Chu Zhao stood on Yuxiu Tower as a breeze swept by, covering her with fallen flowers.

“Time passes so quickly,” she said, extending her hand to catch the falling petals. “Spring goes and spring comes again.”

Since returning to the capital last spring, she had been both busy and seemingly idle. In the blink of an eye, another year had passed.

“How is Uncle doing at the academy?” she turned and asked.

Chu Tang stood behind her, playing with a parrot held by A-Le, and nodded with a smile: “Very well. He just sent a letter saying that many more students have come to study at the academy this spring. My father is very pleased, and my mother is also very satisfied.”

Chu Lan was pleased with the many students and increased prestige, while Chu’s mother was pleased with the many students, the increased tuition fees, and that the academy had also expanded somewhat, acquiring a piece of land.

Long ago, Chu Lan had wanted to acquire that piece of land and had pulled many strings to inquire about it, but the local government had ignored him.

Now Chu Lan didn’t need to ask; he only had to hint, and the local officials immediately delivered the land deed to his door.

Mentioning this, Chu Tang felt uneasy and added: “If it’s inappropriate, I’ll have my father return it.”

In that lifetime, Chu Lan had also done this, occupying many fields, causing public resentment to boil over and ruining his reputation. Chu Zhao remained silent for a moment, then said: “Keeping this piece of land is not impossible, but Uncle must provide free education for a hundred students.”

Chu Tang was stunned for a moment, then understood: “Let my father use the income from this land for teaching.”

Free education meant no tuition fees, with the academy bearing all expenses for food and lodging. This was no small expenditure.

Chu Zhao nodded: “Taking from the people and using it for the people—wouldn’t that give Uncle even more prestige?”

Chu Tang laughed. Her father would be willing; he didn’t manage the household and didn’t understand the cost of living. Her mother would certainly be unwilling. Calculated this way, acquiring the land would mean losing money. But this was good—it would restrain her parents’ greed.

“I know that Uncle and Aunt want many things, after all, I am the Empress,” Chu Zhao smiled. “But because I am the Empress, I want even more. I want Uncle to become a great Confucian scholar, teaching and imparting knowledge. I want Aunt to be virtuous, kind-hearted, and charitable. I want my three cousins to become my support, charging into battle for me. I want all my relatives to add glory and honor to me as Empress—tell this to Uncle and Aunt.”

Chu Tang nodded with a smile, but helplessly added: “Your words will frighten my father and mother again. They’ve only just settled down after fleeing the capital.”

Last year, Chu Lan, with the merit of capturing Prince Xiao Xun of Zhongshan, had returned to the capital with His Majesty, and the court had deliberated rewards. Chu Lan was appointed to the Hanlin Academy, Lady Jiang was conferred as a National Madam, and Chu Tang was made a Princess.

However, after Chu Zhao returned to the capital, she suggested that Chu Lan decline the official position and leave the capital to continue teaching at the academy.

At that time, Chu Lan had just brought back Chu Ke, who had been hiding at the academy, as well as his other two sons and two concubines. The family was preparing to enjoy wealth and prosperity together.

When Chu Zhao said this, Chu Lan immediately wanted to rush to the Imperial Palace to argue with her.

“Come then,” Chu Zhao had A-Le deliver the message. “Others may not know what you’ve done, but does His Majesty know? How did this reward come about? Others may not know, but are you clear in your heart?”

Chu Lan was doused with cold water, his anger completely extinguished. He sighed deeply and pleaded: “No matter what, we’re family. Can’t we move past this?”

“Of course we can,” A-Le conveyed Chu Zhao’s words, her face beaming with a smile as she helped support Lady Jiang. “After this incident, the young lady has also realized that the master and madam are her relatives. We’re all family. Some things are best and most appropriately done by you. Look at this time—in the eyes of the world, you’ve cleared up our old affairs with the Prince of Zhongshan. In the future, there will be many more things requiring the master and madam’s help—”

The future?

More help needed?

Chu Lan and his wife knew very well how things had been cleared up this time. Was that helping? It was risking their lives!

