The busy and noisy hall of the Imperial Tutor grew quiet.

Deng Yi sat at his desk, reviewing something. He stopped writing and looked at Chu Zhao.

“What court matters have displeased the Empress now?” he asked.

Since collaborating on the investigation of the Huzhou summer flood case, the relationship between the Empress and the Imperial Tutor had eased considerably in court. When the Empress spoke in court, the Imperial Tutor no longer ignored her in silence. Before using the Dragon Robe Guards, the Empress would first inform the Imperial Tutor.

So, regardless of their private attitude toward the Defense Bureau, at least on the surface, they stayed out of each other’s domains.

Chu Zhao looked at Deng Yi: “Why is the Imperial Tutor interfering with the border army?”

Deng Yi put down his brush: “Interfering?” He looked at Chu Zhao. “Does the border army no longer belong to Great Xia?”

Chu Zhao took a deep breath, but this time she wasn’t in the mood to say nice words to placate Deng Yi.

“Imperial Tutor, you know what I mean,” she said directly. “You were concerned, so you sent a supervisor, which I can accept. You replaced some border troops with state and commandery troops, citing battle fatigue, which I can also accept. Everything is for Great Xia, for victory in the war. But how can you interfere with the Commander-in-Chief’s central army?”

After speaking, she threw a memorial report onto the desk.

Deng Yi glanced at it but didn’t pick it up to open it. Instead, he pulled out several reports from his desk.

“The border army is riddled with corruption. How greatly does this affect the war effort? Is the Empress only concerned with military power, disregarding everything else?” he said. “The Commander-in-Chief’s central army is especially crucial to the war. Is inquiring about it not for the sake of Great Xia and victory?”

“Don’t try that rhetoric with me. We’re not in court now, and there’s no one else here, so Lord Deng doesn’t need to speak so nobly,” Chu Zhao sneered. “It’s not enough that you favor Liang Qiang heavily; you also want to support Liang Ji. Aren’t you just trying to control the border army?”

Deng Yi also sneered: “Nobly? Then is the Empress’s repeated vigilance against the Liang father and son, completely disregarding the military situation and focusing only on military power—are you truly doing this for Great Xia, for victory in the war?”

He also threw several reports onto the table.

“Do you know how many people the Xie family has placed in the border commandery? Aren’t they dividing military power?”

“You only watch the Liang family, only watch me. Are you watching for Great Xia, or for the Xie family?”

He stood up, looking at Chu Zhao.

“I won’t divide your power, and the Liang family can’t take your power away!”

“Chu Zhao, why don’t you trust me?”

The setting sun’s afterglow illuminated the room, making the vision of the two standing opposite each other somewhat hazy, yet like burning flames.

Chu Zhao thought, why doesn’t she trust him?

It was because she knew the Liang family could take her power away, and she knew Imperial Tutor Deng Yi could divide the Emperor’s power. He could even slap the Emperor’s face.

What did the Emperor mean in Deng Yi’s eyes? What did she mean in Deng Yi’s eyes!

She now saw clearly how fate was approaching step by step, all related to Deng Yi.

Now she thought, perhaps her fate in her previous life wasn’t solely because of Xiao Xun. Deng Yi could slap Emperor Xiao Xun in the face over a disagreement, so regarding the reassignment of border army generals, Uncle Zhong’s divided authority, being surrounded with no rescue, the Emperor poisoning the Empress, elevating Concubine Liang to Empress—in all these major events, how could Deng Yi not have been involved?

Perhaps, he was even the mastermind.

Why should she trust him?

Thinking back on their interactions, she had trusted him because she believed he was Xiao Xun’s nemesis, but had never considered how much her fate in that life was related to this Deng Yi—

She had trusted him too readily, and had been too confident in herself.

“Because the Imperial Tutor’s actions truly don’t inspire trust,” Chu Zhao said. “You keep saying I don’t trust you, but have you ever trusted me?”

Deng Yi looked at the girl before him. At this moment, her gaze was both unfamiliar and familiar to him.

Unfamiliar because she had never looked at him this way before.

Familiar because he had seen it before.

