On this day, Qi Leyun fell from the ladder.

On this day, the entire city was in an uproar.

The Emperor had issued a decree, confirming that the turmoil had ended.

Although troops still patrolled the streets, hunting down remaining rebels, and occasionally cries and sounds of fighting could be heard from the alleys—rebels desperately resisting—the common people had already found peace of mind.

The Third Prince’s rebellion was both surprising and unsurprising to the populace. The Crown Prince’s death was unexpected, but people could only sigh in resignation.

Fortunately, the Emperor’s eldest grandson was still alive and was immediately appointed as Crown Prince. Though young, he would eventually grow up, ensuring the continuation of the imperial lineage.

But what was this about the Crown Prince’s consort?

A daughter of the Chu family, Chu Zhao, had become the Crown Prince’s consort?

This Chu Zhao is—

Well, everyone was familiar with who Chu Zhao was.

Daughter of Chu Yi, whose name had filled the capital more than a decade ago. A decade later, his daughter became notorious for hitting people, cursing at people, and challenging the Third Prince at literary gatherings, making her name just as renowned throughout the capital—

But no one could have imagined she would become the Crown Prince’s consort, which meant she would be the future Empress!

Chu Zhao as Empress?

Amidst the widespread shock, some were not surprised.

“Why can’t Chu Zhao be the consort? Didn’t you hear the Emperor say that Chu Zhao saved the Emperor’s eldest grandson? She wielded a knife, rode a horse, and fought her way through the siege.”

“Indeed, a tiger father begets no common daughter.”

But this very phrase sparked another perspective.

“Rescuing the Emperor’s eldest grandson is the duty of any subject. The Emperor could reward and honor her for saving his grandson, but why have his grandson marry her? Does even the Son of Heaven need to repay a life-saving debt with marriage?”

“So is this because of gratitude, or because of… the tiger father?”

This implied that with the Crown Prince dead, the Third Prince guilty, the Emperor ill, and the Emperor’s grandson vulnerable, the fierce general Chu Yi was seizing the opportunity to make demands.

Let’s not forget how illustrious Chu Yi’s reputation was more than a decade ago, how capable he was in warfare, and how many strong soldiers he commanded—

“This is complete nonsense!”

Qi Leyun, leaning on a wooden stick and limping, came to find Chu Tang, indignantly stamping her stick on the ground with a series of thudding sounds.

“What coercion? Why can’t our Chu Zhao be Empress? Even without mentioning the merit of saving the Emperor’s grandson, our Chu Zhao is talented and beautiful, renowned, and no ordinary person!”

Chu Tang responded with a slight “Oh.” She had been standing below the wall while Qi Leyun had been lying on top of the wall on a ladder. The servants had frantically relayed the content of the imperial decree, after which Qi Leyun had fallen from the ladder, while she had been stunned speechless.

Qi Leyun, despite injuring her foot in the fall, seemed even more spirited, while she had not yet recovered her senses.

Qi Leyun noticed her dazed state, made a few sounds to get her attention, and leaned in to ask, “Did Chu Zhao wield a knife and ride a horse to protect the young prince? Did you see it with your own eyes?”

Chu Tang turned to look at her: “I saw it. It happened right outside our Chu family gate. It was truly… bodies everywhere, blood flowing on the ground.”

Qi Leyun rubbed her arms, her whole body tingling.

“You couldn’t tell at all,” she murmured. “No wonder you didn’t want me to stay at your house then.”

Chu Tang said, “Yes, you don’t know what we went through that night. Your house only burned down; here at my house, it was a massacre.”

Qi Leyun gripped her wooden stick and thumped it heavily on the ground: “That’s incredible! Who could have imagined Chu Zhao was so formidable!”

After saying this, she limped toward the door.

“Chu Tang, prepare a carriage for me.”

Chu Tang frowned: “In your condition, you’re still going out?”

