From the moment of her rebirth, Chu Zhao had been single-mindedly wanting to return to the border commandery to see her father. Avoiding Xiao Xun and the turmoil in the capital was one reason, but more importantly, she wanted to see her father before his death and accompany him in his final moments.

Unexpectedly, in this lifetime, though she had not been trapped by Xiao Xun, she still became the Empress and still entered this imperial palace.

Once inside the imperial palace, it was very difficult to come and go freely.

“Did my father say anything?” Chu Zhao asked softly. “What did Brother Zhang say?”

Xie Yanlai frowned: “Do I need to say it? Don’t you already know in your heart? You’ve been making such a fuss for so long, and now you’re still clinging to me to send letters—isn’t it all for your father?”

Chu Zhao remained silent.

“Don’t you want to see your father?” Xie Yanlai said. “Why did you become this Empress?”

Why did she become this Empress? Chu Zhao looked up at Xie Yanlai, couldn’t help but smile, then pressed her lips together.

“It was for my father,” she murmured.

For survival, to prevent the tragedy of the previous life from happening again, to prevent her father from being held hostage, to let her father pass away peacefully and with dignity in this lifetime—

Xie Yanlai looked away: “Then go.”

After saying this, he turned and walked away.

Chu Zhao stood in place, watching him take one step, two steps, three steps, and then in the next moment, he turned back.

“You don’t trust this one, you don’t trust that one, you provoke this one, you provoke that one,” he said irritably. “And as a result, you’re now afraid to leave, aren’t you?”

Chu Zhao giggled, thought for a moment, then said seriously: “It’s not that I don’t dare, it’s just that I feel, right now—”

“Right now is not appropriate? Right now, the country is unstable?” Xie Yanlai sneered. “If Imperial Tutor Deng and Third Young Master Xie lost their power, they would have nothing left, so they will protect their power and ensure the country remains stable.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and made an affirmative sound.

“As for that little brat,” Xie Yanlai said, “he is the power. No matter how much Third Young Master Xie and Imperial Tutor Deng wish each other dead, they will both protect him.”

Chu Zhao nodded again.

“Then what are you still worried about?” Xie Yanlai said.

Chu Zhao looked at him and said frankly: “The position of Empress.”

Hearing these words, Xie Yanlai gave a mocking laugh. That’s right, the position of Empress. It wasn’t about the country’s instability; she was afraid her position as Empress wasn’t secure. Whether it was Deng Yi or Xie Yanfang, both had striven for years, and their ascent to court positions was reasonable and expected. Only this Chu Zhao, a mere girl, had emerged from the chaos and seized the opportunity to secure the position of Empress—

With her father dying, even with the Dragon Guard in hand, it wouldn’t be easy to secure her position as Empress.

How could she bear to leave?

Xie Yanlai raised his hand in a salute: “This subject has been presumptuous.”

Having said this, he turned and strode away.

Chu Zhao stood in place, watching him leave, and sighed softly.

She didn’t trust Deng Yi or Xie Yanfang. Both had been formidable in her previous life. Compared to them, this time she had merely seized the initiative; otherwise, she would not qualify to discuss trust or distrust with these two.

The country was unstable, A-Yu was still young, and she feared that once she left, she would never be able to return.

Everything she had just obtained would vanish like smoke, like a dream.

She was already involved, and if she lost everything again, neither her father nor she, nor the people her father had left behind, nor even the people her mother had left behind, would come to a good end.

She stood in a daze for a moment, then turned and slowly walked back to her study. She hadn’t even sat down when footsteps sounded, and someone walked in heavily.

Chu Zhao turned her head and saw Xie Yanlai, who had returned.

A-Le, who had been waved aside, didn’t follow him in but stood outside with a pout.

Chu Zhao looked at him, blinked, and asked: “Does my official have any more advice?”

…

…

Xie Yanlai felt both angry and amused. He had just stormed off, only to return and have the girl throw this line back at him, like a needle piercing his skin.

Enough.

The country was unstable, hearts were uneasy, and she and her father were in such a precarious situation. Why was he arguing with her?

“You don’t need to worry,” he said. “Since you’ve entrusted the Dragon Guard to me, I’ll help you protect this position of Empress. Go back to see your father.”

Chu Zhao looked at him, momentarily stunned: “A-Jiu, why are you so good to me?”

What kind of talk is this! How is this being good to her? Xie Yanlai sneered coldly: “There’s no one else here, no need for this act.”

Chu Zhao giggled again: “With no one else around, I can speak from the heart.”

This is even more inappropriate!

Xie Yanlai said coldly: “If you continue like this, I’ll quit.”

Chu Zhao quickly smiled and nodded: “Alright, alright, I won’t say any more.” Her eyebrow quirked up again, and she smiled, pressing her hand to her heart. “I’ll remember it in my heart.”

Xie Yanlai looked at her coldly.

Chu Zhao composed herself: “I know you’re doing this for yourself.”

That’s more like it, Xie Yanlai snorted, turning to leave.

Chu Zhao watched him without speaking, a smile reappearing at the corners of her mouth.

Xie Yanlai took two steps out, then turned back again.

The smile on Chu Zhao’s lips immediately disappeared, and she looked at him seriously.

“Of course, compared to Xie Yanfang and Deng Yi, I’m not someone who can be trusted either, and I may not truly be able to protect your position. But,” Xie Yanlai said calmly, looking at this girl, “Miss A-Fu was able to deceive so many people just to return to the border commandery. Miss Chu was able to beat her own brother for an invitation to the Wangchun Garden literary gathering, and then host the Chu Garden literary gathering. And on the night of the chaos, she managed to bring the young prince through three checkpoints and defeat five generals, elevating both the young prince and herself to the throne and the position beside it—”

Chu Zhao looked at him. Put that way, since her rebirth, he truly had known her the longest.

Xie Yanlai looked at the girl.

“So, Miss Chu, you are so formidable that even if I fail to protect your position as Empress, you can reclaim it yourself.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and slowly nodded.

Xie Yanlai didn’t say anything more and turned to leave.

Chu Zhao didn’t speak, watching him take one step, two steps, three steps to the door, with one foot crossing the threshold and the other stopping.

“I—” Xie Yanlai didn’t look back, his voice coming through muffled, “have always regretted not returning immediately to see my mother.”

At that time, as a small child, he stood in the grand mansion of the Xie family, frightened and nervous. Everything he saw there, whether people or objects, was so splendid. Everyone told him that from then on, he would be able to live a good life.

He missed his mother, but he thought that if he could let his mother live the same good life as him, he would stay, for one day, two days, three days—

By the time he finally couldn’t bear it anymore and ran out of the Xie family mansion to find his mother, he only saw her corpse.

If he hadn’t hesitated, if he had gone back to find his mother immediately, could he have prevented her suicide?

Even if he couldn’t prevent it, at least he could have seen her one last time, told her how much he missed her.

“In this world, some people and things, once lost, are gone forever. Even if you gain more in the future, it cannot make up for what was lost.”

After saying these words, the young man stepped across the threshold and strode away.

Chu Zhao stood inside the hall watching him leave, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes.

She certainly knew how regretful it was to lose people and make mistakes.

Fortunately, heaven had shown mercy and given her a chance to start over. She truly couldn’t miss this opportunity again.