That person—who was he?

Xiao Man, who had been laughing, heard the question and followed the woman’s gaze, seeing him immediately. She made a sound of understanding.

“Him,” she said. “That’s A’Jiu.”

A’Jiu? This was a childhood name, wasn’t it? Even Xiao Man knew it, so he must be someone very familiar to Chu Zhao. A guard? Impossible. Chu Zhao couldn’t possibly act like that in front of a guard—

The woman squinted, thinking.

“He’s not a guard, nor a courier soldier. He’s a young master of the Xie family, the Emperor’s maternal uncle,” Xiao Man continued, telling everything she knew, then snorted. “In cahoots with that Zhong fellow. That Dragon Guard Army—that Zhong fellow handed it over to him to manage.”

The Xie family, the Emperor’s uncle—this was a young master from an aristocratic family. The woman was surprised. Moreover, he could take over from Zhong Changrong, so the General must certainly know him, be acquainted with him, and approve of him.

Since the General approved, he must naturally be very good. The corners of the woman’s mouth curved in a smile.

“This person is very fierce,” Xiao Man said, pursing her lips. “He often quarrels with Chu Zhao and doesn’t listen to her.”

Is that so? Very fierce? Doesn’t listen to Chu Zhao? The woman smiled as she watched the young man and woman standing in the distance.

……

……

The young man’s expression was irritated.

What did “again” mean? Stop acting like she had him completely figured out.

Xie Yanlai sneered coldly. However, his lowered phoenix eyes flew back up, looking at the girl blocking his path.

“Back then by the river, when I discovered your identity and wanted to kill you, I indeed took action,” he said. “You complained repeatedly that you wanted to see your father. I said it was none of my concern and paid no attention—and I indeed paid no attention. Which one isn’t me, Xie Yanlai, doing exactly what I say?”

Chu Zhao nodded. “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.”

This was far too perfunctory. Xie Yanlai was about to say something when Chu Zhao stepped closer, interrupting him.

“How many people did you bring?” she asked in a low voice. “If we truly encounter Prince Zhongshan’s assassination attempt, do we have a chance?”

How could she be so certain he hadn’t come to drag her back? Xie Yanlai felt a breath stuck in his chest. What made her so certain!

“I’ve been delayed here for a long time,” the girl said, looking at him, her eyes reddening. “The latest news is that Xi Liang has increased troops again. All of Yunzhong Commandery has become a battlefield. I don’t know how Father is now.”

“Xiao Man helped find people—over thirty of them. But they can only put on a show. Their killing power isn’t great.”

“Just now the garrison here told me they can’t mobilize troops to escort me. The court has ordered them to strictly guard their local positions.”

“I was just thinking about what to do next.”

At this point, starlight sparkled in her reddened eyes.

“And then A’Jiu, you arrived!”

“A’Jiu, it’s so wonderful that you came.”

Wonderful my ass. Xie Yanlai turned his head and exhaled that breath. “As long as Prince Zhongshan doesn’t dare openly rebel, he’s not a threat.”

The girl before him broke into a smile and stepped forward again—

Xie Yanlai extended his hand, using one finger to press against the girl’s shoulder, like holding down a cat, keeping her fixed in place.

“Stay away from me,” he said coolly. “Being unclear and ambiguous with Her Majesty the Empress is far more serious than with Miss Chu.”

Chu Zhao laughed until she bent at the waist. “I just wanted to thank you.”

Xie Yanlai said, “Give your thanks from a distance too.”

Chu Zhao smiled as she bent in a deep bow. “Thank you, Ninth Young Master.”

……

……

In the military camp, troops assembled once again. But this time, it was finally their turn.

Chu Zhao sat on her horse, looking in all directions. On the outermost layer were the armored soldiers Xie Yanlai had brought. The next layer was Xiao Man leading the enthusiastic “hunters.” Old Bai and the surviving Dragon Guard Army formed Chu Zhao’s final defense.

“I’m the one!” A’Le heard Miss’s murmuring and quickly raised the bow in her hand in protest.

Chu Zhao looked at her and smiled. “A’Le isn’t the final defense. A’Le and I are one.”

A’Le also smiled and nodded. That’s right—she and Miss would live and die together. She looked forward, seeing the young officer at the very front—

In the early winter sunlight, the young man was tall and slender like a pine or cypress, his armor wrapped in a bright red cloak, forming a stark contrast with his cool face—cold as a snowy mountain, yet burning hot as flames—

“Miss,” A’Le moved closer to Chu Zhao and said in a low voice, “You’re so amazing. With just a few words you convinced him to help us.”

