Zhong Changrong looked at the new official document on the desk, examining it left and right, trying to find problems with it. But whether it was the writing or the format, he, a military general, couldn’t pick out any flaws.

Pretend not to understand it? That was impossible too. The Grand Tutor, being considerate of these military generals, had written it very plainly.

“Liang Qiang, son of Left Wing Army Chief Clerk Liang Ji, Vanguard Army Marquis, is to enter the capital to receive orders at the Ministry of War.” Zhong Changrong ground his teeth as he read it aloud.

Even the father’s name was written down. Even if he found another person surnamed Liang named Qiang from the vanguard army, it wouldn’t work.

“What right does that Deng Yi have—” Zhong Changrong grabbed the document to tear it.

The deputy generals hurriedly stopped him. “General, it bears the jade seal and great seal—it’s equivalent to an imperial edict. It cannot be desecrated.”

That’s right. By virtue of the Grand Tutor’s regency, in the current Da Xia, what the Grand Tutor said counted. Zhong Changrong indignantly slapped the document on the table.

“General, don’t worry. The young mistress must know about this,” a deputy general consoled. “The young mistress has a fairly good relationship with the Grand Tutor. Didn’t the young mistress say it was only accomplished with the Grand Tutor’s help?”

“That’s right, perhaps the young mistress hasn’t had time to write us a letter yet,” another deputy general said. “Perhaps this is also the young mistress’s intention.”

After Chu Zhao became Empress, the Grand Tutor had been very protective and even indulgent of the Empress. Besides hearing government affairs together with the Emperor and quelling the Prince Zhongshan incident, Zhong Changrong knew a bit more than others. Back when the young mistress had protected the young crown prince and fought her way into the palace, Deng Yi had guarded the palace gate and originally wouldn’t open it—it was the young mistress who persuaded him.

Even earlier, when the young mistress left the capital, it was also Deng Yi who brought her back.

The young mistress and Deng Yi had known each other early and their friendship ran deep. By all rights he should feel at ease, but—which of those sitting in such high positions in the court could truly make one feel at ease?

“General, we’re overthinking this,” a deputy general said. “We were only thinking that the Liang clan has grudges with the Chu clan, but the clan with even greater enmity with the Liang clan is the Xie clan. Grand Tutor Deng naturally doesn’t want to see the Xie clan grow powerful in the army, so he deliberately designated a Liang clan descendant.”

Everyone in the hall suddenly understood. Thinking of it this way, it made sense.

So that’s how it is. Zhong Changrong’s expression relaxed slightly.

“This is actually a good thing,” a deputy general said with a smile. “We don’t need to reconsider either. Just proceed according to what was previously agreed upon.”

A good thing? Everyone looked at him.

The deputy general smiled. “The Grand Tutor wants Liang Qiang to go, and the court’s official document lets us decide for ourselves. So we’ll have both Xie Yanlai and Liang Qiang go. This way the matter has nothing to do with us—it becomes a matter between the Xie clan and the Liang clan.”

Let them fight it out.

Excellent! Everyone in the hall laughed. Zhong Changrong also nodded. Then the young mistress could sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. He glanced at the documents on the desk.

However, his brow didn’t relax. After pondering for a moment, he looked up and ordered, “Summon School Captain Xie.”

……

……

Xie Yanlai strode into the hall, bringing a gust of wind with him.

“General Zhong, our Luo City—” he said angrily.

Before he could finish, Zhong Changrong interrupted him. “Yes, yes, I know. Your Luo City is very busy and very far away. Having you run back and forth is just me playing games with you.”

Xie Yanlai hooked his long leg and pulled over a chair, sitting down and saying lazily, “As long as the General knows. Since you’ve troubled me like this, I won’t hold it against you. Just assign us a hundred more military horses.”

“A hundred horses?” Zhong Changrong sneered. “So you can run around playing every day?” Seeing that Xie Yanlai was about to say something else, he slapped the table. “Stop talking nonsense with me. I called you here about something—regarding entering the capital.”

Hearing this, a trace of mockery flashed at the corner of Xie Yanlai’s mouth. The next moment he lowered his eyes to look at his fingers, saying, “Hasn’t the matter of entering the capital already been decided? What else is there to discuss?”

