The young man lifted his chin, his phoenix eyes raised, looking both arrogant and coldly mocking, but his brow unconsciously furrowed, diluting his disdain.
Chu Zhao rested her chin on her hand, looking at him. She felt he seemed the same as before on the road, but looking more carefully, he was different. Perhaps it was because he wore the official robes of an Imperial Guard general—his bearing was even sharper than before.
“A’Jiu, you’re so impressive,” she said with a smile. “I’ve even become empress, yet you can still see through me.”
Look at that shameless grinning face of hers. Xie Yanlai laughed mockingly: “So you think that now you’ve become empress, you’re omnipotent and dare do anything?”
Chu Zhao smiled: “Even when I wasn’t empress, I dared to do anything.”
Well, that was true. Xie Yanlai gave a cold laugh, his phoenix eyes darkening slightly: “Fine if you provoke me, but now you’re also provoking him and Deng Yi. Are these two people easy to provoke?”
Chu Zhao sat up straight: “When did I provoke you? The relationship between you and the Xie family—does it even need my provocation?”
Xie Yanlai was momentarily unable to refute this.
“When I’m good to you, you instead think I have ulterior motives. Would you be happy if I joined the Xie family people, like that whatever Seventh Master, and whipped you with them, bullying you together?” Chu Zhao said indignantly.
What nonsense was this? Xie Yanlai slapped the table: “Don’t talk about these useless things. What are you trying to do by telling them they shouldn’t trust each other?”
Chu Zhao said: “To make it so I myself can attend court and participate in governance.”
Xie Yanlai said: “Then just say it directly! Tell Xie Yanfang you don’t trust Deng Yi and ask for his help, tell Deng Yi you don’t trust Xie Yanfang and ask for his help. Do you think they’ll actually believe you? They’re not three-year-old children.”
Chu Zhao said: “I never intended for them to believe me. I know they don’t believe me.”
Xie Yanlai looked at her and drew out a long “Oh”: “This subject has been dull-witted. Her Majesty the Empress is wise and has everything planned.”
Chu Zhao laughed: “Don’t be so sarcastic.”
Before Xie Yanlai could speak again, she continued in a measured tone.
“This matter is very simple. It’s still what I said earlier—your relationship with the Xie family isn’t good, and that’s not because of my provocation. Similarly, Grand Tutor Deng and Third Young Master Xie already don’t trust each other.”
“And what I’m doing isn’t to make them believe I trust one of them.”
Xie Yanlai already understood. He gave a self-mocking smile—he had long known this girl was extraordinarily bold.
“So Your Highness did this to make them not believe you,” he said.
Chu Zhao didn’t mind that his form of address kept changing. She nodded.
“Yes, I’m letting them know that I don’t trust them either. That way—” she said with a smile, “they’ll want to gain my trust.”
Xie Yanlai was slightly stunned, looking at the girl’s face wearing a smile, but her eyes were full of desolation.
She had once so easily given away her trust, dedicating her entire body and soul to that person, but in the end, her trust and her person were worthless.
“A’Jiu, I’m now the empress. I saved the emperor’s life. I’m the person the emperor trusts most, and I hold military power.”
She looked toward Xie Yanlai.
“Why should I go trust them? Shouldn’t it be that they need to earn and obtain my trust?”
……
……
Xie Yanlai looked at the girl sitting upright before him. Her eyes were clear and bright, her makeup and clothing simple—not imposing or gorgeous, but—
Even when she was A’Fu desperately seeking help at the postal station, a light had flashed in those eyes. It was a light that refused to be beneath others, that demanded not to be underestimated, making people nervous and wary.
Then, she rose to prominence in the capital.
Now, she was the empress.
He had actually presumed to want to remind her, to teach her how to handle things.
With just a movement of her finger now, she could make him less than human.
Xie Yanlai smiled. He stood up and bowed to Chu Zhao: “This subject—”
But just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, along with the eunuchs’ soft voices saying “Your Majesty—”
Xie Yanlai stopped speaking and turned to look. He saw Xiao Yu standing outside the door, slightly craning his neck to look inside, but not stepping in.
“Ah Yu.” Chu Zhao said with a smile, beckoning.
Only then did Xiao Yu step inside, quickly walking to Chu Zhao’s side. He looked at Xie Yanlai and called out: “Uncle.”
Xie Yanlai bowed to him: “I greet Your Majesty.”
