Zhang Gu stood in the room, looking at the gentle countenance of the man opposite him, his nervous heart temporarily settling down.

So this was General Chu Wei.

He was in his forties, with a strong build, dressed as a military general, exuding an air of both valor and refinement.

Zhong Changrong stepped over, glaring fiercely at Zhang Gu.

Zhang Gu’s heart, which had just settled, was raised again, and he lowered his gaze, not daring to look further.

“What did he send you here for?” Zhong Changrong demanded, “Why would he send you? Sneaking around!”

Chu Wei smiled and said, “Perhaps there’s some new information.”

“That can’t be it.” Zhong Changrong was annoyed, “I had just arrived, and he arrived right after. He must have left right after I did.”

At this, he gritted his teeth.

“This little rascal, A-Zhao, told him to guard the city, but what’s he up to behind our backs? Did the boy misunderstand something? Getting ahead of himself? Presumptuous? If there’s something to say, couldn’t he tell me? He had to tell the General instead?”

Zhang Gu didn’t understand or even listen to this, and quickly took out the sealed letter: “This is a letter for you from A-Fu, Miss Chu, the Empress.”

In his panic, he used all three titles at once.

Neither Zhong Changrong nor Chu Wei paid attention to the titles. Zhong Changrong stared at the letter and snatched it.

“That’s impossible.” He was surprised, “If A-Zhao wanted to write a letter, why wouldn’t he let me bring it back?”

This must be fake!

Poisoned?

Seeing Zhong Changrong’s cautious manner with the letter, Chu Wei laughed: “That’s A-Zhao’s handwriting on it, don’t worry. Perhaps you had just left when A-Zhao remembered something he wanted to say, so he wrote this letter.”

He extended his hand.

“Give it to me. Since A-Jiu had it delivered, it must be fine.”

Who says A-Jiu is trustworthy? A-Jiu is from the Xie family—Zhong Changrong wanted to retort—

“Since A-Zhao entrusted him with your duties, he must trust him,” Chu Wei said. “I trust A-Zhao.”

That’s true. He also trusted A-Zhao. Zhong Changrong handed over the letter, though he still found that boy A-Jiu somewhat strange.

Chu Wei took the letter and asked Zhong Changrong and Zhang Gu to withdraw first, one to attend to duties, the other to rest and wait. After the two left, Chu Wei opened the letter.

“Father, I once had a long dream where my loved ones and I all died tragically—”

……

……

Whether it was the movements in the capital or those in Yunzhong Commandery, they had no impact on the deep mountain stronghold. However, the night in the forest was quieter than before.

When torches illuminated the forest, the woods momentarily shook, as if a great net had been cast, lunging toward the torches.

Where the cold glint of metal passed, branches and leaves were severed. One could imagine that if it enveloped a person, they would certainly be torn to pieces.

Standing in the forest, Zhong Changrong showed no fear, his scarred face grim.

“Stop these tricks,” he shouted. “Tell Mu Mian Hong to come out.”

The net halted above his head. On the great trees of the dense forest, torches were lit, illuminating the people standing on them.

There was a man with a thick beard, carrying a chopper on his back, with fierce eyes: “Zhong Changrong, what are you doing here? We haven’t broken our promise; we haven’t set foot in your Luo City.”

Zhong Changrong sneered: “But you’ve set foot in the capital.”

The man with the chopper’s expression stiffened, but he didn’t back down: “So what? Except for your Luo City, we can go anywhere in the world. If you have the ability, let General Wei eliminate all the bandits in the world!”

Zhong Changrong shouted: “You think we can’t?”

In the night, the atmosphere was tense and on the verge of exploding.

Bird calls echoed in the forest. The man with the chopper looked displeased but waved his hand. The net hovering above Zhong Changrong dispersed, and he vanished into the forest.

A moment later, someone gracefully approached through the woods. White robes in the night were like a fallen cloud.

“Lord Zhong,” a soft female voice fell, “Xiao Man was dispatched by me. I know this displeases you, but please understand, a parent worries for a child traveling far.”

In the spreading darkness, her face was dim, but one could still see her clear and beautiful features.

Zhong Changrong let out a cold laugh: “How dare you use that word—”

The woman lowered her head.

Behind her, someone also followed, now fuming and wanting to rush out, but ultimately didn’t.

Zhong Changrong didn’t say anything more either, turning his gaze away, as if he didn’t want to look at this woman for even a moment. He took out a letter and threw it forcefully.

“A letter from your person,” he said.

His strength was great, but the thin letter floated lightly, flying not far before starting to fall. The woman in the forest moved swiftly; a long whip shot out, like a snake coiling, catching the letter before it touched the ground and bringing it to her hand.

