Apart from the confusion when she first woke up that led her to strike the wrong person, and then encountering Xiao Xun again, Chu Zhao already knew she would meet many people who would be familiar later but were still strangers now.
When she saw Xiao Xun, although her emotions were very agitated, she still managed to appear composed.
But seeing Deng Yi, she lost her composure somewhat.
In her previous life, she hadn’t seen Deng Yi often. Two occasions left deep impressions.
Once was shortly after marrying Xiao Xun. At that time, the chaos among the princes in the capital had just ended, the situation was unstable, and Deng Yi, having earned merit for defending the palace city, was a great favorite before the Emperor—the person the ailing Emperor trusted most. In his thirties, wielding military authority over the entire capital garrison, he was appointed Grand Tutor.
Deng Yi came to visit suddenly on a winter night, wearing a black fur coat trimmed with gold. His attendants were in iron armor with golden swords, blocking out the sky and sun. She was terrified, thinking Xiao Xun was about to be arrested too.
She refused to listen to Xiao Xun’s persuasion and insisted on clutching his arm and standing together with him.
Deng Yi didn’t even glance at her. His eyes looked up at Xiao Xun from below, full of sinister intent—extremely frightening.
He said, “Congratulations, Your Highness. His Majesty has appointed you Crown Prince.”
The next time was when Xiao Xun had already become Emperor. Bored in the rear palace, she went to the front hall to find Xiao Xun, hiding behind the curtains preparing to surprise him.
But Xiao Xun didn’t return alone—Deng Yi came in with him. Deng Yi wore official robes, his expression somber. Xiao Xun walked in saying something, but before finishing his words, Deng Yi raised his hand and slapped Xiao Xun across the face.
She nearly cried out at the time, desperately covering her mouth.
Despite Deng Yi’s such insubordination, Xiao Xun didn’t call guards to seize him. Instead, his face flushed red, his eyes full of anger, yet he slowly lowered his head.
Deng Yi turned and left. Xiao Xun stood silently for a moment, then followed him out.
She didn’t know how much time passed before she escaped, her hands and feet weak, drenched in sweat.
She didn’t dare ask Xiao Xun why Deng Yi showed such disregard for his sovereign, why Xiao Xun didn’t punish him, fearing this would be yet another humiliation for Xiao Xun.
She could only pretend not to know, burying this matter deep in her heart.
She seemed to understand that Xiao Xun, this Emperor, wasn’t truly supreme and lofty—Grand Tutor Deng stood behind him, manipulating and controlling him.
She was shocked, frightened, and at a loss. From then on, she avoided Deng Yi whenever possible.
She never expected that after being reborn, she would encounter Deng Yi so soon!
She looked at the man before her. His appearance hadn’t changed much. He wore furs and stood in the doorway with a group of guards behind him.
Although the furs he wore now were worn and shabby, and the guards weren’t as imposing and frightening.
Chu Zhao still felt like it was that winter night, her body and mind taut.
She even had the bizarre thought—could this Deng Yi have come from her previous life to arrest her?
Deng Yi had actually been standing here for a while and had sized up this Miss Chu a few times. She was quite beautiful, but that was all. He had withdrawn his gaze to think about other matters until hearing the siblings’ quarrel growing louder and even coming to blows, which prompted him to speak up to stop them.
But he hadn’t expected this Miss Chu to call out his name. Calling out his name wasn’t particularly unusual—perhaps Prince Zhongshan had told her, or perhaps General Chu’s people had told her. What was strange was that Miss Chu said “too.”
The word “too” had other implications.
Moreover, looking at Miss Chu’s expression, she recognized him—recognized him quite well.
“Miss Chu,” he said. “I came at the request of the Court of Judicial Review.”
Chu Ke said from the side, “Did you hear that? The Court of Judicial Review! Chu Zhao, go ahead and keep making trouble—who will be able to protect you then!”
Chu Zhao pressed her hand to her chest to calm her emotions, lowered her eyes, and followed his lead: “Yes, you came to arrest me? I know about the Court of Judicial Review, and about you, sir. They said you’re very formidable.”
Had someone been using him to frighten children? Deng Yi said, “I’m not from the Court of Judicial Review. I came at their request, so I’m not here to arrest anyone.”
Chu Ke didn’t want to linger here for even a moment and urged, “All right, never mind her. Let’s quickly go see the Prince—we’re being terribly rude.”
