Chu Zhao felt very uneasy right now.

Even sitting in the sturdy carriage, she could feel the ground trembling.

Her heart also beat rapidly in response.

A’Le lifted the carriage curtain. In the distance, the thick black night seemed to burn, and the sounds of people and horses whinnying poured in with the night wind.

“Quickly lower the curtain,” Chu Ke, shrinking in the innermost part of the carriage, shouted in terror. “You lowly maid, what are you lifting the curtain for?”

“What are you shouting about!” Chu Zhao rebuked him. “If bandits really attack, can a curtain stop them?”

Of course it couldn’t. Not to mention the curtain—this sturdy carriage and even Deng Yi and the officers whom she’d originally thought quite reliable were nothing before fierce bandits. Chu Ke wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, the young man’s eyes turning red. How unlucky to encounter bandits!

Chu Zhao took several deep breaths, her voice becoming gentler. “You should think of it this way: we encountered government troops suppressing bandits, not bandits rampaging—that would be true danger.”

Chu Ke naturally understood this reasoning, but—

“So many government troops were mobilized to suppress these bandits, which shows how formidable they are,” he murmured. “What if some slip through the net and break out—”

They’d be done for!

“This is all your fault!” Chu Ke shouted with reddened eyes. “If not for you, how would we encounter so much danger!”

He had been an elegant young scholar studying in the capital. Now look at him—disheveled and wretched, facing life-and-death threats.

“You and your father are the same—you only bring trouble to the family.”

Chu Zhao originally didn’t want to be too harsh with the frightened youth, but hearing this, she kicked out. Chu Ke, caught off guard, crashed against the carriage wall with a bang.

He clutched his stomach and screamed miserably.

But it wasn’t over. The next moment, Chu Zhao grabbed him, her small hands like pincers gripping and pinning him against the carriage.

Chu Ke couldn’t even cry out, his face turning purplish-red.

Chu Zhao said coldly, “You encounter trouble not because of others, but because of yourself. Who told you to be born as a son of the Chu family and become the eldest? Otherwise it wouldn’t be your turn to come here. Chu Ke, it’s your own bad fate. If you dare say one more word against my father, I’ll break your leg—”

Chu Ke stared at her, making coughing sounds as if trying to say something.

“You think I don’t dare?” Chu Zhao pressed Chu Ke’s head down with one hand, moving close to him. “I already nearly took Miss Liang’s life. I don’t care about breaking one more leg of yours. Anyway, my father will petition the Emperor for leniency. One crime will be pardoned, two crimes will also be pardoned. Even if I have to live in prison, your leg won’t come back. If I’m unlucky, you won’t have a good life either for the rest of yours.”

The girl’s voice and expression were calm, but her eyes were like deep pools, dark and gleaming with a terrifying light.

She wasn’t lying. She really dared. And it looked like she really wanted to kill someone.

Chu Ke’s widened eyes were full of fear.

How could Chu Zhao be so frightening? He’d never noticed before—but then, he’d never paid attention to this cousin before, and when he saw her, he’d just looked down on her disdainfully without a second glance.

After speaking, Chu Zhao withdrew her hand and sat up straight. “A’Le, wrap the young master’s cloak properly. Don’t let him catch cold.”

A’Le responded affirmatively. Her round, simple face looked at Chu Ke as she reached out her plump hands and vigorously patted his cloak.

Chu Ke clutched his neck and let out violent coughs. Madwoman—Chu Zhao was a madwoman, her maid was also a madwoman, and her father Chu Ling was an even bigger madman. The entire Second Branch was full of madmen!

He didn’t dare speak again. You couldn’t reason with madmen.

Chu Zhao didn’t bother with him anymore. She also knew that in his heart, Chu Ke must still be cursing her and her father wildly. She didn’t care what people thought in their hearts, but from now on, no one should wantonly slander her father in front of her.

Thinking of this, her heart ached with shame. In her previous life, she really wasn’t much different from Chu Ke. She too had constantly complained about her father. Listening to her uncle’s family complain, not only did she not defend her father, she’d actually joined in their anger and complaints.

Complaining that her father had ruined such good prospects, causing her to have low status and position. Complaining that her father and mother had an illicit union without matchmaking, causing her to be mocked. Resenting that her father had sent her to the capital so late—if from the beginning he’d let Grandmother raise her, she surely would have been a dignified noble young lady—

In short, whenever her life wasn’t going smoothly, it was all her father’s fault.

