A-Le was not at home. Chu Zhao had assigned her to keep watch outside. As soon as Chu Ke went out, A-Le followed him.

Now that A-Le had her mistress’s backing, she was no longer afraid of causing trouble for her mistress and didn’t hold back. She had begun to assign tasks to other maids.

There were two young maids sent by Madam Jiang to make up numbers. A-Le used a few coins as rewards, instructing them to watch the gate.

When the girls entered, a young maid who was squatting at the second gate, pretending to help the housekeeper sweep, immediately ran to inform Chu Zhao.

“It’s Miss Qi and the others,” the young maid recognized who the visitors were and carefully noted where they went. She eagerly asked Chu Zhao, “They’re all at Miss Tang’s place. Would you like to go over, Young Lady Zhao?”

Previously, this was the routine—Chu Zhao would follow Chu Tang, eager to join her and those girls in their activities.

Chu Zhao smiled and grabbed a handful of preserved fruits for the young maid. “I won’t go over, but please keep watching and see what they’re playing.”

Young Lady Zhao had become very generous. The young maid happily accepted the treats and ran off. She thought about how Young Lady Zhao had hit Miss Liang, causing the master’s family to apologize and make amends. Yet when Young Lady Zhao ran to inform Second Master, not only did she not have to apologize to the Liang family, she even went to the Liang house and scolded them, and they didn’t dare say a word in response.

The master and mistress always said the Second Master was guilty and brought trouble to the family, but by comparison, the Second Master seemed more formidable.

A powerful father meant a powerful daughter. The young maid was certainly willing to work for the powerful Young Lady Zhao.

With the young maid running back and forth, by the time Chu Tang’s maid came over with a smile, Chu Zhao already knew her purpose.

“Everyone is playing in the garden,” the maid said. “Miss Tang specifically wanted to let you know. If Young Lady Zhao wishes to join them, just inform the master and mistress, and then go to the garden for a while.”

Chu Zhao made a sound of acknowledgment and stood up as expected. “I don’t need to tell my uncle and aunt that I’m going to the garden. My uncle confined me to the house—isn’t staying within the family gate enough?”

With that, she strode out.

“Young Lady Zhao,” the maid anxiously called out, feigning concern. “Then let this servant request permission for you.”

Chu Zhao paid no attention to whether she was requesting permission or reporting on her. She headed straight for the garden.

The maids in the garden were all watching too, reporting to Chu Tang and the others all along the way: “Young Lady Zhao has left her quarters.” “Young Lady Zhao has reached the stone bridge.” “Young Lady Zhao broke off a bamboo branch—”

What was she going to do with a bamboo branch? Use it as a weapon? The girls felt somewhat uneasy. Fortunately, the maids quickly brought news that Young Lady Zhao had used the bamboo to poke at fish in the stream before discarding it.

The girls breathed a sigh of relief.

“How mean,” Qi Leyun said angrily. “What did the fish ever do to her?”

As the girls anxiously played their instruments, played chess, and painted while pretending to be calm, Chu Zhao finally appeared in their sight.

Looking at the girl dressed in a half-new, half-worn cyan gown, her black hair piled high to reveal a slender, fair neck, her expression seemingly smiling yet with cold eyes, everyone felt somewhat unfamiliar. They couldn’t remember what Chu Zhao had looked like before—who had paid attention to her appearance?

In the lakeside pavilion, the girls were either sitting or standing. The sound of the zither stopped, and for a moment, there was silence.

“What are you playing?” Chu Zhao spoke first. Without waiting for anyone to respond, she sat directly on a chair and looked around.

Ten years ago and ten years later, girls still played the same things—playing zither, playing chess, writing calligraphy, and painting, always maintaining elegance and grace, sitting, lying down, walking, and presenting themselves as pleasing as a painting.

The imperial concubines were the same. Xiao Xun could enjoy wonderful zither music wherever he went. There were always concubines ready to play chess with him, and every palace had hanging paintings of landscapes, birds, insects, and figures.

She had never excelled among them.

No matter how much she studied, she could never match these women who had been meticulously taught from childhood. Xiao Xun couldn’t be bothered to look at her, let alone her skills in these arts.

She couldn’t even find self-amusement in them. Originally, she had learned them only to entertain others.

Her casual posture and slightly gloomy face brought the girls back to their senses. Indeed, she had not come with good intentions!

Qi Leyun snorted and said, “What? Are you complaining that we didn’t include you?”

Chu Zhao also snorted. “Not at all. I don’t even like these activities.”

This statement once again stunned everyone. In the past, Chu Zhao had never said she didn’t like these things. She would only flatter them by saying how much she loved it and wanted to learn, asking the older sisters to teach her—

Was she now just giving up completely?

“Indeed, you never liked these activities. Why did you insist on joining us?” Qi Leyun said. “You’re not happy playing with us, yet you blame us for mistreating and bullying you.”

Chu Zhao smiled, looking at her. She couldn’t quite remember who this girl was.

“Who are you?” she asked.

