Night descended upon the imperial city, a blanket of plain white like snow covering everything.

Eunuch Qi came in and draped a thin blanket over Xiao Yu, who had fallen asleep leaning against her.

“Your Highness, go attend to your duties,” Eunuch Qi said in a low voice. “I’m here.”

Chu Zhao didn’t decline. She gently stroked Xiao Yu’s head, let him lie in Eunuch Qi’s arms, then rose and walked out.

Outside, quite a few officials and noble ladies knelt in attendance. There was no need to wail at night, but keeping vigil like this was also exhausting—physically tiring and mentally draining.

Hearing footsteps, the officials and noble ladies all raised their heads and saw the young girl walking out.

Over these past few days, they had become familiar with this young girl. Although not yet formally enthroned, the Chu daughter appeared wherever the Imperial Grand Prince was.

She was also very busy.

Deng Yi met with her, Eunuch Qi met with her, Xie Yanfang met with her—

By comparison, the Imperial Grand Prince only knelt before the Emperor’s coffin with nothing to do. A six-year-old child naturally had nothing to do, so this Empress would inevitably act on the Imperial Grand Prince’s behalf, and in the future—

The young girl certainly felt the gazes from all around, but she looked neither left nor right, walking slowly forward. Behind her followed a girl dressed as a palace maid but whose bearing and expression were nothing like one.

She was about the same age as Chu Zhao. Compared to Chu Zhao’s focused forward gaze, this girl would immediately stare back at anyone who looked over, her almond eyes flashing with fierce light.

Other palace maids kept their hands and heads lowered, but she raised her chin with both hands resting at her waist, as if ready to draw a blade at any moment—

Although they didn’t believe this girl would truly dare attack, it was better to avoid trouble. The officials and noble ladies all withdrew their gazes.

Chu Zhao walked to the entrance of the great hall. The summer night breeze wasn’t particularly refreshing, but it allowed one to expel a breath of stale air.

“Where’s Uncle Zhong?” Chu Zhao asked Xiao Man in a low voice.

Xiao Man raised her chin looking at the sky: “How would I know? I’ve been following you the whole time.”

That night, once they had the Dragon Might Army, Uncle Zhong had assigned Xiao Man’s group other tasks, to remain at Chu Garden. However, Xiao Man had disagreed with staying behind herself.

“—General.” The girl ground out two words through clenched teeth. “Told me to watch over her.”

Uncle Zhong had glared at the girl, probably also feeling that the General’s orders couldn’t be violated, and finally agreed.

Xiao Man had been following her constantly, day and night never leaving, just with a rather poor attitude and rarely speaking.

However, having witnessed this girl’s capabilities, and it could be said this girl was truly their and Xiao Yu’s lifesaver, neither Chu Zhao nor A’Le found it strange, nor would they truly treat the girl as a guard to order around.

A’Le tried every means to please her and make her happy.

Although Xiao Man seemed difficult to please, she was actually easy to get along with. She didn’t talk much, just occasionally would stare at Chu Zhao, scrutinizing her, seemingly lost in thought—

Chu Zhao smiled at Xiao Man’s response and didn’t press further, summoning an imperial guard and giving a few instructions. The guard hurried off. Chu Zhao turned her head to see Xiao Man secretly scrutinizing her again. Their gazes collided, and Xiao Man turned to look at the sky.

“Xiao Man, do you dislike my father?” Chu Zhao asked with a smile.

She asked quite directly. Xiao Man turned her head and looked at Chu Zhao: “Yes.”

Chu Zhao didn’t get angry. Her gaze toward her became even gentler as she asked: “Are your parents still alive?”

Xiao Man’s expression immediately became very fierce. She squeezed three words through her teeth: “They’re not.”

Just as expected. Chu Zhao said softly: “So you’re all family members of fallen soldiers.”

If that was the case, their dislike of Father and poor attitude toward Uncle Zhong were both understandable.

“After all, it could be said my father caused you to lose your family.”

As a general and commander, one had to send soldiers to fight, and fighting always resulted in deaths. Soldiers were all people with families.

Chu Zhao knew that in Luocheng there was a place where families of fallen soldiers gathered—elderly parents, young children. Father had specially allocated military funds to care for them and helped them find livelihoods.

But no matter how much care was provided, they had still lost family. Especially the children—they must harbor resentment in their hearts.

Hearing Chu Zhao say this, Xiao Man’s expression became somewhat strange. She suddenly smiled, then her expression returned to gloom.

“That’s right,” she said. “It was your father who made us lose our family.”

Chu Zhao was about to say something when Zhong Changrong strode over. Seeing the two talking, he immediately stared at Xiao Man with vigilance.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” were his first words of warning.

Xiao Man snorted and turned her head to look at the sky.

Chu Zhao quickly reassured Zhong Changrong: “We weren’t saying anything. Miss Xiao Man doesn’t like talking much. I was asking if she’s used to the palace.”

