Xie Yanlai’s lodging was clean and orderly with incense burning—in no way inferior to where the Empress stayed.

A’Le circled inside and out: “He didn’t return all night. Nothing here has been used.”

In a bad mood last night? So he stayed out all night? Chu Zhao looked at the soldiers guarding here: “Where did he go? Did anyone follow him?”

The soldier said, “Last night, General Xie was with his personal guards. He told us not to wait for him.”

Though Xie Yanlai claimed to be here recuperating this time, he’d brought over a dozen personal guards with him.

Chu Zhao immediately had someone summon them. The soldiers went and quickly ran back.

“Those men have all disappeared too,” they said, expressions shocked. “The guards say General Xie left with them last night and hasn’t returned.”

Hearing this, A’Le cried out, “Miss, he’s run away.”

Run away? Chu Zhao was slightly dazed.

“He kept saying he wasn’t here to fight. He must have gotten bored and run back,” A’Le said. “Check toward the border commanderies and the capital direction. We’ll definitely find him.”

Chu Zhao smiled and shook her head. “No, he won’t run.”

But the next moment, her brow furrowed. Not only would he not run home, he’d gone to do something dangerous instead.

In Uncle Zhong’s past letters, half of every letter complained about and cursed Xie Yanlai—not following orders, acting on his own authority, never knowing what he was thinking. Launching private raids on Xi Liang every ten days or half month was considered minor, until finally he captured the Xi Liang King alive.

Uncle Zhong said that upon learning the news, he hadn’t felt the slightest joy but was so frightened he couldn’t catch his breath.

Xie Yanlai hadn’t truly recuperated obediently here with her either. Right after arriving, he’d commanded troops to raid Xiao Xun’s rear, helping her cross the Yellow River. Later, when facing Xiao Xun’s forces threatening civilians, he’d ordered troop withdrawal—something the commanding generals were still dissatisfied about. It wasn’t that they wanted to disregard civilians, but surely they should have discussed it? At least informed the Empress? Yet Xie Yanlai had decided on his own authority.

Now he’d suddenly disappeared. Who knew what frightening thing would happen?

Actually, his injuries were indeed very serious. After recuperating this long, he’d only just begun to improve.

Chu Zhao’s hands hanging at her sides clenched tight. She suddenly couldn’t catch her breath either, because a thought had emerged.

He couldn’t have taken people and rushed toward Xiao Xun, could he?

“Your Highness,” the soldier beside her asked, “shall we pursue or not pursue?”

Chu Zhao slowly shook her head, then nodded. “We can’t pursue, yet we can’t not pursue.”

The soldier was confused. So which was it?

A’Le sighed beside them. A’Jiu had made the young lady so confused she was babbling.

What she meant was, if Xie Yanlai truly was rushing toward Xiao Xun, pursuit would alert the enemy and expose Xie Yanlai’s movements. But if they didn’t pursue and Xie Yanlai truly was rushing toward Xiao Xun, with only those few men, he was undoubtedly a moth flying into flame—

Find him, stop him. If they couldn’t stop him, then support him.

Chu Zhao took a deep breath, had A’Le fetch the phoenix seal to issue an order token, and instructed the soldier: “Deploy a batch of scouts to investigate secretly.”

The soldier acknowledged.

Watching the soldier leave with orders, A’Le urged softly beside her, “Miss, go rest for a while. You haven’t slept for a day and a night.” She quickly added, “Otherwise when there’s news of Xie Yanlai, Miss won’t have the strength to catch him.”

Chu Zhao laughed and said, “You’re right. I’ll go sleep soundly and build up my strength.”

A’Le nodded happily, secretly relieved. She’d truly worried the young lady would be too concerned about A’Jiu to eat or sleep, so she’d used “for A’Jiu’s sake” to persuade her. Sure enough, it worked.

But immediately after, she was puzzled. What was there to be happy about using A’Jiu to persuade the young lady to eat and sleep well? It was all that A’Jiu’s fault to begin with!

Regardless of how A’Le repeatedly complained about Xie Yanlai in her heart, after eating and bathing, Chu Zhao lay down on the bed, lowering the thick curtains until inside the bed was like night.

Chu Zhao closed her eyes.

He must be furious seeing the civilians’ deaths.

But why couldn’t he talk to her about it?

What was there that couldn’t be said?

She also hated Xiao Xun. No one in this world hated him more than she did.

If he went and never came back, what would she do?

Chu Zhao opened her eyes, reaching up to press her heart. Her heartbeat was suffocating.