Yes, it had already been decided, but—Zhong Changrong seemed to drift off, not answering. After hesitating, he asked, “What arrangements has your family made for you?”

Family? Xie Yanlai glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

Since coming to the border army, he hadn’t returned. The Xie family hadn’t said anything either, just sent over a dozen servants to look after his daily life.

Zhong Changrong had been very vigilant and discovered that these dozen servants were carefully selected—capable in both civil and martial matters. Once when Xie Yanlai was trapped in a difficult battle with no news, the servants followed the soldiers to search for him and encountered an ambush. Three servants actually killed twenty Xi Liang scouts.

The Xie family sending these servants to Xie Yanlai certainly wasn’t just to attend to his daily needs—it was to assist him in establishing merit and building his career in the army, to strategize for him.

Zhong Changrong hadn’t driven away the Xie family’s servants, turning a blind eye. As long as what you’re strategizing for is establishing merit and building a career, it’s fine.

“Regarding this trip to the capital,” he looked at Xie Yanlai and asked, “What did your family say?”

Xie Yanlai said lazily, “What does entering the capital have to do with my family?”

Zhong Changrong impatiently slapped the table. “Don’t play dumb with me. For such a good opportunity, your family would have no arrangements?”

Xie Yanlai laughed even more. “This is a good thing?”

Of course this was a good thing—an imperial audience, an audience with His Majesty, merit evaluation at court, official titles and noble ranks! Zhong Changrong sneered. “Whether it’s good or bad, your family decides.”

Xie Yanlai smiled mockingly. “Then I don’t know. My family hasn’t said anything. My family doesn’t manage my affairs here.”

Doesn’t manage? Zhong Changrong was stunned and asked, “Your family didn’t tell you to go to the capital?”

“I came here by imperial command. Naturally I would return also by imperial command.” Xie Yanlai was impatient. “General Zhong, stop constantly bringing up my family.”

He raised his eyebrows mockingly again.

“Is the General so concerned about other people’s families? Does the General do everything by looking at other people’s families?”

After finishing his words, he saw that Zhong Changrong across from him didn’t curse back as usual. His expression didn’t even show anger, but rather an absent-minded appearance.

“Hey.” He had to irritably remind him.

Zhong Changrong made a sound of acknowledgment and glanced at him. “It’s nothing. You can return to Luo City.”

A trace of surprise flashed through Xie Yanlai’s dim eyes. He swung his long legs, but didn’t stand up and leave. Instead, he changed his sitting position.

“What’s going on?” He frowned. “Why are you telling me to return to Luo City again? Hasn’t the matter of entering the capital been settled?”

He’d asked this question as soon as he came in, also saying it had been settled.

But he hadn’t said who had settled it. After all, in the end Second Master Liang had produced the Grand Tutor’s personal directive, determining that Liang Qiang would enter the capital.

Zhong Changrong glanced at him and said, “Yes, it’s been settled. Liang Qiang will go.”

Xie Yanlai sneered. “Excellent! Well done, Zhong Changrong. You really do act according to other people’s families.”

Zhong Changrong irritably shouted, “What nonsense are you spouting! When have I ever acted according to other people’s families!”

“Not according to other people’s families? Then why did you say I would go, but the moment someone produces the Grand Tutor’s directive, you immediately nod and bow and fawn over them?” Xie Yanlai said.

Zhong Changrong slapped the table. “You scoundrel, what are you saying!”

“I don’t care whose family you’re looking at. You said I would go, so I absolutely must go now.” Xie Yanlai swept his sleeves and stood up, heading outside.

“You rascal.” Zhong Changrong also stood up, blurting out, “This isn’t even a good thing. Why go?”

Xie Yanlai’s steps paused. He laughed. “How is it not a good thing now?”

But without waiting for Zhong Changrong to speak, he tossed out a sentence.

“That’s just perfect then. This is my only hobby, Xie Yanlai—the worse something is, the more I want to join in the excitement.”

With that, he strode out.

Zhong Changrong glared angrily after him, his expression complex. He wanted to say something, but in the end only muttered, “That rascal kid.”

