Chu Ke originally shared a carriage with Miss Chu, but after Xiao Xun joined the group, Xiao Xun mostly rode on horseback, so Chu Ke followed suit and also rode.

This way he could ride alongside Xiao Xun and converse with him.

These past two days Chu Ke suddenly stopped riding. Xiao Xun didn’t particularly care about Chu Ke, but was especially sensitive to anomalies, so he had Tie Ying ask about it.

Because of Miss Chu’s attitude, Xiao Xun rarely approached, but that didn’t mean he paid no attention to Miss Chu’s side.

Now the entire group was under his control.

Tie Ying quickly found out. Chu Ke had started having diarrhea the evening they entered the city to rest and change carriages and horses. It wasn’t serious, but it was enough to prevent him from riding freely and forced him to lie in the carriage.

The physician traveling with the prince’s manor had examined him and found nothing seriously wrong, but the guards told Tie Ying they had seen Miss Chu’s maid sprinkle something into Chu Ke’s food.

No need to doubt it—this Miss Chu was behind it.

“It’s just to prevent Young Master Chu from coming to talk with Your Highness,” Tie Ying said, both angry and incredulous. “This Miss Chu is so young and quite pretty too. How can she have such a malicious heart?”

Hitting people in the capital, stealing money and running after hitting someone, changing her identity and deceiving people with an act along the way, getting entangled with postal soldiers, and now drugging her own cousin—why was everything she did so contemptible?

Xiao Xun also didn’t quite know what to say. His father the prince often said privately that Chu Ling was accomplished in both civil and military arts, of high intelligence and integrity, a rare military talent, and he held Chu Ling in extremely high regard.

How did Chu Ling raise such a daughter?

Xiao Xun turned to look at Miss Chu’s carriage. The weather had warmed by now, the window curtain was rolled up, and the spring breeze brushed past. That girl sat by the carriage window, her hand propping her chin, either lost in thought or admiring the scenery.

Her face was like white jade, her black hair pinned up, her appearance still retaining some childishness.

Sensing his gaze, the girl’s wandering eyes instantly became sharp as arrows and looked over.

Xiao Xun wasn’t wearing his brocaded finery of daytime, only a somewhat worn thin robe, his entire person as if enveloped in spring light.

Really handsome.

In that previous life, whenever she saw him, Chu Zhao’s heart would beat rapidly.

That heart died in the previous life.

Now facing him, Chu Zhao couldn’t even feel her heartbeat.

Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze and pulled the window curtain shut with a snap.

Xiao Xun’s view was cut off. He was slightly stunned, looking down at his hand gripping the reins. The fine hairs on the back of his hand were still standing on end.

Strange. Why did he feel that girl had killing intent when their gazes collided?

“Your Highness?” Tie Ying asked, noticing Xiao Xun’s unusual state.

Xiao Xun made a sound of acknowledgment, gripped the reins, and said: “It’s nothing.”

Tie Ying was about to step back when Xiao Xun called him again.

“This Miss Chu is unruly. Keep watch on her,” he said with a smile. “I don’t want to also be drugged with diarrhea and unable to go to the capital.”

Tie Ying understood. Miss Chu opposed their escort. Her bad attitude before was one thing, but to actually have the ability to drug people—that required vigilance.

“Your Highness, rest assured,” he said in a deep voice. “Your food, clothing, shelter, and travel—she won’t have the slightest opportunity to make contact.”

Tie Ying withdrew. Xiao Xun continued forward, his usually calm eyes slightly grave.

That girl’s bad attitude could be ignored, but if she had killing intent, that was another matter entirely.

Was this killing intent the girl’s own, or Chu Ling’s?

There were four carriages in the convoy. Besides Chu Zhao’s and Chu Ke’s, both Deng Yi and Xiao Xun had one, and another belonged to Xiao Xun’s servants carrying travel supplies.

But Deng Yi rarely rode in the carriage, especially after Xiao Xun joined them.

He rode at the very front.

A guard beside him spoke in a low voice.

They were also talking about Chu Ke.

Deng Yi had known at the time about Chu Zhao drugging Chu Ke. However, since it had nothing to do with him, he naturally paid it no mind.