She had no idea that she was the one who had harmed her father, and that even after his death, he had continued protecting her, allowing her to live peacefully for so long.

Chu Zhao raised her hand and pressed back the tears welling up in her eyes.

Someone gently tapped on the carriage. “Miss Chu.”

A’Le lifted the curtain. Chu Zhao looked at Deng Yi and asked with concern, “Lord Deng has returned? How is it?”

Today, while looking for a camping site, the scouts had reported that something had happened ahead—government troops were suppressing bandits, the bandits were fighting back, and the battle was intense. Deng Yi had them stay put on alert while he personally went ahead to investigate.

The clamor of battle had continued for half the night, and Deng Yi had finally returned.

Actually, Deng Yi had returned earlier, but hearing the siblings fighting again in the carriage—or more precisely, Miss Chu beating Young Master Chu again—he had waited a while.

“It’s over. The government troops won,” he said.

Chu Zhao patted her chest. “That’s good, that’s good.”

There was no way to camp here. Deng Yi ordered them to continue forward. The group lit torches and traveled along the road through a mountain pass, then saw the site of the fierce battle.

Seeing the scene with her own eyes was more visceral than hearing the sounds and imagining.

The battle had been intense with many casualties.

A’Le was slightly nervous, but seeing that Chu Zhao seemed to have no reaction—looking at the blood and remains calmly before turning her gaze away—the young miss had after all grown up in the border military and had seen the world. Unlike Young Master Chu Ke, who cowered like a quail in the carriage, covering his head and face with his sleeve.

A’Le relaxed too, her expression solemn like Chu Zhao’s.

Because their identities had already been verified, their group passed through without obstruction.

“Miss Chu didn’t expect there would be such fierce bandits even in the heartland of the Central Plains, did you?” Deng Yi rode his horse alongside the carriage, looking at Chu Zhao who was lifting the curtain to look out, saying, “Actually, although they say the realm is at peace, bandit troubles have always existed.”

Chu Zhao made a vague sound of acknowledgment, sighing inwardly. The realm would soon cease to be peaceful, and then there would be even more bandits and even more terrible scenes of death and injury.

A rush of hoofbeats sounded. Another troop of soldiers came from ahead, calling out loudly, “Lord Deng.”

Deng Yi reined in his horse. “It’s the heir apparent.”

Xiao Xun? Chu Zhao immediately tensed, gripping the carriage window. In the dim night with blazing torches, a young man wrapped in a black cloak—as he galloped, the night wind lifted his cloak, revealing his white brocade robe and his face. That face, Chu Zhao would of course never forget—

Why had he come?

Xiao Xun met up with Deng Yi without looking at the girl in the carriage who was staring fixedly at him.

“I’m truly ashamed. For such a thing to happen and frighten you all,” Xiao Xun said apologetically.

Deng Yi said, “The heir apparent need not be nervous. This kind of thing has nothing to do with me. I won’t report it to the court, so it won’t tarnish Prince Zhongshan’s good name.”

This Deng Yi really didn’t mince words. Xiao Xun was taken aback. Father had said this Deng Yi was just a minor assistant in the Imperial Guard Office, but he seemed quite arrogant.

Since that was the case, he wouldn’t be polite either.

“Thank you, sir,” Xiao Xun said. “The bandit leader escaped. For safety, Father has ordered me to bring men to escort you to the capital.”

What? Escort them to the capital? Chu Zhao, who had been listening intently from behind, immediately heard this.

“No!” she shouted.

Deng Yi and Xiao Xun looked over. Before they could speak, Chu Ke also shouted from inside the carriage.

“Why not!” The youth’s voice was hoarse. “Didn’t you hear? The most vicious bandit leader is still on the run!”

“Even if he’s running, it’s within Prince Zhongshan’s territory. The heir apparent should go pursue and capture the bandit leader,” Chu Zhao said, gripping the carriage window tightly. “Lord Deng, we just need to leave quickly.”

Deng Yi looked at her. Firelight and darkness danced across his face. He shook his head. “Miss Chu, ensuring safe passage is this official’s duty. I accept the heir apparent’s escort.”

Chu Zhao’s heart sank heavily.

So she couldn’t prevent Xiao Xun from entering the capital at all—she couldn’t even refuse to have Xiao Xun appear by her side.

She had struggled all this way but hadn’t accomplished anything. She couldn’t see her father, and she couldn’t escape Xiao Xun.

Her gaze became blank, and her hand gripping the carriage window grew powerless.