When her door was suddenly blocked that day, Chu Zhao had wondered who had informed the Third Prince.

After all, she and Chu Ke were like specks of dust in the capital; how would the Third Prince notice them?

It must have been someone’s scheme.

But she had suspected Xiao Xun was behind it and hadn’t thought of the Third Young Master Xie at all.

There was no reason, no connection whatsoever.

“I didn’t do this because of any grudge against Miss Chu or General Chu,” Xie Yanfang said. “I only wanted to embarrass the Third Prince. At the time, I was visiting the Crown Prince and mentioned the Third Prince’s literary gathering. Coincidentally, the Princess came to complain that the Third Prince wouldn’t allow women to participate. So I told the Crown Prince about a Miss Chu Zhao who had defeated her brother, who was qualified to attend the Third Prince’s gathering. With a woman being so formidable, how could the Third Prince be so arrogant as to forbid women from participating?”

So that’s how it was. Chu Zhao was somewhat distracted and didn’t pay much attention to the earlier part about the Third Prince and the Princess. It had been the same in her previous life, but in that life, there had been no incident involving her and Chu Ke. So in that life, no woman had ultimately attended the Third Prince’s Wangchun Garden literary gathering.

In this life, so this was how things had changed.

She looked at Xie Yanfang and suddenly smiled.

She hadn’t expected that because of one competition with Chu Ke, she had caught Xie Yanfang’s attention in the tavern.

In her previous life, as an Empress, Xie Lang probably wouldn’t have cared even if she died.

Perhaps not expecting the girl to smile, Xie Yanfang paused slightly, then smiled as well: “However, Miss Chu, I didn’t do this to stand up for women, nor out of admiration for Miss Chu’s talents. I simply wanted to make things difficult for the Third Prince.”

After saying this, he sat upright and bowed again.

“Just as Miss Chu asked about my view of the Third Prince, my status and the Third Prince’s status destined these things to happen.”

“Miss Chu came to warn me about the Third Prince, which shows trust and regard for me, Xie Yanfang. Therefore, I cannot conceal from Miss Chu that the harsh treatment you suffered from the Third Prince today was because of me.”

Chu Zhao understood. Xie Yanfang thought that because of her conflict with the Third Prince and her hostility toward him, she had come to show goodwill toward the Crown Prince’s faction.

This Xie Yanfang was quite interesting, frankly telling her that everything was caused by him in the first place, and that he wasn’t a good person to her either.

But what did it matter? She had never considered Xie Lang a good person anyway.

“So that’s how it was,” Chu Zhao nodded, looking at Xie Yanfang. “I was wondering how the Third Prince knew about this matter, and why the rumors were exaggerated. So it was the Third Young Master Xie’s handiwork.”

She smiled slightly.

“The Third Young Master is indeed formidable. Now the Third Prince’s literary gathering is quite vexing for him, and half his limelight has been stolen.”

Xie Yanfang looked at the smile on the girl’s face and also smiled: “No, I should say Miss Chu is formidable. When I used Miss Chu to provoke the Third Prince, I never imagined today’s situation. Miss Chu’s capabilities exceeded my expectations.”

Chu Zhao picked up the teacup in front of her and said: “Since I am so formidable, the Third Young Master must certainly heed what I just said. Scholars don’t necessarily only do scholarly things, and the Crown Prince’s bravery doesn’t necessarily mean he can be fearless.”

Everyone could see the struggle between the two princes, but people thought the Crown Prince would take the Third Prince’s life, given that the Crown Prince was fierce and had many warriors under him. No one would have thought that the Third Prince would strike first, nor that the Crown Prince, who had always been fond of martial arts and horseback archery, would be killed.

She emphasized this point.

Xie Yanfang raised his teacup and gently clinked it against Chu Zhao’s.

“Please rest assured, Miss Chu,” he said solemnly. “I will keep it in mind.”

Chu Zhao smiled and drank her tea in one gulp.

Xie Yanfang also drank his tea in one gulp. He poured more tea, raised his cup, and said: “Miss Chu doesn’t hold a grudge, but I can’t pretend nothing happened. Since an apology is meaningless, I will repay what I owe Miss Chu in the future.”

With that, he drank it all.

