As the morning sunlight spilled into the small courtyard, Chu Zhao and A’Le returned from the garden carrying bows and arrows, their faces gleaming with sweat.

The servant women and maids standing in the courtyard hurriedly curtsied and greeted her. “Miss Azhao has returned.” “Hot water is ready.” “When would Miss Azhao like to eat?” Gone were their former disdain and indifference.

Those who served had to be perceptive. This country girl Chu Zhao had struck Miss Liang and suffered no consequences whatsoever. She had stolen money from the household and nothing happened. Now she took food as she pleased and even dared to sabotage dishes by adding salt—

Today she could put salt in the dishes; tomorrow she might put mice in your bedding!

She had the status of a young miss but didn’t follow a young miss’s rules. Such a person truly could not be provoked.

Chu Zhao paid no mind to their shift from arrogance to deference, giving instructions one by one as the servant women and maids busied themselves attending to her.

“This garden really isn’t convenient for horseback riding and archery,” A’Le said, also being attended to. She shook her head. “It should be torn down.”

The maid doing her hair felt the corner of her mouth twitch, but didn’t dare voice any mockery.

What could be done? This country maid who had eaten bath beans thinking they were snacks was protected by Miss Azhao. It didn’t matter if she said foolish things.

Chu Zhao didn’t actually protect the maid enough to have the garden torn down. She smiled: “This garden wasn’t built for horseback riding and archery in the first place. Tearing it down wouldn’t help. We’re just practicing casually to keep our skills from getting rusty. In the future when we return—”

Her voice paused slightly at this point.

A’Le looked at her expression and clenched her fists: “Miss, we’ll definitely be able to return.”

Chu Zhao nodded: “Yes, we will return.”

Although she had been intercepted and brought back, she had never abandoned the thought of returning to the border commandery.

Father had sent her back to the capital so she could enjoy stability here, but in truth the capital was the most unstable place. Great turmoil would occur here and continue for a long time.

She still needed to write to Father, continuously. However, the most troublesome thing was that the letters might not be able to get through.

Uncle certainly wouldn’t send letters for her; he might even deliberately intercept and hide them.

How could she send them? Through Deng Yi, or perhaps through postal soldiers?

Chu Zhao focused her thoughts. A’Le, who had gone out, came running back in, saying indignantly: “Just now the Master sent someone to say you’re not allowed to go out anymore.”

She must have angered Uncle with what she said yesterday.

After all these years, he had become increasingly presumptuous, truly believing he had been dragged down by Father, when in reality he was the cowardly, fearful, and incompetent one.

Although saying this couldn’t make Uncle see clearly, at least it let him know not to play the victim in front of her anymore. Her father owed him nothing!

She was the one who owed Father. In her previous life, not only had she failed to cherish him, she had even joined others in blaming and resenting him.

Fortunately, this time she could make amends.

Chu Zhao waved her hand: “I had no intention of going out anyway. Pay it no mind.”

When she really wanted to go out, could the household gates truly confine her?

……

……

Chu Zhao didn’t want to go out, but visitors came calling.

A group of girls walked in with smiling faces. Only then did Chu Tang, sitting by the window, put down her book and stand to receive them.

“Atang, after just a few days without seeing us, you’ve already forgotten your manners,” Qi Leyun said, pointing at her. “You didn’t even come out to receive us.”

Chu Tang said with a smile: “Because I guessed you weren’t coming for me.”

The girls all laughed. They actually liked Chu Tang’s frankness—frankness meant anything could be discussed.

“How is Azhao?” “What really happened with that incident?” “Why haven’t you been going out these past few days either?” Everyone surrounded Chu Tang, asking questions all at once.

Chu Tang gestured for them to sit: “I know what you want to know. Don’t worry, let’s sit down, have some tea and snacks, and I’ll tell you everything I know without reservation.”