Compared to two days ago, Young Master Chu’s complexion was much better today. After who knows what argument with Chu Zhao in the carriage, he loudly called for a servant to bring a horse. He came out of the carriage and climbed onto the horse. Deng Yi watched with interest as he spurred his horse to catch up with Xiao Xun ahead.

Deng Yi was accustomed to this scene. Chu Ke had never had opportunities to interact with imperial relatives before. Now that he’d met a prince’s heir, he couldn’t wait to curry favor.

The heir was a refined gentleman, amiable to everyone, and certainly wouldn’t show a cold face to a young man who admired him.

But this time, before Chu Ke reached Xiao Xun’s side, he was stopped by a guard who pointed at Xiao Xun. Several guards surrounded Xiao Xun, speaking in low voices, apparently not allowing Chu Ke to disturb them.

Chu Ke quickly withdrew and rode in the formation waiting, but when the guards around Xiao Xun dispersed, before he could approach, Xiao Xun abandoned his horse and got into the carriage.

The carriage of the Heir of Prince Zhongshan was spacious and magnificent. Without the heir’s invitation, he couldn’t board it.

Chu Ke rode back and forth several times but never received Xiao Xun’s invitation, and could only give up in disappointment.

The next several days were the same. It was as if overnight everyone suddenly realized the group included an imperial relative. Xiao Xun displayed the heir’s proper ceremonial dignity, surrounded by guards, high above, mortals keep away.

A guard said to Deng Yi in a low voice: “Now Miss Chu is satisfied. The heir is extremely disgusted with the siblings.”

Although he hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic before, he had maintained politeness. Now this was clearly unconcealed distance.

Deng Yi smiled: “That’s quite good.”

How was that good? The guard didn’t understand.

Being disliked by others was manipulated by this girl, was as she wished, so to her it was good. Deng Yi gripped the reins and glanced at the carriage where Chu Zhao was.

Chu Zhao was looking outside through the window. This girl was always very quiet, unless she was launching an attack—

His thought flashed by, and that girl’s gaze looked over, then a smile appeared on her face as she rolled up the curtain.

“Lord Deng, Lord Deng,” she called, waving.

Deng Yi slowed down a few steps. When Chu Zhao’s carriage came closer, he asked: “What is it, Miss Chu?”

Chu Zhao took a small porcelain bottle from her maid A’Le’s hands: “Lord Deng, this is my family’s secret frostbite ointment. The late spring cold is severe, and I see you have old injuries on your hands. Apply this for protection.”

Deng Yi glanced at his own hand. On the back of his hand was an old scar, indeed left by frostbite from before.

“Good,” he said, reaching out to accept it. “Thank you, Miss Chu.”

Chu Zhao shook her head: “It’s only appropriate.”

Appropriate? Deng Yi almost laughed. Both had ruined her well-laid plans—why was he “appropriate” while Xiao Xun was not?

This little girl knew how to offend people and also how to ingratiate herself.

But why him?

Whether in terms of status and position, or appearance and age, compared to Xiao Xun, it shouldn’t be him, should it?

Interesting. He smiled and spurred his horse forward.

Chu Ke lay in the carriage, watching the entire process. He held back until Deng Yi left, then sneered and questioned: “Why is he ‘appropriate’? Why is the heir ‘not appropriate’?”

He wasn’t stupid. He could see Xiao Xun’s distance and naturally guessed it must be Chu Zhao’s fault. Chu Zhao offended the heir, causing the heir to extend his dislike to him as well, no longer paying him any attention.

He truly ground his teeth with hatred.

“Because he’s the one who directly arrested me,” Chu Zhao said casually. “Of course I should ingratiate myself with him. My case has nothing to do with the heir.”

“Are you stupid!” Chu Ke cursed angrily. “To avoid punishment, you should be ingratiating yourself with the heir even more. Deng Yi is just a magistrate. This matter isn’t even under the Commandant’s jurisdiction—he’s just a lackey. But the heir is different. The heir has high status and position. Even if this matter has nothing to do with him, if he says a word for you then, it would be more effective than this Deng Yi.”

Chu Zhao glanced at him: “Then you’re wrong. Lord Deng is actually the most formidable one.”