Would Xie Yanlai die?

In that previous life, she’d never even heard of someone called Xie Yanlai. She didn’t know what his life was like, didn’t know if he lived or died.

Chu Zhao couldn’t lie down anymore. She wanted to get up and leave the bed but feared A’Le outside would hear and worry. She simply sat on the bed, covering her face with her hands, burying it against her knees.

If Xie Yanlai died, what would she do?

……

……

The weather grew hotter and hotter. It seemed spring flowers hadn’t yet finished blooming when summer arrived.

Sitting in the prince’s manor’s great hall, Xiao Xun vigorously fanned himself several times, then heavily slapped the fan on the table.

A letter placed on the table was knocked to the floor by the slap.

Ning Kun walked in and, seeing this scene, said, “The Heir shouldn’t even acknowledge this letter. Chu Zhao must be deliberately provoking Your anger.”

Previously, upon hearing that Han Commandery’s noble families had rebelled and defected to the Empress, the matter of Xiao Xun writing to Chu Zhao to persuade her surrender had been temporarily interrupted. But later, Xiao Xun had still written to Chu Zhao.

And Chu Zhao had written back to him. It had just been delivered.

Xiao Xun glanced at the letter fallen to the floor and smiled slightly. “Miss Chu Zhao said she has no interest in being my Empress because she’s already been Empress. However, if I truly admire her and am willing to be her bedroom companion, she’ll reserve a place for me in the palace.”

Ning Kun was furious. “This shameless wench is truly disgraceful.”

Xiao Xun laughed heartily. “It’s indeed something Miss Chu Zhao would say.”

Ning Kun said coldly, “This wench is smug because she’s gained two cities in succession. Those two cities only fell because local noble families rebelled. She truly believes she’s so capable.”

The smile faded from Xiao Xun’s face. “What vexes me is precisely this.” He reached up to press his forehead and sighed softly. “I don’t know what I did wrong to make them betray me, completely disregarding that they all have sons and nephews serving as officials in the commandery capital.”

Of course, the sons and nephews of these several families had now all lost their heads.

Ning Kun said hatefully, “This has nothing to do with the Heir. These noble families are just like this—cunning rabbits with three burrows. They clearly had long-laid plans. On one hand, they gained the Prince’s trust; on the other, they must have cultivated connections with the court. Getting them to rebel wasn’t a matter of one day.”

At this, he glanced outside.

“Of course, if we must speak of our responsibility, it’s because of Deng Yi.”

Xiao Xun sighed softly. “It seems Deng Yi executing the Lin clan over grain prices did make many people lose heart. I failed to reassure everyone.”

“Deng Yi struts arrogantly even before the Heir,” Ning Kun said in a low voice. “How can Your reassurance convince everyone?”

Xiao Xun was silent for a moment. “Currently he has the qualifications to strut before me.” He glanced at Ning Kun. “You understand this better than others.”

What outsiders saw was that because Deng Yi held the Late Emperor’s posthumous edict as regent, the Heir who hadn’t yet reclaimed the throne was weak before him.

But in reality, for Xiao Xun, what Deng Yi truly held was his poisoning of Prince Zhongshan.

The longevity character that poisoned Prince Zhongshan wasn’t the court’s conspiracy—it was applied by the Heir’s own hand. Ning Kun lowered his gaze. All of this was also arranged by his own hand.

He’d stolen Prince Zhongshan’s seal and given Xiao Xun use of the capital’s connections, enabling Xiao Xun’s thorough planning.

If this truth were exposed, with the crime of patricide, even with the Late Emperor’s posthumous decree, Xiao Xun could forget about sitting on this throne.

Ning Kun sighed inwardly. What could be done? To obtain what one desired, one inevitably had to lose some freedom. Life was just this difficult.

“Heir—” a guard rushed in from outside. “The Grand Tutor has been attacked—”

The Grand Tutor? Deng Yi?

Xiao Xun abruptly stood. Ning Kun’s expression was shocked. But the next moment, they exchanged glances, then each saw the question in the other’s eyes.

Was it you?

Instantly they both reacted. Ning Kun quickly lowered his gaze, using the gesture to deny it wasn’t him.

Xiao Xun frowned and called for Tie Ying.

Tie Ying entered from outside the door.

Tie Ying was his most trusted and most capable. If he truly wanted Deng Yi dead, he would definitely have Tie Ying act.

So this matter wasn’t done by him either.

And he didn’t want Deng Yi dead right now.

“Tie Ying,” Xiao Xun said, “go investigate what happened.”