Is the Empress not frightening enough?

Ding Dachui stood to the side thinking this, but he was no longer the mountain bandit who only knew how to hunt. At this moment, saying the Empress was frightening wouldn’t be a good thing to say.

There were people who could say it though.

A’Le came over carrying tea and heard these words, feeling both confused and displeased: “Why would Your Majesty belittle herself? The Empress is extremely frightening! If anyone doesn’t believe it, let them go ask Prince Zhongshan and his son, ask the Xi Liang royal troops!”

Chu Zhao laughed heartily and withdrew her gaze from outside the window: “A’Le is right.” She reached out and picked up a letter from the desk. “You came at just the right time. Here’s a letter—deliver it to A’Jiu.”

Writing to A’Jiu again? The last one hasn’t even been answered yet. A’Le pursed her lips: “It seems what I said was wrong—we should wait for A’Jiu to say it instead.”

Though she said this, she immediately took the letter and walked out. A’Jiu’s matters were confidential, so she pulled aside Xiao Man who was standing at the door and quietly gave instructions.

“Your Majesty the Empress.” Seeing Chu Zhao’s mood ease slightly, Ding Dachui spoke up. “Minister Zhu’s meaning is, perhaps we should wait a bit longer?”

When Zhu Yong sent his letter back, he also had a trusted aide privately explain to him. The explanation was simple and straightforward: Wei Shi had indeed killed people, but the purpose was to incite the populace to rebel together against the rebel forces. Then Hanjun was breached from within, and its influence didn’t stop at Hanjun—the surrounding commanderies also rebelled one after another. The Empress’s army thus swept forward irresistibly, crushing Xiao Xun’s rebel army at minimal cost and maximum speed.

Now that the situation had just stabilized, the Empress wanted to prosecute Wei Shi’s crimes, which would likely trigger chaos among the great clans.

After hearing all this, Ding Dachui felt a chill seeping into his head. As Commander of the Guard Bureau these past days, he thought he’d seen all kinds of officials’ secret misdeeds and felt that randomly pulling out any official and executing them in the street wouldn’t be unjust.

But this matter—

He knew it wasn’t right, but didn’t know if he should say it wasn’t right. He completely didn’t know what to do.

No matter what was done, nothing seemed quite right.

Even Zhu Yong tactfully suggested waiting, which showed how difficult the matter was.

Being Empress isn’t easy, Ding Dachui sighed inwardly.

But Chu Zhao showed no difficulty, directly shaking her head: “No need to wait. We can wait if a case can’t be investigated clearly, but since someone has already filed a complaint, what are we waiting for?”

Ding Dachui looked at her: “But Minister Zhu said—”

“Don’t worry about what Minister Zhu says.” Chu Zhao interrupted him. “Didn’t Wei Shi say to ask what I say first? Of course, I know Minister Zhu is thinking of me, but he’s thinking from an official’s position, while I must think from the Empress’s position.”

Ding Dachui acknowledged this and waited for Chu Zhao to continue.

“What Wei Shi did seems right, and from the court’s overall situation, it also seems right.” Chu Zhao said. “But actually, this is sophistry.”

She looked at Ding Dachui.

“He comes to ask me now, but why didn’t he ask me before he did it?”

At this point she smiled slightly.

“I know—perhaps he would say that he didn’t ask me then to avoid putting me in an unjust position, so he would do the evil deed himself.”

“But their coming to ask me now—isn’t that coercion?”

Ding Dachui nodded, suddenly understanding: “Exactly.”

“They keep saying it’s for me, for Da Xia.” Chu Zhao sneered mockingly. “Actually it’s for themselves—instead, they want me and Da Xia to be their scapegoats.”

Ding Dachui said loudly: “That’s it! The Wei family is calculating exactly this!”

“Therefore.” Chu Zhao sat up straight and called out for attendants. “Bring the imperial seal.”

The palace servants entered, spread out the scroll, and watched as Chu Zhao took up the brush, then stamped it with the imperial seal.

“Minister Ding, receive the decree.” she said.

Ding Dachui bowed and acknowledged, waiting for the palace servant to place the imperial edict in his hands. He saw only one word written on the unrolled scroll:

Investigate.

“I fought my way from the chaos in the imperial city to the chaos in Xi Liang, then fought Prince Zhongshan and his son—I’ve fought all the way here.” Chu Zhao said. “Am I still afraid of a mere questioning? If their hearts are hurt, so what? Should I ignore the broken hearts of the common people just to avoid hurting their feelings?”

This Da Xia and its people are not playthings in your palms.

She looked at Ding Dachui.

“Dachui, handle this matter yourself.”

This was why she said so much to Ding Dachui—she needed him to understand. When he understood, he could stand upright there.

Zhu Yong was very good, but ultimately he came from orthodox official background. For handling this matter, Ding Dachui with his mountain bandit origins who hadn’t read so many books and didn’t know so many principles was more suitable—I don’t care what principles or calculations you have; a life for a life is heaven’s law and earth’s principle.

Ding Dachui declared loudly: “This subject obeys the decree.” After speaking, he took the imperial edict and strode away.