……

……

“Young Master.” Xiao Shan walked in carrying a bundle piled as high as a mountain, poking his head out from behind the bundle with an ingratiating expression. “The journey is long, so I’ve prepared luggage for you. Take a look—”

Xie Yanlai was crouching in front of a chest, apparently searching for something. He commanded troops in Luo City, but because he’d stayed at the commandery office when he first came with Chu Zhao, he had a room here. Whether from negligence or indifference, it had been kept until now, though it had been unoccupied for a long time and was covered in dust.

Hearing Xiao Shan’s voice, Xie Yanlai didn’t turn his head. “Get lost.”

Xiao Shan didn’t argue even half a sentence. He dumped the luggage on the ground and whooshed out, leaving only a choked sentence: “Young Master, I’ll miss you.”

Xie Yanlai spat hatefully and continued searching. Light footsteps sounded behind him.

“Young Master,” someone called.

This time Xie Yanlai still didn’t turn his head, but he didn’t curse either. Instead he asked, “What is it?”

Behind him stood a servant in blue robes. This was Xie Yanlai’s true personal attendant. He hesitated, then said softly, “The family’s intention is that you don’t need to return yet. You’re still young and not in a hurry for merit rewards. Focus on your duties with peace of mind. Accumulate small steps to reach a thousand li—”

Before he could finish, Xie Yanlai turned his head with a mocking smile. “Stop lecturing me with all this. You remember clearly—I came here not because of the family, but because of the Emperor. If you want me not to compete for merit rewards, if you want to tell me how to act, then the Emperor should come tell me himself. Everyone else—stop trying to lecture me.”

The servant lowered his head, but didn’t say much more, only saying, “Yes, this subordinate will listen to Ninth Young Master.”

Xie Yanlai said, “You may go.”

The servant immediately withdrew.

Xie Yanlai turned around and sat on the ground, stirring up dust. He brushed off his sleeves and leaned against the chest, silent.

From the moment that person surnamed Liang produced Deng Yi’s directive, he knew that the so-called return to the capital for evaluation would turn into a struggle for merit rewards.

He also knew that what had originally been Zhong Changrong’s personal wish to have him go would immediately become the situation demanding he go.

For Zhong Changrong, having someone surnamed Xie go was the most advantageous choice.

This way the Chu clan could sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight—only benefits, no drawbacks.

When he was called in the second time, he’d prepared to hear how Zhong Changrong would waste words telling him to go, but unexpectedly—

Zhong Changrong had actually changed his mind and told him not to go.

This—Xie Yanlai clenched his hand, squeezing out from between his teeth: “This honest fool!”

The situation was so clear, the choice so simple, yet Zhong Changrong had unnecessarily asked whether the Xie family wanted him to return. Upon hearing they didn’t, he actually told him not to go!

This Zhong Changrong—at critical moments he had no brains, fussy and indecisive, who knows what he was thinking. Just like his foolish young mistress Chu Zhao!

Xie Yanlai’s clenched fist slowly relaxed.

Of course he knew what Zhong Changrong was thinking. Deng Yi wanted Liang Qiang to enter the capital. The Xie clan surely knew, but the Xie clan had neither written a directive for Xie Yanlai to return to the capital nor privately sent word for him to go back. Clearly this time they were avoiding conflict and not competing.

With the Xie clan not competing, if Xie Yanlai returned to the capital anyway, it would cause some trouble for the Xie clan. If the Xie clan had trouble, he, Xie Yanlai, would become a criminal and would be scolded, blamed, and even punished by the family.

Thinking of this, Xie Yanlai found it amusing again. He clearly bore the surname Xie, yet they always viewed him separately from the Xie family. Chu Zhao was like this, and now Zhong Changrong was too.

He raised his hand before his eyes, looking at the tiger-head pendant he held in his hand.

This had been seized from one of the Xi Liang King’s camps. Although they hadn’t captured any Xi Liang royal nobles at the time, they’d fled in haste, leaving behind rare treasures. The other gold, silver, and jewels were nothing special and uninteresting. He’d made the decision to have the following soldiers divide them among themselves.

Only this pendant—he didn’t know what material it was carved from—depicted a tiger head so lifelike and interesting that he’d kept it, planning to give it to—

Setting aside all this chaos, he hadn’t seen her in a year.

He wanted to go. To see her. Just once.

Return to the capital.

Return to the capital!

Who cares about troubles or disputes! He wanted to see her once!

Xie Yanlai clenched his hand and leapt up like a fish.