Xie Yanfang did not accompany Chu Zhao to see Xie Yanlai. Of course, whatever happened in the household, like flowing water, would always eventually reach him.
“They nearly came to blows,” said Steward Cai. “What could they possibly have to quarrel about?”
Xie Yanfang kept his head down, busy with his work, and said casually, “Those two have always gotten to know each other through conflict.”
Steward Cai said, “They’ve both schemed all the way to you, young master. Why go through all that extra trouble? Scheming against both brothers—isn’t Miss Chu afraid of breaking her teeth?”
Xie Yanfang said with a smile, “Steward Cai, don’t be so harsh on a young girl. She has neither father nor mother by her side. When she’s been bullied, naturally she’ll try to fight back. That’s human nature, and it’s commendable. If I were in her position, I would do the same.”
“Why do you always compare a young girl to yourself?” Steward Cai said helplessly. “Do you really see this young girl as your younger self?”
Xie Yanfang laughed heartily. “She’s just somewhat as interesting as I was in my youth. But if she truly were like me—”
He lifted his brush and lightly marked a letter.
“I would kill her.”
Only he knew how terrifying he truly was.
……
……
The carriage swayed as it left the Xie residence. Chu Zhao leaned against the carriage wall with her eyes closed, as if exhausted.
A’Le suddenly exclaimed beside her.
“What is it?” Chu Zhao quickly opened her eyes and saw A’Le holding a small gourd—or rather, something like a gourd but also like a cricket cage, delicate and lovely, jade-green and translucent.
So this was—
“A cricket cage carved from a gourd,” A’Le said with a smile. “It belongs to A’Jiu. The maids showed it to me and I forgot about it, so I brought it out.”
After thinking for a moment, she snorted.
“Well, since I took it, I took it. Consider it his apology to you, young miss.”
She stuffed the cricket cage into Chu Zhao’s hands.
Chu Zhao accepted it with a smile and shook it in her hand. “Then when we get back, we’ll catch a cricket to keep in it.”
A’Le nodded with a smile, then sighed. “That A’Jiu—his temper is still so bad. I don’t think he’ll help.”
Chu Zhao said, “Actually, I don’t know if he’ll help either. We can only try.”
“Are a few medicinal pills too little?” A’Le said, patting her coin purse. “We have money now. How about we gild the pills?”
Chu Zhao burst out laughing. “He wouldn’t care about that at all.”
A’Le didn’t laugh. She frowned worriedly. “Then how do we convince him?”
Chu Zhao said, “With sincerity, I suppose. Who knows—perhaps he’ll be moved.”
What was sincerity? A’Le was even more confused.
“Many things. The pills you made are part of it, my going to see him is part of it, the words I said are part of it,” Chu Zhao said with a smile. “Everything counts. It just depends on which one touches his heart.”
This time A’Le laughed heartily. “Young miss, forget about your visit touching his heart—you nearly got into a fight with him!”
Chu Zhao laughed along. “Well, he is rather asking for a beating.”
The mistress and servant bumped their heads together, laughing and giggling in the carriage when it suddenly jolted to a stop.
“Young miss,” the coachman said timidly, “there’s someone—”
Someone blocking the carriage? Was it Liang Qin again? A’Le aggressively lifted the curtain. “Who—huh?”
She didn’t finish her shout. Seeing the person standing in front of the carriage, she quickly stopped herself.
The person in front of the carriage had already been startled by A’Le’s fierce demeanor.
“Miss A’Le, I, I came to—ah, this whole thing is my fault,” Zhang Gu said, his face flushing red. “Many people did come to the courier station to inquire. I already instructed everyone not to speak carelessly, but somehow, word got out—”
He bowed as he spoke.
“No matter what I say, it’s useless. I apologize to Miss Chu—”
Chu Zhao had already jumped down from the carriage. “Officer Zhang, please rise quickly. This matter has nothing to do with you all.”
A’Le jumped down after her, and hearing Chu Zhao’s words, rushed to help Zhang Gu up.
“I know it wasn’t you,” Chu Zhao said earnestly. “This matter was—”
Zhang Gu looked uneasy and said urgently, “It wouldn’t have been A’Jiu.”
Chu Zhao looked at him and stopped speaking.
“A’Jiu isn’t that kind of person,” Zhang Gu said. After saying this, he felt somewhat awkward. What kind of person was A’Jiu then? The kind like Xie Yanlai.
What kind of person was Xie Yanlai? A scion of the Xie family, someone who murdered and burned, who dominated the countryside—
What right did he have to assure this girl with such certainty that it wasn’t A’Jiu?
“Miss Chu, I’m just guessing blindly. It’s just that when A’Jiu was with us,” Zhang Gu lowered his head and said quietly, “he never allowed us to joke about you, and he never mentioned you. After returning to the capital, he disappeared completely.”
