Chu Zhao stood motionless in front of the great hall, even after Deng Yi’s figure had disappeared.

From inside the hall came the sound of Xiao Yu reading, while the eunuchs and imperial guards standing outside remained silent.

Xiao Man stood at a distance, not hurrying her.

The entire imperial city was quiet and peaceful, with no trace of that night’s bloody struggle that had turned everything upside down. The imperial city was like this—as soon as someone died, all traces were immediately erased, and everything belonged to the new masters.

According to the timeline, at this point in her previous life, the new Empress Liang would have been in the rear palace, perhaps frolicking there at this very moment.

Chu Zhao seemed to hear the laughter of women in her ears. Her hand hanging at her side clenched, and her eyes dimmed slightly. Suddenly, a figure appeared in her vision.

He seemed to walk slowly, but still approached step by step.

The dimness in Chu Zhao’s eyes dispersed, and she smiled brightly.

“A-Jiu,” she waved.

Xie Yanlai frowned: “Your Highness, this subject is Xie Yanlai.”

Still calling him by his childhood name—didn’t she know her current status? Wasn’t she afraid of being reprimanded for impropriety?

Xie Yanlai glanced around with his peripheral vision. The eunuchs, imperial guards, and palace maids stood silently at attention, not even raising their eyes—

Hmph, Xie Yanlai sneered inwardly.

“Xie Yanlai,” Chu Zhao complied readily, stepping forward to greet him. “Has my father replied?”

Her eyes shone brightly, overflowing with happiness. To what extent was she happy? Xie Yanlai knew that even if he said there was no reply, the girl would still be happy.

Because there was hope.

The letter had been sent out, and her father could see it now. Her father would certainly respond.

Xie Yanlai turned his gaze away: “Yes.”

He reached out to take out the letter, but Chu Zhao had already beckoned to him: “Come inside and tell me.” She turned and headed into the hall.

Xie Yanlai looked around. The eunuchs and imperial guards outside the hall still seemed to see and hear nothing, while that palace maid even stared at him, as if she would force him in if he didn’t obey—

Xie Yanlai glanced at the room beside him, faintly hearing the teacher’s lecture and Xiao Yu’s responses. He stepped forward to follow.

Next to Xiao Yu’s study, Chu Zhao also had a study. While Xiao Yu was learning, she was learning too.

“Sit here,” Chu Zhao invited him, pointing to the window. She went over and sat down first.

Sitting was fine, but Xie Yanlai walked over without waiting for her to speak again and handed her the letter: “Just arrived.”

Chu Zhao happily accepted it, no longer paying attention to Xie Yanlai, and opened it to read.

“I—” Xie Yanlai said.

The girl made two sounds of acknowledgment: “Let me read the letter first.”

Xie Yanlai opened his mouth but said nothing more, nor did he leave. Mainly because it wasn’t convenient to bring Zhang Gu in. Zhang Gu had already recounted everything to him in detail, but what if this girl had many questions after reading the letter? Although they would be unnecessary questions, and there was also another letter—

He glanced over. Chu Zhao was holding the letter, sitting by the window, reading with devotion and seriousness. Well, he’d tell her later.

Xie Yanlai withdrew his gaze. Since he couldn’t look at her, he could only look around the room. The room had just been arranged. The bookshelves were filled with books, and on the desk were brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, with scattered documents and books. Besides these, there were also chess sets and a zither, and even a bow and sword hanging up, disordered yet comfortable.

What was this for? After reading, writing, playing the zither, and chess, would she then draw the bow and wield the sword when tired?

Xie Yanlai couldn’t help but curl his lip.

“Young Master A-Jiu,” A-Le personally brought over tea, smiling: “Sit down and have some tea.”

Xie Yanlai said: “No need.” Then he frowned at the smell of the tea—

“This is medicinal tea,” A-Le said with a smile. “Your old wounds hadn’t fully healed, and then you fought another battle. So the miss said your body needs to be nourished gradually and can’t be neglected.”

Xie Yanlai snorted with a laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” A-Le was displeased. “This is the medicinal tea I made. My medicine is the most effective. If you hadn’t taken my medicinal pills before, could you have recovered so quickly? Never mind fighting, you might have just started walking now.”

Hadn’t this girl been like a mute when they were on the road before? Xie Yanlai raised his eyebrows: “How do you prove it’s the credit of your medicine? Couldn’t it be my extraordinary constitution?”

A-Le handed him the tea: “Drink it. Drink it and go back to see if the pain in your body is gone. Then you’ll know if it’s your extraordinary constitution or my miraculous healing skills.”

While they were arguing, Chu Zhao had put down the letter but was still lost in thought. Xie Yanlai noticed with a glance, turned around, and said: “Zhang Gu couldn’t come in. He told me everything. Do you have any questions?”