“Of course, I must go out. I’m going to find the others right now, and we’ll all discuss how Chu Zhao absolutely should be Empress,” Qi Leyun said, her expression excited, her eyes sparkling. “Our Chu Zhao is talented in both literary and martial arts, virtuous and capable, dignified and virtuous, fit to be the mother of the nation—”

Chu Tang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Virtuous and capable, dignified and virtuous,” she murmured to herself. “How did you see that in her?”

Then her eyes lit up.

Virtuous and capable, dignified and virtuous—one doesn’t first possess these qualities and then wait for others to recognize them.

Rather, as long as you stand in a place where people can see you, you have whatever qualities they say you have.

Even if you don’t, you do!

Crown Prince’s consort.

Future Empress.

Chu Zhao was going to be the Empress!

Chu Tang stood in the hall, clasping her hands, a tremor running from her feet to her head.

She, Chu Tang, was going to be the Empress’s kinswoman!

…

…

Compared to the clamor in the streets and the noisy discussions among the women, the Xie family’s inner residence was silent.

It wasn’t that there hadn’t been an uproar. Before the Emperor’s decree had even left the imperial city, the Xie family had already received the news, and the commotion had nearly flipped the house upside down.

“Crown Prince’s consort!”

“How can a Crown Prince’s consort be decided now? The young prince is only six years old!”

“Chu Zhao? That Chu Zhao is already thirteen years old.”

“It’s not about age, it’s about what qualifies her, this Chu Zhao!”

“Did anyone consult us about the young prince’s marriage?”

This was the most crucial point—they were also relatives of the young prince, and with both the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince’s consort gone, they were the young prince’s only imperial relatives.

For such a momentous life decision, how could the Xie family not be consulted?

“Third Brother, Third Brother, do you know about this?”

People and voices surged toward where Xie Yanfang was, but all were blocked by Du Qi.

“Everyone, be quiet!” Du Qi stood in the corridor, reprimanding them coldly. “Do not disturb the Third Young Master’s rest.”

Everyone immediately fell silent but refused to disperse.

“Does the Third Young Master know about the Crown Prince’s consort?” they asked anxiously.

Du Qi said, “He knows.”

He knows? That’s good. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Since the Third Young Master knew, it meant either he didn’t oppose it, or he had a plan to deal with it. Everything was still under the Xie family’s control.

Watching everyone retreat, Du Qi stood in the corridor without saying more. What he meant was that the Third Young Master had just learned of this matter.

Just like everyone else, he had just found out.

Inside the room, Xie Yanfang sat by the window, slowly drinking tea from the cup in his hand.

“What does His Majesty mean by this?” Steward Cai sat opposite him, his expression grave. “What does Chu Yi mean by this?”

Xie Yanfang lowered his eyes, his eyelashes casting shadows on the teacup. Suddenly, he chuckled, causing the clear tea to ripple.

He said, “Steward Cai, when the Liang family created a disturbance, rumors involved both me and Yanlai having ambiguous relationships with Miss Chu. In the end, Miss Chu became the Crown Prince’s consort. Who could have expected this?”

Steward Cai didn’t find it amusing at all.

“Young Master, whether the world is shocked or their jaws drop in surprise, it can all be dismissed with a laugh, treated as a spectacle, but our Xie family cannot do that,” he said, his voice carrying anger. “Where does this leave our Xie family?”

Xie Yanfang drained his tea in one gulp: “Whatever status our Xie family has before His Majesty, we have the same status before the young prince.”

All are subjects, all are commoners. If they treat you as a relative, you’re a relative; if they don’t, you’re nothing.

He placed the teacup on the table.

“Steward Cai, this matter was likely not conceived by the Emperor, nor by Chu Yi, but by Miss Chu herself.”

Steward Cai was stunned. What did that mean? This was Chu Zhao’s idea? How could that be possible? How could she—

Of course, she could.

Xie Yanfang looked out the window, his eyes sparkling.

Because if it were him, he would have thought the same way and definitely would have done the same thing.

That girl truly was a bit like him.