When Chu Tang visited Chu Zhao in the palace and returned, she was in a daze, muttering, “I was so foolish,” and “I was in such danger.”

Chu Lan and his wife were startled and asked what had happened. Chu Tang told them that capturing Xiao Xun was indeed arranged by Chu Zhao, but when she now curiously asked what the plan had been after the capture, Chu Zhao frankly told her there was no plan—it was just taking a chance.

“If we were lucky, we would win. If not, it wouldn’t matter—we’d all die together.”

So they could have died.

So it was a gamble.

Chu Lan and his wife broke out in a cold sweat.

“Don’t worry, Master and Madam have been ennobled and should oversee the family from now on. Have all the young masters returned? In the future, let them handle matters,” A-Le said with a smile.

The young masters! This meant sending his sons to their deaths!

If their sons died, how could they as parents continue living?

“I’ve finally understood that Chu Zhao is heartless and cold-blooded. We can’t count on her,” Chu Lan told Lady Jiang. “Second Brother is gone, and her family background is weak. To secure her position as Empress, she can only rely on us—rely on us to expend our effort, blood, and lives.”

Understanding this, Chu Lan hesitated no longer and immediately took his family away from the capital to the academy. Chu Tang, thinking the family couldn’t all leave and that as a daughter she should remain in the capital to avoid truly angering Chu Zhao, stayed behind.

After arriving at Qiaoshan Academy, Chu Lan breathed a sigh of relief. Not only could he stay away from Chu Zhao and the Emperor, but he could also enjoy treatment unavailable in the capital. Local prestigious families and officials were all respectful to him, knowing he was the Empress’s uncle, knowing he had risked his life to capture Xiao Xun, knowing he was a learned and talented scholar—

Chu Lan was like a fish in water, living much more comfortably than in the capital. He no longer wanted to be an official, nor did he want his three sons, Chu Ke and the others, to become officials—being officials meant being held in Chu Zhao’s grasp, charging into battle for her, bleeding and sacrificing their lives.

As life became comfortable, Chu Lan became increasingly inflated with pride. Now he had started acquiring land. If not restrained, he would become increasingly greedy.

As long as there was greed, one would fall into others’ traps.

Chu Tang leaned against the railing and sighed: “When will we be able to live without being so cautious?”

Chu Zhao smiled: “People must always live cautiously.”

However, she added:

“Perhaps in seven or eight years, things will be a bit easier.”

Seven or eight years? Chu Tang had just asked casually. She had always known that one must live cautiously, but she hadn’t expected Chu Zhao to give a timeframe.

“Why seven or eight years?” she asked curiously.

Because, in that lifetime, she had died eight years later. If in this lifetime she could still be alive at that time, it would truly mean she had changed her fate.

Chu Zhao smiled: “Because by then, we will have grown mature and steady.”

Chu Tang laughed: “I feel I’m already quite mature and steady, after all, I am a Princess.”

She knew Chu Zhao wasn’t telling the truth, but she wouldn’t press further. A cautious, mature, and steady person knows the meaning of propriety.

“Your Majesty,” a palace maid announced from behind, “the noble ladies have all arrived.”

Today, Chu Zhao was hosting a grand flower-viewing banquet in the palace.

Chu Zhao descended from Yuxiu Tower with Chu Tang, but they did not go directly to meet the noble ladies.

“A-Tang, please entertain the ladies for me first,” she said. “I’ll go see His Majesty and bring him over. I promised him that there would be a banquet today, allowing him to end his lessons early.”

Chu Tang acknowledged this. Having become a Princess, she was more adept at entertaining noble ladies on the Empress’s behalf. Surrounded by palace maids, she gracefully departed.

Chu Zhao then crossed the Imperial Garden toward the inner palace. Just as she turned into a corridor, she saw a young man standing beneath a wisteria tree by the palace gate.

Dressed in official robes, he stood tall and straight.

Chu Zhao recognized him just by his back and called out with delight: “Third Young Master, you’ve returned!”

Xie Yanfang turned around at the sound of her voice. Sunlight filtered through the blooming wisteria flowers, surrounding him with a halo of light.

“Your Majesty,” he smiled and bowed.