Chu Zhao stood before the great hall. Even after Deng Yi’s figure disappeared, she remained standing motionless.

From inside the hall came the sound of Xiao Yu reading. Outside the hall, the attending eunuchs and imperial guards were silent.

Xiao Man stood not far away, not urging her either.

The entire imperial city was quiet and peaceful. That night’s earth-shattering slaughter left no trace. The imperial city was like this—the dead were immediately erased, everything belonging to the new master.

According to the timeline, in that other life at this time, the new Empress Liang would already be in the inner palace, perhaps frolicking there at this very moment.

Chu Zhao’s ears seemed to ring with women’s joyous laughter. Her hand hanging at her side clenched into a fist, her gaze somewhat dark. Suddenly, a figure appeared in her line of sight.

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

The darkness in Chu Zhao’s eyes dispersed, and she smiled radiantly.

“A Jiu,” she called, beckoning.

Xie Yanlai frowned. “Your Highness, this humble general is Xie Yanlai.”

Still calling him by his childhood name—didn’t she know what her status was now? Wasn’t she afraid others would criticize her for lacking propriety?

From the corner of his eye, Xie Yanlai swept a glance around. Eunuchs, imperial guards, palace maids stood solemnly and quietly, not even raising their eyes—

Hmph. Xie Yanlai scoffed inwardly.

“Xie Yanlai,” Chu Zhao obligingly corrected herself, taking a step forward to greet him. “Has my father sent a reply?”

Her eyes sparkled brightly, overflowing with joy. How happy was she? Xie Yanlai knew that even if he said there was no reply, the girl would still be just as happy.

Because there was hope.

The letter had been sent out. Father could see it. Father would surely respond.

Xie Yanlai looked away. “Yes.”

He reached to take out the letter, but Chu Zhao was already beckoning him. “Come inside with me to talk.” She turned and headed into the hall.

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

Xie Yanlai glanced at the room beside them. He could faintly hear a tutor lecturing and Xiao Yu’s responses. He lifted his foot and followed.

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

“Sit here,” Chu Zhao greeted him, pointing to the window area as she went over to sit down first.

Sitting could wait. Xie Yanlai walked over and before she could speak again, handed her the letter. “Just arrived.”

Chu Zhao happily took it, paying no more attention to Xie Yanlai as she opened it to read.

“I—” Xie Yanlai started.

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

Xie Yanlai opened his mouth, said nothing more, and didn’t leave either. Mainly because it wasn’t convenient to bring Zhang Gu inside. Zhang Gu had given him a detailed account—what if this girl had many questions after reading the letter? Though they would all be unnecessary questions, and there was also another letter—

He glanced over. Chu Zhao held the letter sitting by the window, reading with devotion and concentration. Forget it, he’d mention it later.

Xie Yanlai withdrew his gaze. If he couldn’t look at people, he could only look at the room. The room was obviously just furnished, with bookshelves full of various items, desk with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, documents and books scattered about. Besides these, there was also a chess board and zither, and even bows and swords hanging—chaotic yet revealing ease—

What for? When tired of reading, writing, playing the zither, and chess, would she then practice archery and swordplay?

Xie Yanlai couldn’t help curling his lip.

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

Xie Yanlai said, “No need.” He frowned again. This tea’s smell—

“This is medicinal tea,” A Le said with a smile. “Your old injuries haven’t fully healed, and you fought another battle, so Miss said your body needs slow nurturing and can’t be neglected.”

Xie Yanlai scoffed.

“What are you laughing at?” A Le was displeased. “This is medicinal tea I made. My medicine is the most effective. If you hadn’t taken my medicine pills before, you couldn’t have recovered so quickly. Forget about fighting—you’d probably just now be able to walk.”

When they were on the road before, hadn’t this girl been like a mute? Xie Yanlai raised his brows. “How does that prove it was your medicine’s merit? Couldn’t it be that I’m naturally gifted?”

