From the moment of her rebirth, Chu Zhao had been single-mindedly determined to return to the border region 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 one last time before his death and accompany him.

She never expected that in this lifetime, while not being trapped by Xiao Xun, she would still become empress and still enter this imperial city.

Once you entered this imperial city, it became very difficult to come and go freely.

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

Xie Yanlai frowned: “Does this even need to be said? Don’t you know perfectly well in your own heart? You’ve been making such a fuss for so long, and now you’re still clinging to me and making me deliver letters—isn’t it all for your father?”

Chu Zhao fell silent.

“Don’t you want to go see your father?” Xie Yanlai said. “Why are you being this empress?”

Why was she being this empress? Chu Zhao looked up at Xie Yanlai. She couldn’t help but laugh, then pressed her lips together.

“I’m doing this for my father,” she murmured.

To stay alive, to prevent the tragedy of the previous lifetime from happening again, to prevent her father from being held hostage, to let her father depart this lifetime peacefully and with dignity—

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. The next moment, he turned around and came back.

“You don’t trust this one, you don’t trust that one, you provoke this one, you provoke that one,” he said irritably. “As a result, you yourself don’t dare to leave, do you?”

Chu Zhao burst out laughing. After thinking for a moment, she said seriously: “It’s not that I don’t dare. I just feel that right now—”

“Right now isn’t suitable? Right now the court isn’t stable?” Xie Yanlai scoffed. “Grand Tutor Deng and Third Young Master Xie—if they lose their power and influence, they’ll have nothing left. So they’ll definitely protect their power and influence and maintain the court’s stability.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and made an affirming sound.

“As for that little brat,” Xie Yanlai said, “he is power and influence. Even if Third Young Master Xie and the Grand Tutor wish each other dead, they’ll both protect him.”

Chu Zhao nodded again.

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

Chu Zhao looked at him and said candidly: “The position of empress.”

Hearing these words, Xie Yanlai gave a mocking laugh. That’s right—the position of empress. What court instability? She was afraid her position as empress wasn’t stable. Whether it was Deng Yi or Xie Yanfang, both had worked assiduously for years. For them to sit in court was reasonable and expected. Only this Chu Zhao—a mere girl who emerged during the chaos, seizing the opportunity to scheme for the position of empress—

With her father dying, even with the Dragon Prestige Army in hand, sitting firmly in this empress position wouldn’t be so easy.

How could she bear to leave?

Xie Yanlai raised his hand in a bow: “This subject has overstepped.”

After saying 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. In the previous life, both had been very formidable. Compared to them, this time she had purely seized the initiative. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even have the qualifications to discuss trust or distrust with these two.

The court was unstable, and Ah Yu was still young. She worried that once she left, she would never be able to return.

Everything she had just obtained would dissipate like smoke and clouds, like a dream.

She had already gotten involved. If she lost it again, her father and she, the people her father left behind, even the people her mother left behind—none would meet a good end.

She felt melancholy for a moment, then turned and slowly walked back into her study. Before she could sit down, footsteps sounded, and someone walked in heavily.

Chu Zhao turned her head and saw Xie Yanlai returning.

A’Le, who had been waved away, didn’t follow in. He stood outside pouting.

Chu Zhao looked at him, blinked, and asked: “What other counsel does my dear minister have to offer?”

……

……

Xie Yanlai felt both annoyed and amused. He had just stormed off, but unexpectedly, upon returning, the girl threw these words back at him, like a needle piercing through a facade.

Forget it.

The court was unstable, people’s hearts were in turmoil, and she and her father were in such circumstances. What was he arguing with her about?

“You don’t need to worry,” he said. “Since you’ve entrusted the Dragon Prestige Army to me, I’ll help you guard this position as empress. Go back and see your father.”

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

What kind of words were these! How was this being good to her! Xie Yanlai said coldly: “There’s no one else here. No need for this.”

Chu Zhao laughed again: “When there’s no one else, that’s when words are sincere.”

Even more outrageous!

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

Chu Zhao quickly nodded with a smile: “Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore.” She raised her eyebrows, smiling as she pressed her heart. “I’ll remember it in my heart.”

Xie Yanlai looked at her coldly.

Chu Zhao straightened her expression: “I know you’re doing this for yourself.”

That was more like it. Xie Yanlai snorted and turned to leave.

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

Xie Yanlai took two steps and turned back again.

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

“Of course, compared to Third Young Master Xie and Deng Yi, I’m not exactly trustworthy either, and I may not truly be able to hold the position. But,” Xie Yanlai said blandly, looking at this girl, “Miss A’Fu was able to deceive so many people just to return to the border region. Miss Chu was able to beat her own brother for an invitation to the Wangchun Garden literary gathering and held the Chu Garden literary gathering instead. And on the night of the turmoil, she was able to bring the young emperor through three passes and defeat five generals, placing the young emperor and herself on the throne and the empress seat—”

Chu Zhao looked at him. Putting it this way, since her rebirth and return, he had known her the longest.

Xie Yanlai looked at the girl.

“So, Miss Chu, you’re so capable that even if I don’t hold your position as empress, you yourself can take it back again.”

Chu Zhao looked at him and slowly nodded.

Xie Yanlai said nothing more and turned to leave.

Chu Zhao didn’t speak, watching him take one step, two steps, three steps to the doorway. One foot crossed the threshold, but the other foot stopped.

“I—” Xie Yanlai didn’t turn back. His voice came muffled, “I’ve always regretted not running back immediately to see my mother.”

Back then, tiny as he was, standing in the Xie family’s great manor, frightened and nervous. Everything he saw, whether people or objects, was so splendid. Everyone told him that from now on, he could live a good life.

He couldn’t bear to part with his mother, but thought that if he could let his mother also live the kind of good life they had here, then he would stay. One day, two days, three days—

When he finally couldn’t bear it and ran out of the Xie family to find his mother, all he saw was his mother’s corpse.

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

Even if he couldn’t have prevented it, at least he could have seen her one last time and told her how much he couldn’t bear to part with her.

“In this world, some people and things, once lost, are gone forever. No matter how much you gain in the future, you can never make up for it.”

After the young man said this, he lifted his foot, crossed the threshold, and strode away.

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

Of course she knew how much regret came from losing people and making mistakes.

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