……

……

The Guard Bureau galloped through the streets. The common people were accustomed to making way and no longer panicked, only pointing and discussing whose turn it was to meet misfortune.

Xie Yanfang leaned against the window watching these people ride into the distance.

“Commander Ding has personally taken action.” he said.

Steward Cai stood to one side, glancing at the letter paper laid out on the desk: “Should we still reply to Wei Shi’s letter?”

Xie Yanfang rested both hands on the window, leisurely overlooking the street scene, saying: “No need. Since the Empress wants a thorough investigation, then naturally those with guilt will be prosecuted.”

Steward Cai chuckled twice: “Then the Wei family’s loss is great this time. Old Master Wei will send off his child before his own death—he’ll hate you to death.”

Xie Yanfang said: “How could that be? Old Master Wei isn’t so short-sighted. The old gentleman has lived so long that he naturally knows—how can one act and gain without loss? As long as I’m still here, the Wei family will have the opportunity to start over.”

“Whatever you say goes, as long as you’re happy.” Steward Cai said, then shook his head at this point. “No, I should say—as long as the Empress is happy, that’s good.”

He now also liked to tease the young master, though he didn’t know why.

Xie Yanfang’s laughter rang out.

The laughter fell like a clear spring, causing the common people on the street to all look up, lucky enough to catch a fleeting glimpse.

Steward Cai thought, perhaps it was because of the young master’s laughter. Although he’d watched the young master grow up and the young master had always been carefree and happy, this kind of clear, bright laughter was rarely seen.

“Right.” Xie Yanfang turned from the window, his eyes full of mirth. “When the Empress is happy, I’m happy.”

Steward Cai pursed his lips: “When she’s unhappy because of you, what then?”

Xie Yanfang smiled: “Don’t know. When that time comes, I’ll think about what to do.”

……

……

The grassland in early summer looked like a green carpet spread out when viewed from afar.

Though lying on it wouldn’t actually be very soft, it could make one sink in and merge with the grassland as one.

The bird called out several times with no response, until a human voice rang out.

“A’Jiu—your letter—”

Hearing this sentence, Xie Yanlai leapt up from the grass.

The man standing not far away watched the young man running over and said irritably: “Didn’t you hear the signal just now?”

Xie Yanlai said lazily: “I’m not on duty today. Can’t understand bird calls.”

What kind of talk is that? The man glared, but Xie Yanlai had already extended his hand toward him: “Where’s the letter?”

The man snorted: “At your place. The boss is waiting for you.”

Xie Yanlai rushed back home and saw from afar Mu Mianhong sitting in the “courtyard,” scattering grain to tease the chickens and ducks gathered at her feet.

Seeing him rush in, the chickens and ducks fluttered and squawked as they fled back to the opposite courtyard.

“Boss.” Xie Yanlai said through gritted teeth in a low voice. “Whatever instructions you have, have someone call me and I’ll come see you. Don’t always condescend to come to my place.”

Mu Mianhong smiled: “How can coming here be condescending? This is A’Jiu’s home.”

It’s A’Jiu’s home, but not your daughter’s home. Don’t always act like a mother-in-law visiting her daughter. Xie Yanlai shouted inwardly, instinctively glancing at the neighboring house. Every time Mu Mianhong came, Deng Yi would look at him with that half-smiling, strange expression.

Fortunately today Deng Yi was teaching class, and only the sound of children reciting could be heard from next door.

“The letter A’Zhao wrote to me?” Xie Yanlai no longer dwelt on this question, lowering his voice to ask.

Mu Mianhong also lowered her voice, pushing a letter across: “Here.”

Xie Yanlai reached out to take it and was about to open it when he saw Mu Mianhong sitting motionless. He stopped, wanting to say he wouldn’t look now, but then saw Mu Mianhong staring at the letter with expectant eyes—

How pitiful.

Chu Zhao rarely wrote letters to Mu Mianhong.

But she’d already written him two letters in one month—too excessive. At least share one with Mu Mianhong. Otherwise, how embarrassing for him.

Xie Yanlai muttered and grumbled inwardly, ultimately not saying the words to show her out, opening the letter—if her gaze was too eager, he’d pick some content to read aloud.

But at this moment Mu Mianhong stood up, smiled, and left.

Playing with him? Xie Yanlai felt annoyed.

As Mu Mianhong walked out, she seemed to sense the young man’s irritated yet shy gaze behind her. The smile at her lips grew deeper. Though she hadn’t received A’Zhao’s letter, seeing her write to others made her even happier than reading a letter herself.

Especially that foolish boy behind her—he must be grinning nonstop while reading the letter now.

Mu Mianhong resisted turning back to look, to avoid making that thin-skinned foolish boy feel ashamed and annoyed.

But suddenly footsteps sounded behind her, accompanied by a shout: “I need to go to the capital.”

Mu Mianhong froze and turned around to see Xie Yanlai rushing over, still clutching the letter in his hand. But there wasn’t a trace of smile on his face—only anxiety and grimness.

And at this moment Deng Yi also walked out of the house, hearing these words and looking over.