A Le thrust the tea at him. “Drink it! After you drink it and go back, feel whether that pain in your body is gone. Then you’ll know whether you’re naturally gifted or I, A Le, have miraculous healing hands.”

As they argued here, Chu Zhao over there put down the letter, but was still somewhat distracted. Xie Yanlai saw at a glance and turned. “Zhang Gu couldn’t come in, but he told me everything. What do you want to ask?”

Chu Zhao looked at him, her gaze drifting. She made a sound, as if she’d heard his words, yet also as if she hadn’t.

Xie Yanlai’s gaze fell on the letter in her hand. He pressed his lips together and asked, “About your mother—what happened?”

What could make her so distracted? She must have received an answer about her mother.

Living or dead?

Chu Zhao’s gaze focused, looking at him. She nodded. “My father said my mother truly is gone.”

So, part of her hope had still fallen through after all.

Xie Yanlai said, “Since your father told you before, you shouldn’t believe rumors so readily.”

What good was believing these rumors? It only added to the sadness. Not believing meant no hope, and no hope meant no disappointment.

When he had first arrived at the Xie family, those young masters and servants had tricked him, saying, “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 had never believed it.

The two faced each other in silence. A Le gently placed the tray on the table and gently stepped back.

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

As she spoke, she looked toward Xiao Man standing in the hall.

Xie Yanlai also looked over.

Xiao Man, who had been standing by the door with her head turned away, sensed their gazes and turned, eyes wide with vigilance. “What?”

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

Xiao Man’s eyes widened even more. Like a cat, she tensed her body and stepped back. “Wh-what?”

“Don’t be afraid. My father told me everything. He won’t blame you for acting without authorization,” Chu Zhao said with a smile.

Xiao Man’s expression grew even stranger. “What are you talking about!”

“My mother wasn’t a country bumpkin as rumored. Though she came from a rural gentry family, she was educated, well-read, and charitable. Father said that in the border commandery with its frequent warfare, people were displaced. She cared for many homeless people—elderly who’d lost their children, children who’d lost their parents.” Chu Zhao looked at the letter, her eyes bright. “After her death, these people knew to repay kindness and were willing to follow the General into battle. Though my father didn’t agree, everyone voluntarily trained themselves as soldiers—”

She looked at Xiao Man.

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

Xiao Man’s face turned alternately pale and flushed, as if she wanted to lose her temper yet also wanted to laugh.

“Bah,” she said. “Who cares for your father’s thanks!”

Her expression openly showed anger.

Chu Zhao nodded. “I know. You resent my father. You resent him for the border wars that made you lose your homes and relatives. You also resent my mother’s death.”

She lowered her head to look at the letter.

“My mother labored and worried for my father, exhausting her spirit, so that when giving birth to me, she couldn’t pass through death’s door.”

Xiao Man sneered. “Right, exactly! If not for your father, your mother wouldn’t have ended up like this! If not for your father driving us to desperation, you—”

She angrily flung her sleeve, as if unable to continue, and wrenched her head away fiercely.

Chu Zhao was about to speak when Xie Yanlai, who had been silent, spoke first.

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

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

Xiao Man turned back around, her expression surprised yet seemingly doubtful.

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

“Look at it quickly,” she said. “See what our General says.”

Xiao Man was about to throw down the letter, 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 a strange temper matter? She had risked her life fighting to protect Miss. Unlike Miss Chu Tang—good temper, but when trouble came, forget protecting Miss, she would push Miss out instead.

“She’s hiding away to read the letter,” she said. “I’ll secretly watch her so she doesn’t tear it up.”

She walked out to stand at the hall entrance, watching Xiao Man hiding in a corner reading the letter.

Only Chu Zhao and Xie Yanlai remained inside the hall.

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

Xie Yanlai frowned but this time said nothing, sitting down across from Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao pointed at the table and said again, “Have some tea.”

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

Chu Zhao smiled and pushed the fruit dish on the table toward him. “There are candied preserves. Quickly eat one.”