Back in Zhongshan Commandery, on the road, the look the young lady of the Chu family gave to the heir of Zhongshan, Xiao Xun.

Now, it was his turn.

“I say what you’re doing is wrong, but you insist I’m being manipulated by others, not believing I can make my judgments,” Chu Zhao said coldly. “Since that’s the case, there’s no need to talk further.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Deng Yi thought, from their first meeting, Chu Zhao had been ill-tempered and stubborn. Anyone who defied her will was resented and disliked by her. Just because her attitude toward him had been respectful and ingratiating, often praising him as a hero, he thought she was a lovely girl.x

He had truly been bewitched.

Watching the girl’s back, he didn’t want to keep her from leaving. She was truly obstinate, blinded by a single leaf. He also didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

He watched Chu Zhao walk out of the hall, disappearing from his sight.

“Someone come!” he called loudly. “Where is the Ministry of Revenue’s supplementary register that I requested?”

Outside, there were some hurried, chaotic footsteps. A clerk came to respond, another clerk urged others outside, and officials who had retreated to a distance surged back. The Imperial Tutor’s chamber returned to its previous busy and noisy state.

But the news that the Empress and the Imperial Tutor had quarreled again spread like wildfire.

It didn’t matter, though. This wasn’t the first time the Empress and the Imperial Tutor had quarreled. Let them quarrel—after all, one was the Empress and one was the Imperial Tutor. No matter how they argued, it didn’t matter. What others needed to do was figure out how to take advantage while these immortals fought.

For instance, that Zhu Yong could be said to have risen rapidly amid the quarrels between the Empress and the Imperial Tutor, transforming from a minor compiler to a Deputy Commander of the Defense Bureau wearing a python-patterned robe—although many officials disdained the Defense Bureau, they still feared it in their hearts.

After all, the Defense Bureau people were like wolves and tigers. No one could stop them from doing what they wanted.

If you truly offended them, the Imperial Tutor and other officials might scold them on your behalf, reprimanding the Dragon Robe Guards for their unrestrained actions, but the unfortunate one would be you. From having your property confiscated to imprisonment and punishment, no one could stand in for you.

The small entrance to Zhu Yong’s home had countless visitors in the dark of night.

And the Vice Minister of Revenue, who exposed the Huzhou summer flood corruption, had brought misfortune to so many people. Although he still resided in prison, his family was safe and sound. It was said that when he was released, he would receive preferential treatment, perhaps even being appointed to a provincial post by the Empress—

It was said that the Defense Bureau would also establish offices in various regions.

Between being a subservient Vice Minister under the Imperial Tutor or serving under the Empress, being second only to her and above all court officials, for many people, the latter was better.

So when they saw the Empress and the Imperial Tutor quarreling, court officials no longer sneered and observed from the sidelines as before, but were drawn in, creating waves of their own.

Even Xie Yanfang was watching this matter. When he heard Seventh Master Xie excitedly say, “The Empress has withheld several of the Imperial Tutor’s memorials,” Xie Yanfang also smiled.

“What did the Empress say?” he asked with interest. Without waiting for Seventh Master Xie to answer, he continued, “Did the Empress say, ‘The Imperial Tutor is the regent, but he’s governing the state of Great Xia. As the Empress, when I see the Imperial Tutor’s regency is unreasonable, I naturally must inquire.”

Seventh Master Xie responded with an “Oh” and nodded: “That’s exactly the meaning.” Then he curiously asked, “Did you teach her that?”

Xie Yanfang said, “Why would Lady A-Zhao need my teaching to be Empress? She’s very clever.”

This Empress was indeed clever, and her actions were frightening. Seventh Master Xie had never liked her. He asked: “What’s next? Still just observing?”

Xie Yanfang said: “Next, we can let our Imperial Tutor return to dust.”

Were they finally going to deal with this Deng Yi? Seventh Master Xie was delighted and promptly sat up straight, but Xie Yanfang didn’t continue talking to him. Instead, he called out to Steward Cai outside.

Steward Cai walked in from the outer room holding a stack of letters, still squinting as he looked at them, and asked, “What does the young master need?”

Xie Yanfang asked: “What has Yu Shang been busy with lately?”