Chu Zhao looked at him and smiled: “The Third Young Master doesn’t need to be so polite. It’s not a grudge. I didn’t come because of my dispute with the Third Prince. Third Young Master, you witnessed it yourself in the tavern—if I truly respected the Third Prince, I wouldn’t have had that public dispute with my brother.”

With that, she raised her teacup and also drank it all.

This was to indicate that she already had hostility toward the Third Prince. Xie Yanfang understood and poured tea for both of them, raising his cup again.

“Then there’s no need to say more. I’m very pleased to meet Miss Chu,” he said with a smile.

Chu Zhao looked at the elegant young man before her. She hadn’t expected that in this life, she would sit and drink with Xie Lang. She raised her teacup and gently clinked it against his, and they both drank in one gulp.

After three cups of tea and having said what needed to be said, Chu Zhao rose to take her leave.

Xie Yanfang didn’t try to keep her and rose to see her out.

“The Third Young Master doesn’t need to see me out,” Chu Zhao said, blinking with a smile. “After all, I just publicly questioned the Third Young Master’s reputation in the street.”

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily: “Precisely because of that, I should see you out, to show that I have listened to Miss Chu’s questioning, humbly accepted the lesson, and admitted my mistake. My reputation will be immediately restored.”

…

…

As Chu Zhao had said, many people had followed the carriage to the Xie family gate. Seeing that she had entered the house rather than going to the government office, they were all whispering and discussing.

But as Steward Cai had said, the common people were merely discussing, curious, and speculating. There was no indignation, let alone anyone stepping forward to question.

During this time, quite a few people had left, finding it uninteresting.

Qi Leyun and the other girls had not left. They sat in groups of two or three in their carriages, lifting the curtains to look over while discussing.

“I don’t believe she would dare to hit the Third Young Master,” Qi Leyun said.

Another girl laughed: “She would have to be capable of it. The Third Young Master is not like Liang Qin or weak young masters like Chu Ke.”

That was true, but it wasn’t just about whether she could or couldn’t hit him. Just imagining Chu Zhao fighting with the Third Young Master Xie—they simply couldn’t accept such a scene!

As they were discussing, the Xie family gate opened. Some girls crowded toward the carriage window, some lifted the curtains higher, and some simply jumped down to watch as Chu Zhao walked out of the gate, then turned back to bow with a smile.

The Xie family gate was too small! The girls could only barely see a figure inside. The figure slowly bowed in return.

Even though they could only see a silhouette, they could recognize that it was the Third Young Master Xie.

The girls couldn’t help but surge forward, but unfortunately, Chu Zhao had also turned to walk toward them, and the gate slowly closed behind her. They couldn’t see anything more.

“Why are you walking so quickly?” Qi Leyun stamped her foot, grabbing Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao smiled: “I’m not walking quickly.”

The girls surrounded her, a flurry of questions coming from all directions: “Did the Third Young Master Xie see you out?” “Did you meet the Third Young Master Xie?” “Did you fight with the Third Young Master Xie?”

“What are you saying?” Chu Zhao smiled. “How could I fight with such an elegant young man as the Third Young Master Xie?”

Qi Leyun snorted: “I know now! You just used it as an excuse to meet the Third Young Master Xie!”

This was an indirect approach—by criticizing, she had gained an opportunity to meet the Third Young Master Xie.

“I even had tea with the Third Young Master Xie,” Chu Zhao grinned at her. “Brewed by the Third Young Master Xie’s own hands, you know.”

The girls let out a collective wail.

“So frustrating!” “So envious!” “Chu Zhao, you’re so mean!”

Should they also learn from Chu Zhao and criticize the Third Young Master Xie?

But how could they bear to do that!

How could they bring themselves to speak harshly to someone like the Third Young Master Xie?

Only Chu Zhao, that reckless, hard-hearted person!

The girls crowded around this reckless, hard-hearted person, competing to sit in the same carriage with her, and left in a lively procession.

Watching this scene, the onlookers also dispersed.

These girls knew how to cause trouble!

They would dare to make any scene just to meet the Third Young Master Xie!

The Third Young Master Xie was burdened by his reputation.

As for the whipped Xie family youth, no one remembered him for the moment.

That’s not entirely true—there were still two people at the street corner.

The recruit squatted at the street corner, his legs numb.

“I never expected that you, Chief Zhang, a capital resident, would be so fond of watching such scenes,” he said.