The girls laughed again. Chu Tang came from an ordinary background, had ordinary looks, and an ordinary family background, but she was well-read and thoroughly proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She could converse with anyone and spoke with wit.

Everyone sat down as they usually did. Maids brought tea and refreshments before withdrawing, letting the girls chat freely.

“My sister Azhao is doing well, but she can’t come see everyone. My father has confined her to the house.”

“As for the matter with Miss Liang, that’s settled. The adults of both families agreed not to mention it again, but I’m too embarrassed to go out, so I’m staying home to avoid people for a few days.”

“As for what really happened, I’m not entirely clear either. Azhao insists that Aqin humiliated her and she wanted to teach Aqin a lesson.”

This was much the same as what everyone had speculated.

Qi Leyun asked urgently: “Will she want to teach us a lesson too? After all, we’ve all done what Aqin did.”

A girl coughed lightly: “Qi Leyun, what do you mean ‘we’? How can you say everyone did it? Can’t sisters joke with each other?”

“Exactly,” another girl said with displeasure, looking at Chu Tang. “For instance, I often say I’m gracing Atang with my presence by playing with her, but Atang hasn’t hit me, has she?”

Chu Tang smiled, reached out to pinch the girl’s soft, rosy cheek, and said: “Because I’m also gracing you with my presence by inviting you to play with me.”

The girl giggled. That’s right—if they were going to play together, they had to be able to take it.

Qi Leyun pouted: “That’s because Atang doesn’t dare hit you.”

As the words left her mouth, Chu Tang’s smile became slightly stiff. Why did that sound so strange?

After speaking, Qi Leyun looked Chu Tang up and down.

Chu Tang felt annoyed at being scrutinized like this and was about to say something when Qi Leyun’s eyes darted around, looking at the others.

“Why don’t we go see Chu Zhao,” she proposed. “See if she’ll also want to hit and scold us.”

Really? What if she actually did hit and scold them? The girls instinctively had this thought.

“What’s there to fear!” Qi Leyun saw everyone’s reaction and said indignantly. “Even if it comes to hitting and scolding, with so many of us, are we really afraid of her?”

What happened with Miss Liang last time was an accident. This time they were prepared—they wouldn’t end up as disheveled as Liang Qin!

“This is a major matter concerning our dignity,” Qi Leyun said, growing more agitated. “These past days, outsiders have been mocking Aqin, but we’ve all lost face. A capital noble lady, beaten and scolded by some country girl over a few joking remarks.”

The girls looked at her, hesitant yet thoughtful.

“We can’t let her break the rules and indulge her habit of hitting people at the slightest disagreement,” Qi Leyun said, clenching her hands. “Otherwise, we’ll all be disgraced.”

Looking at her like this, she seemed ready to rush over and fight with Chu Zhao immediately.

Chu Tang laughed with a snort.

“Don’t laugh,” Qi Leyun said, then snorted. “Having such a sister, you’re the one most disgraced.”

Chu Tang had never feared such words. She was quite happy to have a disgraced sister—one could only disgrace oneself, which made others look even better by comparison.

“How about this—don’t go charging over so aggressively. With so many of you, it would clearly be bullying,” she said with a smile. “Then she’d have even more justification to hit and scold you.”

That was true. Qi Leyun’s momentum faltered slightly.

“Why don’t we do this,” Chu Tang said leisurely. “We’ll go to the garden to play music and paint as we used to, and I’ll have someone inform Azhao.”

Qi Leyun looked at her and asked: “What if she doesn’t come?”

Wasn’t she supposed to be confined to the house?

“If she doesn’t come, it means she feels guilty and knows she’s in the wrong,” Chu Tang said with a dismissive laugh. “Miss Qi, you would win without a fight.”

The girls all laughed. Qi Leyun spat and said: “What if she does come?”

“If she comes, everyone can debate with her. If she makes a scene then—” Chu Tang said with a smile, “—then she’ll be the one causing trouble without provocation, and no one can blame you all.”