Manifestos flew everywhere.

They appeared in the capital too, scattered throughout the streets and alleys overnight.

However, after the Imperial Guard raided several private residences and arrested dozens of people of various backgrounds, the situation was suppressed.

But while it was contained in the capital, not all other places could be controlled.

Sitting on the dragon throne looking down, the once-bustling court had lost half its officials, though Emperor Xiao Yu’s expression showed no change, remaining as before.

Chu Zhao sat behind the dragon throne, showing no signs of panic either. She even seemed distracted, holding a small round fan which she waved gently. By protocol, she shouldn’t have brought a fan to court, but perhaps everyone was preoccupied, and no one paid attention.

The court was missing more than half its officials—those who had previously followed Deng Yi. Upon learning that Imperial Tutor Deng Yi had joined the Prince of Zhongshan, his followers naturally faced consequences. Of course, they weren’t all arrested and executed. Most immediately wept and claimed they had been deceived, while the rest, when surrounded, indignantly declared their opposition to Deng Yi.

Chu Zhao hadn’t ordered the Imperial Guard to extract confessions through torture. At this point, she couldn’t just execute people, as that would only cause more unrest.

However, she couldn’t act as if nothing had happened either, or people would think the Empress was guilty and without authority.

At such times, gaining a good reputation was less effective than having a fearsome one to keep people in check.

Therefore, many officials were ordered to reflect and examine themselves while confined to their homes.

Although there were fewer officials in court, it was even more clamorous than before.

“The manifesto claims the late Emperor originally intended to pass the throne to Xiao Xun.”

“It says there’s an imperial edict as proof.”

“What nonsense! When the late Emperor established the Crown Prince, he was still lucid and gave his orders before all of us. Deng Yi was right there—how dare he make such outrageous claims?”

“Is Deng Yi being held hostage by Xiao Xun—or has he already been harmed?”

“Be quiet! Stop making excuses for Deng Yi. The soldiers and officials at the front have seen with their own eyes—Deng Yi stands before Xiao Xun’s rebel army. He even personally went to Qu Prefecture; if the prefect hadn’t escaped quickly, he would have been killed by Deng Yi.”

Listening to the noisy discussions in court, the previously distracted Chu Zhao suddenly asked, “What exactly did Deng Yi claim the late Emperor wrote in that edict?”

The clamor in the court paused.

The remaining officials in court wouldn’t ignore the Empress’s question. Immediately, an official answered: “According to the manifesto, the edict stated: ‘One of my sons is unfilial, and one is dead. I have no sons left, so I want your son to become my son, bestowed as Crown Prince to inherit the imperial lineage of Great Xia. But a son cannot have two fathers, so I declare my edict. By imperial favor, you are ordered to take your own life.'”

As his words fell, other officials also spoke up.

“This must be fake. The imperial seal is in Deng Yi’s hands—he can write whatever he wants.”

“But some people have seen that edict. They say Deng Yi showed it to them. It’s authentic.”

“Moreover, the Ministry of Rites checked the seal impression records, and the timing matches.”

The Emperor’s use of the imperial seal wasn’t random—everything was recorded. The matching time meant this edict indeed occurred on the night of the princes’ uprising.

“So what? On the night of the princes’ uprising, Deng Yi had already taken control of the inner palace, and the late Emperor had been poisoned.”

The court officials began arguing again.

Chu Zhao didn’t ask further, just nodded while fanning herself. She didn’t doubt the edict was genuine, and it resolved her confusion. So that’s how it happened in her previous life—when Xiao Xun ascended the throne, the Prince of Zhongshan had already died.

So the Prince of Zhongshan had been poisoned. That explains it—how could someone perfectly healthy suddenly die?

Chu Zhao didn’t know who did it in her previous life. Back then, there was no Xiao Yu, and the late Emperor directly bestowed Xiao Xun as Crown Prince while the late Emperor was still alive.

But in this life, it must have been Xiao Xun’s doing.

Whether Deng Yi was involved remained unknown.

The mystery was solved, and fate had reemerged. Before, she had been anxiously vigilant, trying to prevent this scene from repeating. But now that it had truly appeared, she felt no fear at all.

She even found it interesting that in this life, Xiao Xun had become the rebel, while she was still the tyrannical Empress being condemned.

Such is fate.

“Enough,” Chu Zhao put down her fan, interrupting the court’s clamor. “There’s no need to debate its authenticity.”

She looked at the officials.

“Things have already come to this. Whether it’s fake or real doesn’t matter now.”

“My lords, don’t be disturbed by these matters. When the fire broke out at the Imperial Tutor’s residence, we already anticipated today and prepared accordingly.”

“Although we couldn’t intercept all the edicts and lost some troops and cities, nothing is frightening about this. Those who could be confused or used by the edicts, their hearts were not with us anyway.”