“Also,” Zhong Changrong said, “the General has a few words for you.”

He relayed Chu Wei’s message, and after that, didn’t say another word. He turned and walked away quickly.

The forest returned to silence. The woman stood motionless until many people emerged from around her.

“Chief,” they called softly, with worried expressions.

The woman came to her senses and waved her hand gently: “Everyone, stay at your posts.” After saying this, she disappeared into the forest in a few steps.

On the cliff, a wooden cabin was lit with lanterns. This time, it wasn’t just the woman sitting alone; there were over a dozen people crowded in, young and old, men and women, all anxiously and excitedly gathered around, watching as the woman opened the letter in her hand.

“What did Xiao Man say?”

“Did Chu Zhao become the Empress?”

“Did Chu Zhao save the Crown Prince’s son?”

“Did Xiao Man and the others enter the Imperial Palace?”

Everyone asked questions all at once.

They naturally knew about the events in the capital too, and not later than the officials did, but Xiao Man hadn’t sent anyone back, so they couldn’t verify or get more detailed information.

They hadn’t expected that Zhong Changrong would bring Xiao Man’s letter back for her.

“Xiao Man says the situation is unstable, it was very dangerous at the time—” The woman read the letter softly to everyone, until she reached the latest news, she looked up and confirmed, “Chu Zhao has indeed become the Empress.”

In the lamplight, the woman’s face was revealed. She was fair and beautiful. Though middle-aged, her eyes were still clear, only filled with melancholy.

The group exclaimed in surprise, “She really became the Empress!” “That’s amazing!” “That’s the Empress, the most powerful noble lady in the land.”

“Becoming Empress was perilous.” The woman lowered her head, looking at the description in the letter again. “If they had been a step late, Chu Zhao would already be dead by now.”

Xiao Man hadn’t written much, seemingly in a hurry. The crowd listened, unsatisfied, surrounding the woman, asking questions and discussing animatedly.

An elderly woman stepped forward, gesturing for everyone to disperse: “Our people are in the capital now. Everyone should pay more attention to news from there.”

The crowd acknowledged and dispersed. The elderly woman remained in the room, looking at the younger woman, and asked softly: “A-Mian, do you want to send more people to the capital? Chu Zhao probably needs manpower now.”

Mu Mian Hong shook her head: “No need. Not only is there no need, but I will write to Xiao Man telling them to return once the capital is stable.”

The elderly woman looked surprised: “Why? Why is that?”

Mu Mian Hong was silent for a moment, then said: “With General Chu there, it’s enough. We shouldn’t get too close to her, lest she discover something.”

The elderly woman understood, feeling both sad and a bit angry: “What could be discovered? That she still has a mother? Isn’t that—”

“It’s not a good thing,” Mu Mian Hong interrupted her, her delicate face becoming sharp.

The elderly woman lowered her head and stepped back respectfully, complying: “Yes.”

“It’s not a good thing,” Mu Mian Hong no longer looked at her, her gaze passing beyond to the doorway, as if talking to herself. “She will be the Empress from now on. How can she have a mother with such an unseemly background? Moreover, what I did to her was worse than what beasts do. How can I deserve the title of mother? General Chu is right. Having a dead mother is A-Zhao’s blessing.”

The elderly woman’s voice choked: “A-Mian, it’s not your fault. You did it all for our stronghold. You had no choice—”

Mu Mian Hong smiled at her: “This ‘no choice’ has nothing to do with her. Having me as her mother is her misfortune.”

Having said that, she turned to look at the letter on the table, reaching out to gently stroke it.

Without a mother, she could still be brave and clever, wise beyond her years, famous throughout the capital, and in one leap, become the most noble woman in the world.

She was doing so well; why burden her?

The elderly woman looked at the younger woman and finally said nothing, sighing lightly as she withdrew. Only the woman remained in the cabin, sitting under the lamp, reading the letter over and over.

……

……

The night swallowed the earth. When the morning light leaped from the ground again, the Prince of Zhongshan awoke from his sleep with a big sneeze.

He opened his eyes to see a young man half-kneeling beside his bed, holding a foxtail grass, waving it in front of the Prince’s face.

“You little rascal,” the Prince laughed and scolded, extending his hands to cup the young man’s face. “Is this how you show filial piety to your father the moment you return?”

Xiao Xun pressed his hands against the Prince’s hands on his face, looking up with a smile: “Father, I haven’t slept for several days outside, yet you’re sleeping so soundly. I had no choice but to wake you this way.”