zhong. Being able to persuade Lord Deng to let me and the Young Highness enter is already very good. Don’t worry.”

Zhong Changrong smiled bitterly. How could he not worry? But if they really started fighting—

He looked at the tightly shut palace gate. On the palace city gate tower, blades were hidden in darkness. He wasn’t afraid of those blades, but once he led people to fight here, what would happen to the Emperor inside? With one order, they would become rebels.

Chu Zhao dismounted and reached out to the child on horseback. Without hesitation, the child fell into her hands and was lifted down by Chu Zhao and placed on the ground.

“Young Highness—” Eunuch Qi reached out again to pull the child.

But the child dodged his hand and clung tightly to Chu Zhao’s side.

Eunuch Qi couldn’t help but be stunned.

At this moment, the palace gate slowly opened a crack, just wide enough to allow one person through.

“Miss Chu, please,” a guard inside said coldly.

Chu Zhao gripped the child’s hand tightly and looked again at Eunuch Qi beside her: “Eunuch Qi, you had the courage to fight your way out with the Young Highness. Now you should also have the courage to watch as the Young Highness and I fight our way in.”

She smiled and nodded at Zhong Changrong, then led the child toward the palace gate. They quickly passed through.

The heavy palace gate closed the instant they crossed the threshold. Ahead, the palace city was pitch black, and in the swaying torchlight, the cold gleam of swords, spears, bows, and crossbows flickered.

Chu Zhao felt the child’s hand tremble slightly.

She crouched down to be at eye level with him.

This was the first time she had looked seriously at this child. In the hazy blue-green light, the child’s eyes gleamed with moisture.

“Little—” she was about to speak.

“My name is Xiao Yu,” the child suddenly said. His voice was soft and trembling. “A’Yu.”

Chu Zhao smiled and called him: “A’Yu.”

Chu Zhao lifted his hand and held it in her own.

“Your life and my life are bound together. If you die, I die too. So trust me—I will certainly strive to keep us both alive.”

Xiao Yu looked at the girl before him and nodded vigorously.