The person who came to Chu Garden was Xiao Xun.
This time it wasn’t sneaky and furtive, but open and aboveboard.
Seeing him arrive and announce that the Chu Garden literary gathering could stop, everyone felt somewhat nervous.
Were they going to punish Chu Zhao?
The girls couldn’t help but stand beside Chu Zhao, pushing and shoving her backward—
“Qi Leyun,” Chu Zhao said helplessly, “you’re stepping on my foot.”
Qi Leyun glared at her huffily: “Can’t you move aside? Must you stand still and let me step on you?”
The men also didn’t gloat as they usually would, but frowned with some concern, admonishing in low voices, “Everyone be quiet.”
These girls didn’t look at what time it was—they really made people worry.
Several men stepped forward and bowed to Xiao Xun, asking: “Young Master, this literary gathering began because of a dispute. The gathering may end, but the dispute cannot. The Way cannot be understood without discussion, principles cannot be clarified without debate. Studying and learning should involve such debates and questions.”
This was defending Chu Zhao, characterizing her actions as scholarly debate, making a big matter small and even turning a small matter into something good.
Everyone had already forgotten their initial indignation upon hearing about this matter, and no longer felt this girl was arrogant and deserved punishment.
This was what the girl had fought for with her fists and feet! Xiao Xun looked toward Chu Zhao. Admitting defeat and begging for mercy wouldn’t earn these scholars’ sympathy—only through unyielding perseverance and defeating one’s opponent, being regarded as an adversary by them, could one be viewed as an equal and receive their support.
Wasn’t he the same way?
Now he could look at this girl properly, no longer treating her casually.
“Gentlemen need not worry,” he said with a slight smile. “The end of the Chu Garden literary gathering doesn’t mean literary gatherings are over—it’s just changing venues. The Third Prince’s Wangchun Garden literary gathering invites Miss Chu to participate as well, and you gentlemen can still exchange scholarly knowledge.”
The maid standing beside him—the Chu family maid Linglong who had fallen into the water and been rescued—walked slowly to Chu Zhao carrying an invitation.
“Miss Chu, your invitation,” she said with a smile.
A’Le pouted from the side. This wretched girl—gone only a few days and already calling her “Miss Chu.”
The maids beside Chu Tang were even angrier.
“Sister Linglong,” Dingdong said, “we’re still packing up your things. There’s so much, it’s not ready yet. Since you’re here today, do you want to take some with you first?”
Linglong glanced at her and said with a half-smile: “No need. His Highness the Young Master has equipped me completely. As for my things, let them be keepsakes for the sisters—everyone can divide them up.”
Dingdong bit her teeth in hatred. This ungrateful wretch, discarding her former master like worn-out shoes.
The young ladies paid no attention to the undercurrents between the maids, all crowding around to look at the invitation in Chu Zhao’s hand. It was genuinely an invitation to the Third Prince’s Wangchun Garden literary gathering.
Chu Zhao wasn’t unfamiliar with it—she already had one in her possession.
“Miss Chu,” Xiao Xun asked, “are you willing to come?”
He asked if she was “willing,” not if she “dared.” “Daring” meant charging forward alone courageously—even losing would make one a hero. “Willing” meant mutual agreement—if you lost, you couldn’t blame the other party.
Chu Zhao smiled. Whether daring or willing, both meant going, and going was enough. What did she have to fear?
“Chu Zhao is willing to try.”
Qi Leyun couldn’t help asking Xiao Xun: “What about us? Don’t we get invitations?”
The girls all looked at Xiao Xun. They weren’t afraid this was trouble now—those men had just said literary gatherings were about competing in skills, with wins and losses, about scholarly learning.
Xiao Xun smiled: “The other young ladies, with Miss Chu’s invitation, may go together.”
The girls immediately became even happier, telling Chu Zhao one after another to bring them along.
“Naturally we’ll all go,” Chu Zhao said, smiling at Qi Leyun. “Qi Leyun, you should study harder these next few days, so you don’t lose and embarrass us.”
Qi Leyun spat: “You’d better worry about yourself first.”
The girls all laughed.
A man on the side drawled: “Wangchun Garden is much bigger than Chu Garden. If you lose there, all under heaven will know.”
The girls weren’t afraid either, smilingly reminding the young gentleman: “Young sir, you’d better get an invitation to the Wangchun Garden literary gathering first. Otherwise whether you win or lose, all under heaven won’t know.”
The man froze—he truly didn’t have one yet. His face immediately flushed red as he flicked his sleeves and left.
This time no one spoke up for him, only scoffing disdainfully, “Where did he even come from, trying to act like a wild scholar?”
Arrogance also required real ability.
Laughter and voices filled Chu Garden. Chu Lan and Jiang Shi, having observed for a long time, finally came out to greet them.
“Young Master, please come inside to talk,” they said with bows.
Xiao Xun glanced at Chu Zhao.
Chu Zhao’s expression was unruffled.
“Thank you,” Xiao Xun smiled, his dimples deep. “I came to deliver an invitation for the Third Prince, and will now return to report.”
Chu Lan and Jiang Shi wanted to explain to Xiao Xun and beg his forgiveness, but Xiao Xun refused. This made them even more anxious, but they didn’t dare force him to stay and could only watch Xiao Xun leave.
“Linglong, Linglong,” Jiang Shi grabbed Linglong’s arm and said in a low voice, “remember to speak well of the family in front of the Young Master.”
What family? This wasn’t her family, and whether things were good or bad had nothing to do with her. Linglong smiled gracefully: “Madam Chu, I’m just a maid. How would I dare speak casually before the Young Master?”
With that, she pushed Jiang Shi away and hurried after Xiao Xun.
Jiang Shi was furious. This little wretch! But if this little wretch dared treat her this way, could it be that the Young Master’s attitude toward them wasn’t good?
Chu Lan meanwhile was surrounded by others.
“Teacher Chu, congratulations, congratulations!” “Miss Chu surpasses her master!” “Teacher Chu, it feels like we haven’t seen you in so long—we’ve missed you terribly.”
Both acquaintances and strangers were talking to Chu Lan. Chu Lan squeezed out smiles as he made conversation. If this were any other time, being praised and flattered by everyone like this, he would be delighted. But now, especially receiving praise because of Chu Zhao, there wasn’t the slightest happiness in his heart—back then because of Chu Ling he had also received plenty of adulation. And the result? The adulation lasted an instant, but the troubles came one after another without end.
……
……
Xiao Xun entered Wangchun Garden and went to where the Third Prince was, seeing the Third Prince sitting alone in the hall, tossing an arrow into a pot.
His expression was cold, his face wooden. He held a large handful in his hand, raised it and threw—with a clang, the long-eared pot shattered on impact.
A eunuch immediately stepped forward, placed a new pot, then hurriedly retreated. A moment slower, and his life would be forfeit.
The eunuchs and palace maids in the corridor all bowed their heads, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Not far away, the corpses of two eunuchs lay across the ground, feathered arrows protruding from their bodies.
Before the steps, traces of dragged blood remained.
Xiao Xun still remembered that as a child, the Third Prince liked to throw things at people.
Back then he was young and weak, and being hit only hurt slightly—it was childish mischief, and people who saw it would just laugh it off.
Now, however, he had reached the point where he could casually injure people. But this level wasn’t something people could easily see, and those who did see it wouldn’t laugh anymore.
Xiao Xun acted as if he didn’t see the corpses, stepping over the blood on the stairs as he entered.
“Third Imperial Brother,” he said. “The matter is done.”