She thought back to the past and sighed with emotion.

“Becoming Empress really is different treatment from being Miss Chu.”

Back then, she and Miss had schemed so hard to use those courier soldiers to reach the border commanderies. He’d been guarded, exposed them, and in the end when Miss cried before him, he’d still been coldly indifferent.

Chu Zhao said, “That’s not it. In A’Jiu’s eyes, the Empress and Miss Chu are the same.” She also looked toward Xie Yanlai ahead and smiled. “And it’s not that I convinced him.”

The moment her gaze looked over, the young officer immediately noticed, frowning as he looked back.

Chu Zhao smiled radiantly.

The young officer arrogantly raised his chin.

“He came here to help me all along,” Chu Zhao continued to A’Le.

Ah, came to help all along? A’Le was surprised. That couldn’t be right—how could A’Jiu come to help? Moreover, Third Young Master Xie had written first, then he came. He’d even said himself that Third Young Master Xie sent him to drag her back.

“Don’t listen to what he says,” Chu Zhao smiled. “Just watch what he does.”

A’Le made a sound of understanding. If Miss said so, then it was so. Regardless of the reason, as long as Miss got what she wished.

Crack—the whip snapped crisply.

“Depart!” Xie Yanlai withdrew his proud chin. The whip cracked in the air as he shouted, taking the lead and galloping off first.

Behind him, everyone shouted in unison and moved.

Chu Zhao was among them, shouting chaotically together with A’Le.

“Depart—”

Going home.

Going to see Father.

Going to do what she hadn’t done in that life.

Dust flew on the main road as armored soldiers galloped swiftly, not slowing down one bit when encountering carriages, horses, or people.

“Imperial urgent military march!” the lead officer shouted. “Clear the way quickly—those who block the road shall die!”

The cavalry galloped on.

Whether main roads or side roads, whether border commanderies or interior lands.

With the border warfare, all of Da Xia was tense. Outside Zhongshan Commandery too, there were more and more troops. However, being in Zhongshan Commandery after all, the sensitive populace still had some suspicions.

“Why are so many troops coming to Zhongshan Commandery?”

“Could they be going to attack Prince Zhongshan—”

“I heard the Emperor is displeased that Prince Zhongshan didn’t come to court to pay respects.”

“How could the Prince go pay respects? He cried until his eyes nearly went blind over the Late Emperor’s death.”

“People from Prince Zhongshan’s mansion seeking physicians never cease—”

“This is a bit much. No matter what, Prince Zhongshan is His Majesty’s only elder.”

This discussion made the populace somewhat tense, and they looked at the troops with strange eyes. Some local scholars even went to ask the soldiers what they were doing here.

However, the official troops didn’t arrest these bold scholars, only saying that military secrets must not be probed.

Though they said it mustn’t be probed, soon other scholars figured it out themselves.

“This is strategic deployment,” a scholar in a roadside tea pavilion said, using his finger dipped in tea to draw winding lines on the table. “Zhongshan Commandery is the capital’s most important defense line. Deploying troops here is most appropriate—it can defend the capital when retreating, or aid Yunzhong Commandery when advancing.”

People gathered around listening, half-understanding and half-believing.

Zhongshan Commandery was truly such an important military defense location? How come in the past—

“What about the past?” The scholar stroked his beard with tea-soaked fingers, his gaze distant. “Do you think back then, why did Emperor Jingtai enfeoff Prince Zhongshan to Zhongshan Commandery? Emperor Jingtai had difficulty with heirs—in the end only the Late Emperor and Prince Zhongshan remained. At that time Xi Liang was fierce, ravaging the border commanderies, nearly invading the central heartland. To stabilize Da Xia, Emperor Jingtai chose this vital location of Zhongshan Commandery and had Prince Zhongshan stationed there to form a solid defense at critical moments—”

So that’s how it was! The surrounding people suddenly understood. Emperor Jingtai truly had great foresight.

Hearing this, Xiao Xun pressed his hat down, but even so couldn’t hide the smile at the corners of his mouth.

“Dead people are truly wonderful. Imperial Grandfather can now be called far-sighted too,” he said in a low voice. “Better to say Imperial Grandmother was far-sighted.”

Finishing this sentence, Xiao Xun’s smile grew stronger, not feeling at all that this was mocking his elders.

Imperial Grandmother could personally harm imperial children. Imperial Grandfather knew but said nothing, didn’t punish Imperial Grandmother, didn’t console Father, and drove Father to Zhongshan Commandery to live or die on his own.

When elders were unjust to their children and grandchildren, they didn’t deserve to be his, Xiao Xun’s, elders.