Zhong Changrong scrutinized Xiao Man with a glare and said: “What’s there to get used to or not? If she can get used to military camps, naturally she can get used to the palace.”

This statement was also rather odd. It seemed that back in the border commandery, Xiao Man and the others didn’t hide their dissatisfaction with Father. Of course, dissatisfaction aside, they still acted decisively and reliably, otherwise Uncle Zhong wouldn’t have let Xiao Man stay by her side.

Chu Zhao pulled Zhong Changrong aside, no longer dwelling on this topic.

“Uncle Zhong, did you send news to Father’s side?” she asked.

Since that night, everyone had been very busy. Deng Yi and Xie Yanfang were busy investigating the court, while Uncle Zhong held the safety of the entire capital in his hands.

After Xie Yanfang returned, the city gates opened, and they also had to inspect and reorganize the Capital Garrison. Even with the Dragon Might Army, Zhong Changrong was overwhelmed with busyness. Fortunately Xie Yanlai was guarding the imperial city, otherwise he truly couldn’t be in multiple places at once—but wait, why say fortunately there was Xie Yanlai?

That boy wasn’t reliable either!

Zhong Changrong pulled back his wandering thoughts and took a deep breath. Of course, no matter how busy, with such a momentous event, he had sent news to the General at the first opportunity.

“I told the General that this resignation definitely can’t go through,” he said in a low voice.

For the young miss’s sake, the General also couldn’t resign his position.

Although he didn’t understand court matters, even in common folk marrying off daughters, the natal family was very important. Right now the Emperor and Crown Prince were both dead, leaving only this six-year-old child. For the young miss to marry over—she truly had thin power and support—

Wait.

The young miss married a six-year-old child.

Zhong Changrong was stunned again, his mind going blank. Earlier he had only thought about Empress, that the young miss had become Empress, only thinking about the status of Empress. He seemed to have forgotten that becoming Empress meant marrying the Emperor, and now the Emperor was only six years old.

This, this, this—

Was this good or not?

What would the General think? Would the General be very anxious? Would the General disagree?

Although the Emperor’s command couldn’t be violated, the General wasn’t someone who hadn’t violated orders before—

“Uncle Zhong?” Chu Zhao called several times.

Zhong Changrong came back to his senses, his expression somewhat anxious: “I, I’ll send another message to the General.” He started to leave.

Chu Zhao quickly stopped him: “Uncle Zhong, don’t write letters anymore. You should go back and see Father.”

Zhong Changrong froze. Go back?

“Young miss.” He said urgently, then glanced around. The palace halls were deep, with quite a few gazes looking outward from within—

Zhong Changrong couldn’t help but pull Chu Zhao aside to a spot, standing in shadows beyond the lamplight.

He lowered his voice: “How can I leave you alone in the capital now?”

Chu Zhao looked at Zhong Changrong. In the flickering light and shadow, Zhong Changrong’s scarred face appeared even more menacing and terrifying, but she could see the face full of menace and terror was filled with concern.

“Uncle Zhong, with Father and all of you there, no matter where I am, I’m never alone,” she said. “With you all there, I can be secure in the capital. But Father, he—”

Father’s body was failing, his life nearing its end.

“Uncle Zhong, we can’t leave Father alone in the border commandery.”

“Compared to me, Father needs you more.”

Zhong Changrong knew the General’s physical condition better than anyone—it was indeed depleted. Adding this sudden upheaval, who knew if the General would be stimulated to worsen upon receiving the news—

Right now the Dragon Might Army was the young miss’s guarantee. Although those around the General were all reliable people, the current court situation was truly turbulent.

“Also, Prince Zhongshan is the greatest danger. Zhongshan Commandery lies between the border commandery and the capital. If they make moves and trigger turmoil in the border commandery, the capital will also be in danger.”

That’s right. Prince Zhongshan had ambitions. Having operated in the capital for so many years, he naturally could do the same in the border commandery. Who knew if the border commandery was also in turmoil now? Thinking this, Zhong Changrong wished he could sprout wings and fly back to the border commandery immediately—

But he looked at the young girl before him, the girl wrapped in mourning garments appearing even more delicate and small.

“Young miss, you alone—”

Chu Zhao smiled and shook her head: “No, I have Xiao Man.” She pointed to the side.

When they had walked over to talk, Xiao Man hadn’t followed, standing in place with her head turned away. But keenly sensing Chu Zhao mentioning her, she turned her head even further away—

Zhong Changrong’s expression was complex: “She—she’s just a girl.”

But he didn’t say Xiao Man was unreliable.

“And also,” Chu Zhao said, looking past Zhong Changrong toward the front, her eyes brightening with a smile. “There’s A’Jiu.”

A’Jiu?

Zhong Changrong turned his head and saw in the distance at the palace gate a young general walking over unhurriedly, lamplight falling on him, his armor flashing with light.

That boy again!