This attitude made Qi Leyun glare in anger. What was she pretending? Chu Tang had already mentioned that Chu Zhao had written down and memorized each of their names, calling them “sister” day and night, and now she was pretending not to recognize them?

“I am Qi Leyun,” she said bluntly, fuming. “My father is a clerk in the Minister of Works’ office. I’ve also spoken ill of your father. Come and hit me!”

Chu Zhao was amused. The malice of children was different from that of the imperial concubines. Looking at it now, she found it somewhat funny.

And this Qi Leyun, she now remembered. The Qi clerk’s family had been quite unfortunate. When chaos erupted in the capital, rioters had casually thrown a torch at their house, which unfortunately landed in the woodshed, causing a massive fire. The entire family had been unable to escape.

This fierce, fresh-faced girl before her had turned into a charred corpse.

“I hit you—” Chu Zhao said.

Qi Leyun tensed up, and the other girls couldn’t help but stiffen as well.

Chu Tang stood up but didn’t speak, ready to intervene if fighting broke out.

Chu Zhao didn’t rush forward. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, her expression languid.

“—not just you, but all of you have said such things, haven’t you?” she continued. “If I were to hit everyone, how could I manage? So I hit only Miss Liang as a warning. In the future, just don’t behave that way, and all will be well.”

The girls were all stunned. Qi Leyun was dumbfounded, then became even more irritated.

“Chu Zhao, you still act so magnanimous,” she exclaimed. “You hit people and still think you’re right? What’s wrong with speaking ill of your father? Is that even speaking ill? It’s the truth! Didn’t your father release bandits? Wasn’t he disrespectful to His Majesty?”

Chu Zhao remained silent for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, my father did indeed do those things.”

“Since he did them, people have the right to talk about it!” Qi Leyun sneered.

The other girls also regained their previous demeanor, with expressions of disdain or cold smiles, all chiming in about the events of that year.

“Your father once beat my second uncle. They were both captains, and it was just because my second uncle wouldn’t allow your father to leave the ranks on his own.”

“Back then, your father even sent troops to seize a memorial that criticized him and burned it in the street. Many people witnessed it.”

Chu Tang sighed softly. “What’s the point? It’s all in the past now. Zhao, you too—arguing about this, bringing it up over and over. Who is truly humiliating Second Uncle?”

Hearing these words, Chu Zhao still didn’t rush forward to hit anyone. Sitting in her chair, she reached out and plucked a zither string. The sound of “zheng” interrupted the girls’ voices.

“But His Majesty never punished my father for it,” Chu Zhao said. “The court didn’t penalize him either. So he isn’t guilty.”

Qi Leyun sneered. “That’s because His Majesty is magnanimous and merciful. But officials and commoners don’t have to be merciful toward such atrocious behavior. Your father did it, so people can talk about it. What, do you want to silence everyone in the world?”

Chu Zhao stood up.

Qi Leyun instinctively took a step back, and the other girls were also startled.

“What you say is all correct. But for me, unless the court and His Majesty declare him guilty, my father is innocent. I cannot remain unmoved when I hear your insults,” Chu Zhao said. She still didn’t rush over to hit anyone but walked slowly toward them. “You can say whatever you want behind my back. But don’t say it to my face. Don’t let me hear it. Otherwise, if you insult my father and I don’t teach you a lesson, I would be an unfilial child. ‘Relatives conceal for relatives; relatives protect relatives.’ It’s perfectly justified for me to hit you.”

As she spoke, she had drawn close to Qi Leyun.

Qi Leyun stood rigid, not backing away further—another step back and she would fall out of the pavilion.

“I came today just to tell you this,” Chu Zhao reached out and patted Qi Leyun’s shoulder. “From now on, don’t come looking for me. Don’t appear before me. We have nothing to do with each other.”

This wretched girl! Before they could say anything, she was already telling them to stay away from her. Qi Leyun glared and gritted her teeth.

But Chu Zhao had already stopped looking at her and turned to Chu Tang.

“Tang,” she said, pointing around. “Is our family garden beautiful?”

What was this about? Was she not allowing the girls to come and play? “Our family”—that included the word “our,” so this family wasn’t just Chu Zhao’s alone. Chu Tang smiled and said, “Yes, it’s beautiful.”

Chu Zhao said, “Such a beautiful garden, after so many years, is still in the Chu family’s hands. What do you think is the reason for that?”

Of course, a Chu family garden would remain with the Chu family. What kind of reason would there be? Chu Tang was stunned.

Chu Zhao didn’t say anything more. She walked out of the pavilion, casually breaking off a willow branch. As she walked, she swung it, humming a tune.

The girls watched her figure swaying like a willow branch as she walked slowly away, hearing her humming in their ears. For a moment, none of them knew what to say.

One girl stared blankly and couldn’t help saying, “She’s humming the tune I played earlier.”

It was a difficult piece that she had practiced for a long time, specifically to showcase in front of others.

Now, hearing Chu Zhao hum it so smoothly, without missing a single note, it seemed she was even more proficient than herself.