“Yes,” Chu Zhao said softly. “I know it wasn’t him. If he truly had such intentions, why would he wait until now?”
Not only did he have no such intentions, he avoided her. As a member of the Xie family, he hadn’t mentioned her once to Xie Yanfang.
Knowing full well that his family wanted to establish connections with the Chu clan, yet he kept silent.
Looking at Xiao Xun, on the other hand—knowing she repeatedly retreated, he pressed forward step by step, again and again, always using such base tactics between men and women—
Zhang Gu watched as the girl’s expression turned solemn and stern. He couldn’t help but step back and shiver.
Was she speaking ironically?
Chu Zhao noticed her lapse in composure and quickly collected herself, saying gently, “It really wasn’t him. We’ve already met, and we also know who did it.”
“We”? Zhang Gu caught that word, and the weight in his heart completely lifted. So the two had indeed met face to face. Good, that was good. Between men and women, misunderstandings were the most troublesome. Meeting face to face and clearing things up was best.
Miss Chu had already been to the Xie residence, which meant she’d met the elders too.
Since the elders knew about it, this matter was no longer a matter at all.
“Is A’Jiu doing well?” Zhang Gu couldn’t help but ask.
Chu Zhao smiled. “Not well. He was beaten quite badly—lying on the bed unable to get up.”
Yet she smiled quite happily? Was this the playful banter between young lovers? Zhang Gu forced out a smile, then remembering why A’Jiu had been beaten, his smile faded.
“So did he really do that thing?” he asked.
This military man was simple and honest. His expression was now complex—showing heartache, indignation, and bewildered uncertainty. Chu Zhao put away her smile and said seriously, “I don’t know. I asked him, but he didn’t answer me. Officer Zhang, if he truly did it, then what he’s suffering now is exactly what he deserves.”
Zhang Gu nodded. “Yes, Miss Chu is right. If he committed evil, then he’s an evildoer and deserves retribution.”
If he didn’t, then there would be no retribution.
Chu Zhao smiled. “I know you all must be uneasy. I should have sent someone to inform you first, but I really don’t have anyone I can trust, so I troubled Officer Zhang to make the trip yourself.”
Zhang Gu’s heart trembled again, different from his earlier fearful trembling—this time it was a soft flutter. This clever, kind, approachable girl who treated people with such sincerity was truly—truly General Chu’s blessing.
Who wouldn’t want such a daughter?
“Miss A’Fu, with you saying this, I really can’t accept such words,” he said.
This address of “A’Fu” made Chu Zhao’s smile deepen. “That’s right, Officer Zhang. When I first met you all, I was A’Fu. In front of you all, I’ll always be A’Fu. We got to know each other through conflict—we know each other well.”
Zhang Gu laughed heartily, the oppression in his chest completely swept away.
“Good, A’Fu,” he said, clasping his hands in salute. “If you ever need anything in the future, just speak up.”
Chu Zhao returned the salute. “Good. Then I won’t be polite when the time comes.”
After seeing off the military officer, Chu Zhao rode home in the carriage.
Chu Tang was waiting for her.
“Did you really go see Third Young Master Xie?” she asked.
Chu Zhao said with a smile, “These rumors about relations between men and women—it’s not just my affair alone. Of course I had to go find the man involved.”
Chu Tang breathed a sigh of relief. “You can still joke about it, which means the matter is resolved?”
“At any rate, I’ve left it to Third Young Master Xie,” Chu Zhao said. “He said he would resolve it. I’m just a weak woman, so I won’t worry about it anymore.”
Chu Tang sat down, fanning herself. “This matter isn’t easy to resolve. Even if Third Young Master Xie comes out to clarify that there’s nothing between you, it won’t help much. After all, this concerns you and a son of the Xie family. However the Xie family explains it, it will seem like they’re trying to cover something up.”
She placed her fan on the table and looked at Chu Zhao.
“Even if they say your connection with the Xie family son was ordained by your parents, it won’t work—it would only confirm the rumors.”
She picked up her fan again and waved it back and forth.
“This matter isn’t easy to handle.”
But the next day, the matter was resolved simply and decisively.
Minister Liang was convicted and thrown into prison. The Liang residence was surrounded, and the entire household—old and young, men and women—were all detained.
Besides the usual charges, there was one inconspicuous accusation that nevertheless caught the attention of the capital’s citizens.
Spreading rumors and malicious retaliation.
Overnight, all the rumors about Chu Zhao and the son of the Xie family vanished without a trace.
“Impressive,” Chu Tang said, sitting once again with Chu Zhao, gripping her fan.
Chu Zhao held her teacup and nodded. “Indeed impressive.”
She too had thought this would be difficult to handle, that there was no good way to dispel the rumors. She hadn’t expected that Xie Yanfang would simply deal with the person directly, leaving the rumors as nothing but rumors.
Impressive. Indeed worthy of being the Yan Wolf.