“Currently, Minister Xie is in command at the front and has halted the Prince of Zhongshan’s forces north of the Yellow River.”

“The Western Liang King has surrendered, and the border commanderies will soon be stabilized.”

“We have sufficient energy and troops to quell this rebellion.”

“You must focus on your responsibilities. While troops fight at the front, I ask you, my ministers, to hold firm in the rear.”

At this point, Chu Zhao smiled again.

“This isn’t the first time the Prince of Zhongshan’s forces have rebelled. We stopped them last time, so what is there to fear now?”

“What difference does Deng Yi make? He’s just a despicable opportunist who defies the world’s principles.”

“Pay no mind to the manifestos of treacherous ministers and rebels. His Majesty will personally write a manifesto to proclaim to the empire.”

With that, she stood up.

“Court dismissed.”

The court officials bowed in unison: “We respectfully send off His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress.”

…

…

After the court was dismissed, Chu Zhao met with Chu Tang, who was waiting in the inner palace.

Before Chu Tang could speak, Chu Zhao said, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. It’s not yet time to pack our belongings and leave the capital.”

Chu Tang laughed at her joke: “There’s trouble once a year. Since becoming a princess, why do I always live with my head on the line?”

“Perhaps you lived too comfortably in your previous life,” Chu Zhao said, half-jokingly. “So in this life, you must endure more hardship.”

Calling it hardship was a joke, Chu Tang thought. Although there was some anxiety, it felt quite good.

She didn’t know what life was like in her previous incarnation. Her earlier life had been comfortable, but reflecting on it, she wasn’t as content as she was now. Despite encountering frightening situations—being called a traitor or venturing deep into enemy territory to capture someone—the feeling of being a hero who could split mountains and seas was addictive.

So when this incident began, she took the initiative to circulate among the noble families, exploring their thoughts, persuading them, and discussing details.

“I’ve told everyone about when our Chu family was surrounded. It’s laughable—Xiao Xun and Deng Yi are so brazen. Have they forgotten why he was captured last time?”

It was because he trusted that the Chu Lan family had defected to them.

Why did he trust that the Chu Lan family had defected?

Because they had tried to lure Chu Lan to join in harming the young prince.

Chu Zhao smiled and said, “There’s nothing they wouldn’t dare say. They’re merely using a pretense to cover their wolfish ambitions.”

Chu Tang said, “Don’t worry, the noble families in the capital believe you. They all condemn Deng Yi and Xiao Xun as villains, faithless and unfilial.”

Chu Zhao thought this was different from her previous life. Back then, she and her father were labeled as traitors and a tyrannical empress, and no one spoke up for her. Everyone believed the accusations.

Yet in that life, she had done nothing.

“A-Tang,” Chu Zhao suddenly said, “Qi Leyun and the others are about to get married. What about you? Haven’t Uncle and Aunt arranged a match for you yet?”

Chu Tang was startled, then covered her face with her sleeve in a pretense of shyness: “Is the Empress going to arrange a marriage for me? If Your Majesty decides for me, I want someone handsome, from a good family, accomplished in both civil and military arts, devoted only to me, not just coveting my status as a princess or using me as a means to advance.”

Chu Zhao laughed and waved her hand: “I understand. When you’ve chosen someone yourself, come tell me, and I’ll arrange the marriage for you.”

This life’s Chu Tang knew what she wanted and how to get it. She wouldn’t be misled by others’ words.

“I mean, you don’t have to live this kind of life. You could go to your uncle and aunt’s place and live in peace,” Chu Zhao said.

Chu Tang pressed her forehead and sighed: “My Empress, let’s wait until this matter is resolved. As things stand, we couldn’t live peacefully even if we hid deep in the mountains.”

She knew Chu Zhao was concerned about her and smiled again.

“Don’t worry about my parents. Since you suggested they use their land to support scholars, this year the academy and my father’s reputation have soared. Everyone praises him as a noble and detached gentleman. More and more disciples join, and father increasingly strives to be a man of integrity, almost giving away all the family’s wealth.”

“When this incident occurred, I immediately sent Xiao Tu and others to inquire with an urgent letter. My brother just replied that manifestos from Xiao Xun also appeared at Qiaoshan Academy, but they were immediately torn down. Everyone unanimously condemned Deng Yi as a shameless villain and Xiao Xun as a rebel, without father even needing to speak up.”

Since Chu Zhao had entrusted Chu Lan’s family to Chu Tang’s care, she hadn’t inquired much. Now, hearing this, she felt both gratified and reflective.

After Chu Tang left, Chu Zhao and Xiao Yu together wrote a manifesto condemning Xiao Xun. They continued until sunset. Just as they put down their brushes to eat, Eunuch Qi reported that Xie Yanfang had returned.

…

…