Deng Yi nodded to Chu Zhao and turned to leave.
“I’m going too,” Chu Zhao called out.
Chu Ke sneered, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t go?”
Chu Zhao walked over, keeping her head lowered, and said, “Earlier I was worried that if just the two of us went, we might offend the Prince or make things inconvenient for him. Now with Lord Deng here, if we go along with him, there’s no problem.”
Her words were soft and gentle, with a hint of timidity, showing none of her earlier fierceness.
Deng Yi smiled slightly. This was how the girl had deceived people all along the road, wasn’t it?
……
……
While the Chu siblings quarreled at the postal station, Xiao Xun had already returned home.
After bathing and changing clothes with the help of maids, he went to see Prince Zhongshan.
Prince Zhongshan was, as usual, in Penglai Pavilion. Here the scenery matched its name—exquisite gardens, trickling spring water, and even in winter, an ethereal mist hung in the air. Prince Zhongshan sought the Way and burned incense.
Seeing Xiao Xun enter covering his nose and mouth, Prince Zhongshan, kneeling on a prayer cushion, threw the whisk in his hand at him. “Why so disdainful? This is all top-quality incense.”
Xiao Xun caught the whisk and stepped forward to pay respects. “Father, the matter is handled.”
Prince Zhongshan asked urgently, “Where is the Chu family’s young daughter?”
“She said to avoid suspicion and won’t come to our house,” Xiao Xun said.
Prince Zhongshan looked at his son’s handsome face, somewhat surprised. “She wasn’t actually enchanted by my son’s appearance? Could this Miss Chu also be devoted to the Way?”
Xiao Xun laughed out loud. Father always liked to tease him, and he was used to it. “That Miss Chu isn’t devoted to the Way—her heart belongs to someone else.”
Though he had only met her twice, once by the water and once at the postal station, the surging emotions between that Miss Chu and the postal soldier were truly impossible to hide.
He didn’t know if they had long been mutually attracted, if feelings had developed during the journey, or if this Miss Chu was using false affection for manipulation—was it too malicious to speculate about a girl this way?
His mind wandered. He heard Prince Zhongshan ask, “What kind of young man is he? Where is he from? How old? Whose family?”
Xiao Xun came back to himself and said with a smile, “Father, you didn’t inquire this thoroughly even when arranging marriages for my sisters.”
Prince Zhongshan smiled. “People are like this—curious about others’ affairs.” He beckoned with his hand.
Xiao Xun quickly approached, lowered himself so Prince Zhongshan could place his hand on his shoulder, then provided support as he stood.
One of Prince Zhongshan’s legs was lame.
“A’Xun,” he said with a low laugh. “You don’t know—back then, Chu Ling didn’t just make a commotion with the Emperor. His romantic affairs were quite lively too. In his youth, with bright prospects ahead, so many people proposed marriage matches for him, but he refused them all. Then without a word, he had an improper union with a country woman without a matchmaker, and even had a child. The woman died in childbirth, and Chu Ling actually never married again after that. I’m very curious—what kind of devastatingly beautiful woman could so captivate Chu Ling? That woman can’t be seen anymore, but her daughter must have inherited her mother’s looks, so I wanted to see.”
So that was it. Xiao Xun thought about it—that girl was very beautiful when dressed up, but before that, looking so bedraggled by the river, he had still thought she looked quite nice.
“But unfortunately,” he said with a smile, “General Chu is avoiding suspicion with us. Miss Chu said her father instructed her not to come to our house.”
Prince Zhongshan made a sound of acknowledgment, stroking his plump face with a half-smile. “General Chu thinks highly of me, this lame prince, believing I still have suspicion worth avoiding.”
Xiao Xun looked at his father’s lame leg. It was said this lame leg came from falling from an ornamental rock in the imperial garden as a mischievous child, but actually someone had deliberately arranged for his father to be crippled.
A prince with a lame leg, no matter how intelligent, no matter how favored his mother, could never inherit the throne.
A flash of pity and resentment crossed his eyes. He said softly, “Father, don’t be angered by this petty person. He, Chu Ling, is the one who needs to be avoided.”
Prince Zhongshan smiled and was about to say something when a eunuch outside urgently announced, “Your Highness, Miss Chu, Young Master Chu, and Court of Judicial Review Deputy Deng Yi request an audience.”
Xiao Xun raised his eyebrows. Hadn’t that Miss Chu said she wouldn’t come to their house?