Xiao Yu nodded: “Uncle need not be so formal. Please sit quickly.”
Xie Yanlai said: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
But he did not sit down.
Chu Zhao took Xiao Yu’s hand and asked: “Finished with lessons?”
Eunuch Qi followed in, saying with a smile: “One lesson just ended. In a moment, the teacher will come to instruct Your Majesty in calligraphy.”
Xiao Yu held up one hand: “If I write five more sheets of characters in a while, that will be enough.”
Chu Zhao said with a smile: “Then I’ll also write five sheets of characters in a while. Let’s have the teacher see whose writing is better. How about that?”
Xiao Yu nodded: “Good.”
Eunuch Qi chimed in from the side: “This old servant has seen the Chu Garden Literary Collection. Your Majesty, you’d better not compete with His Majesty.”
Chu Zhao laughed heartily and looked at Eunuch Qi: “Eunuch Qi, have you seen me concede defeat so many times that you’re afraid I can’t match Ah Yu?”
As she spoke, she made a show of rolling up her sleeves.
“After the literary gathering, I’ve improved greatly. I’m not afraid of not matching Ah Yu.”
Xiao Yu smiled and clenched his small fists: “I’m also not afraid of not matching Elder Sister.”
After saying this, he turned to look at Xie Yanlai.
“Uncle, you should also compete with Ah Yu.”
Xie Yanlai said straightforwardly: “I don’t know how to write.”
Xiao Yu’s small face showed a surprised expression. In his understanding, there was no one in the world who couldn’t write, especially people from the Xie family, his uncle—
His other uncle, the one his mother constantly mentioned, that young master of the Xie family—renowned throughout the realm, learned and talented, capable of anything.
“He can’t match us.” Chu Zhao said with a smile, patting Xiao Yu’s arm. “When Ah Yu learns archery and horsemanship, we’ll compete with your uncle then.”
After saying this, she raised her eyebrows at Xie Yanlai.
Let’s see what he says now—will he say he doesn’t know archery and horsemanship?
Xiao Yu also saw that Chu Zhao was teasing his uncle.
Actually, the uncle his mother constantly mentioned was also very skilled at archery and horsemanship. His mother said he was even better than his father.
But so what?
The child also laughed along with Chu Zhao.
Xie Yanlai looked at the one big and one small laughing at him, rolled his eyes internally, and raised his hand: “Your Majesty, I’ll go attend to my duties first.”
After saying this, without waiting for Xiao Yu and Chu Zhao to speak again, he turned and walked out on his own.
Low laughter came from behind him. How boring! He sneered inwardly. Looking back, he saw the one big and one small in the hall already sitting squeezed together. Not knowing what was said, they leaned their heads together and laughed.
This girl really was—naive yet worldly, heartless yet sentimental.
What did it matter to him how she was? It had nothing to do with him. Xie Yanlai withdrew his gaze and strode away, but after walking not far, he stopped again, as if deliberating, hesitating, remaining motionless for a long time.
The Imperial Guards around him also turned a blind eye, letting him stand there like a wooden post.
……
……
Chu Zhao spent a moment chatting and laughing with Xiao Yu. When Eunuch Qi came to request he attend lessons, Chu Zhao actually went along as well and wrote five sheets of characters for Master Qi to evaluate.
She didn’t deliberately lose to Xiao Yu, bringing out all her skills, and received praise from the teacher.
After the next lesson began, Chu Zhao left Xiao Yu’s study. Just as she stepped out, she saw Xie Yanlai.
Chu Zhao was stunned for a moment and hurried forward: “You didn’t leave? You’ve been waiting here for me this whole time? What’s the matter?” She looked at the eunuchs around them. “Why didn’t you come tell me?”
The eunuchs bowed their heads to say “This servant is guilty,” but Xie Yanlai impatiently stopped them.
“Naturally, I didn’t let them,” he said. “I don’t have any particular matter.”
No particular matter—what kind of matter was this? Chu Zhao looked at him and made an acknowledging sound. She waved her hand at the eunuchs, and they immediately retreated like water. Outside the great hall, only the two of them remained.
Chu Zhao said softly: “Go ahead and speak.”
Why send people away? As if he had something unspeakable to say. Xie Yanlai frowned.
He stepped forward: “Chu Zhao, you should go see your father.”
Chu Zhao was slightly stunned, looking at this young man.
Besides her, there was still someone who kept her father in mind.