Chu Zhao looked at him, her gaze drifting. She made a sound of acknowledgment, seemingly having heard his words, but also seemingly not.

Xie Yanlai’s gaze fell on the letter in her hand. He pressed his lips together and asked: “How about your mother’s matter?”

What could make her so absent-minded? It must be receiving an answer about her mother, right?

Was she alive or dead?

Chu Zhao’s gaze focused. She looked at him and nodded: “My father said my mother is indeed gone.”

So, part of her expectation had been disappointed.

Xie Yanlai said: “Since your father has said so, you shouldn’t believe rumors too readily.”

What good was there in believing these rumors? It would only bring heartache. Not believing meant no hope, and no hope meant no disappointment.

When he first arrived at the Xie family, those young masters and servants had deceived him: “Your mother isn’t dead. She took a lot of money and left. Quickly crawl out through the dog hole and go find your mother.”

He never believed it.

The two faced each other silently. A-Le gently placed the tray on the table and quietly stepped back.

“However,” Chu Zhao suddenly smiled again. “Although my mother is gone, the people she left behind are still protecting me.”

After saying this, she looked toward Xiao Man standing in the hall.

Xie Yanlai also looked over.

Xiao Man, who had been turning her head at the door, noticed the gazes and widened her eyes alertly: “What?”

“Xiao Man, my father told me,” Chu Zhao said with a smile. “You’re not my father’s people. You are my mother’s people.”

Xiao Man’s eyes widened even more, and she tensed up like a cat, taking a step back: “Wh-what?”

“Don’t be afraid. My father told me everything. He won’t blame you for acting on your own,” Chu Zhao said with a smile.

Xiao Man’s expression became even stranger: “What are you saying?”

“My mother wasn’t a country woman as rumored. Although she came from a rural gentry family, she was cultured, learned, and charitable. Father said that there were many wars on the border commanderies, and people became homeless. She took care of many displaced people—elderly who had lost their children, and children who had lost their parents.” Chu Zhao looked at the letter, her eyes bright as she spoke. “After her death, these people were grateful and willing to follow the general to fight enemies. Although my father didn’t agree, everyone trained on their own—”

She looked at Xiao Man.

“You secretly came to the capital without my father’s knowledge. My father said he doesn’t blame you and wants to thank you. He said my mother would also be grateful to you from the underworld.”

Xiao Man’s face turned blue then white, as if she wanted to get angry but also wanted to laugh.

“Pah,” she said. “Who cares about your father’s thanks!”

Her expression did not attempt to hide her anger.

Chu Zhao nodded: “I know you hate my father. You hate him for making the border commanderies go to war, causing you to lose your homes and loved ones. You also hate… my mother’s death.”

She lowered her head to look at the letter.

“My mother exhausted herself worrying and helping my father, draining her spirit, so that when she gave birth to me, she couldn’t pass through the ghost gate.”

Xiao Man sneered: “Yes, that’s right. If it weren’t for your father, your mother wouldn’t have ended up like this! If it weren’t for your father driving us to desperation, you—”

She angrily flicked her sleeve, as if unable to continue, and turned her head away forcefully.

Chu Zhao was about to say something, but Xie Yanlai, who had been silent, spoke first.

“This,” he took out a letter. “Zhang Gu said it’s from your father to her.”

He lifted his chin toward the girl who had turned her head away.

Xiao Man turned her head back, looking surprised and seemingly suspicious.

Chu Zhao wasn’t surprised at all. It was only natural for her father to personally write a letter to reassure this girl. Seeing Xiao Man wary and not accepting the letter, she signaled to A-Le, who understood and took the letter from Xie Yanlai’s hand, pushing it into Xiao Man’s.

“Read it quickly,” she said. “See what our general says.”

Xiao Man was about to throw the letter away, but seeing the mark on the envelope, she stopped, clutching the letter. She snorted and strode out.

A-Le didn’t mind her attitude at all. What did it matter if she had a strange temper? She had risked her life in battle to protect the miss. Unlike Miss Chu Tang, who had a good temper but would push the miss out when trouble came, rather than protecting her.

“She’s gone to hide and read the letter,” she said. “I’ll go secretly watch her to prevent her from tearing it up.”

She walked out and stood at the hall entrance, watching Xiao Man, who was hiding in a corner, reading the letter.

Only Chu Zhao and Xie Yanlai remained in the hall.

“Yanlai,” Chu Zhao said. “Sit down and talk.”

Xie Yanlai frowned but didn’t say anything this time, sitting down opposite Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao pointed at the table and said again: “Drink your tea.”

Xie Yanlai picked up the teacup and drank it in one gulp, then almost spat it out. He covered his mouth with his sleeve: “Are you doing this on purpose? The medicine you made before almost choked me to death, and now this tea is going to kill me to death!”

Chu Zhao smiled and pushed over the fruit plate on the table: “There are preserved fruits. Quickly eat some.”